January Term Gains New Coordinator, Limited Funding

The Undergraduate Council will allocate a portion of its term-time student activities budget to funding student-initiated events occurring on campus during the last week of January Term, according to UC President Johnny F. Bowman ’11.

In addition, University President Drew G. Faust announced last Thursday the creation of the President’s January Innovation Fund for Faculty, which will offer a limited number of grants to faculty in the development of “creative academic or co-curricular activities” during the upcoming J-Term.

The UC’s funding, which will be distributed on a rolling application basis, will be available to support a variety of student programming during the Optional Winter Activities Week, the last week of J-Term.

“Trainings and other normal student group operations are going to be a big area where we’re funding [during the week], but we definitely want to encourage new events too,” said UC Vice President Eric N. Hysen ’11, citing informal, student-led classes as an example of a popular student proposal.

Although the UC’s budget has not been finalized. Bowman offered what he called a “really ballpark” estimate of $15,000. “We want to budget it as the busiest week we’ll have in the school year,” he said.

Though the UC is currently the only official source of funding for on-campus student activities during J-Term, Hysen said that off-campus student group-initiated programming during the Optional Winter Activities Week will be eligible for financial support from the newly renewed Student Life Fund, which funds domestic travel for student groups.

The President’s Innovation Fund will be based on a competitive application process open to faculty from all schools of the University, according to an announcement posted on Faust’s homepage. Any faculty programming proposals involving undergraduate participation must be limited to the duration of the Optional Winter Activities Period in order to be considered, according to the announcement. This year’s fund is being tested as a pilot program, and may be expanded in the future.

The College has chosen a new coordinator for the month-long J-Term, replacing former Interim Director of Advising Programs Inge-Lise Ameer, who left for Dartmouth College.

Erin E. Goodman, the assistant director of the Office of International Programs, will serve in a coordinating role for the upcoming J-Term, according to Bowman.

Goodman is a member of a newly formed J-Term planning committee that also includes Associate Dean of the College Paul J. McLoughlin, Hysen, and UC representative Crystal D. Trejo ’13, Bowman said.

The committee has already met once this semester, and will continue to meet regularly to discuss this year’s J-Term.

“We are definitely working closely with the College to make sure this winter break is successful,” Hysen said.

—Staff writer Melody Y. Hu can be reached at melodyhu@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Eric P. Newcomer can be reached at newcomer@fas.harvard.edu.