Approval Process

The College updated its procedures in Spring 2017 with respect to seeking and applying for funding from external sources, as well as clarifying roles and responsibilities for all involved in managing grants. 

Guided by District Board Policy 6.30 Externally Funded Special Projects and Programs, the updated procedures are intended to enable key leaders in the College and District to be informed, approve proposal development, ensure the feasibility of proposed projects, and ensure the organizational capacity to effectively implement grant funded programs.

District Board Policy 6.30

Forms

Intent to Apply Form

Steps in the Process

1. Consultation: Prior to applying for any grant (including renewals), faculty and staff must consult with the Dean (or other administrative supervisor) to obtain approval for developing a proposal.  Ideally this consultation should take place at least 2 months prior to a grant deadline.   
2.

Assessment: The Dean (or other administrative supervisor) and faculty/staff will discuss the potential project and funding opportunity. Together they will complete the Intent to Apply form.  The Dean will decide whether the College should pursue the project and develop a full proposal.  

If the Dean has approved moving forward with developing a proposal, the faculty/staff or identified project director may fully develop the proposal, consulting early in the process with the College Business Office.

In the meantime, the Dean will communicate with their colleagues to provide notice of intent to apply, and facilitate obtaining the final approvals required prior to formally submitting a grant proposal.

Please use the Intent to Apply Form above. 
3.

Decision and Communication: If the Dean decided to approve developing a proposal, then the Dean will submit the Intent to Apply Form to the following groups as soon as possible.

  1. President's Cabinet,
  2. Planning and Budgeting Council, and
  3. College Business Office which is responsible for informing the District Office Grants Analyst. 

This process is intended to provide notice of intent to apply for a grant, to facilitate dialog about the project and feasibility, and to ensure that key stakeholders are informed in a timely way.
4.

Approvals: The Dean is responsible for gathering the required signatures on page 3 of the Intent to Apply Form at least 2 weeks in advance of formally submitting the grant proposal.
5.

Process: Once the approvals are gathered, the Dean must submit the following documents to the College Business Office:  

  1. Intent to Apply Form
  2. Approval signatures
  3. Budget as identified in the proposal.

This packet of materials enables the College Business Office to provide final notice to the District Grants Analyst to expect a proposal soon and work out any outstanding details, particularly regarding the budget, and setting up systems for submission. 
6.

Proposal Submission:  The Dean should submit the final proposal at least 5 days in advance to the College Business Office.   The College Business Office will send final documents to the District Grants Analyst to submit the final proposal and accompanying documents to the granting agency.

Providing the documents well in advance of the deadline will provide time to resolve any technical issues which may arise should there be a problem with an electronic submission.  And if the approval process was followed, then the District Office will have all the required information, questions answered, and approvals necessary to ensure a smooth process.

Note that only the Chancellor or Executive Vice Chancellor is authorized to sign off on grant applications.  The District Grants Analyst facilitates obtaining their signatures.