Section 656.22 - [Effective 8/15/2025] What selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an application for an undergraduate Center?The Secretary evaluates an application for an undergraduate Center on the basis of the criteria in this section.
(a)Center scope, personnel, and operations. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:(1) The extent to which the proposed Center's area of focus meets the requirements in § 656.3(a) .(2) The extent to which the project director and other individuals, including relevant staff and faculty, are qualified to administer the proposed Center and oversee the implementation of project activities, including the degree to which they engage in ongoing professional development activities relevant to their roles at the proposed Center.(3) The adequacy of governance and oversight arrangements for the proposed Center, including the extent to which faculty from a variety of academic units participate in administration and oversee outreach activities, and, for a consortium, the extent to which the consortium agreement demonstrates commitment to a common objective.(4) The extent to which the institution provides or will provide financial, administrative, and other support for the operation of the proposed Center at a level sufficient to enable the administration of the proposed project and coordination of educational initiatives in the proposed Center's area of focus.(b)Quality of existing academic programs. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:(1) The extent to which the institution makes high-quality training, especially integrated interdisciplinary training in modern foreign language and area or international studies, appropriate to the applicant's area of focus, available in educational programs for undergraduate students.(2) The extent to which the institution routinely provides language instruction relevant to the applicant's area of focus, as well as the degree to which these offerings represent distinctive commitments to depth or breadth of coverage.(3) The extent to which qualified experts at the institution provide modern foreign language instruction in the applicant's area of focus, as well as the degree to which this instruction utilizes stated performance goals for functional foreign language use and the degree to which stated performance goals are met or are likely to be met by undergraduate students.(4) The extent to which the institution employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the applicant's area of focus, including the degree to which the institution employs enough qualified tenured and tenure-track faculty with teaching and advising responsibilities, to enable the applicant to carry out instructional and training programs supported by sufficient depth and breadth of course offerings for undergraduate students in the applicant's area of focus.(c)Impact of existing activities and resources. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:(1) The extent to which the applicant would contribute to the formation of a diverse network of undergraduate Centers through the training of undergraduate students who matriculate into advanced language and area studies programs and professional school programs related to the applicant's area of focus, especially through, but not limited to, innovative curriculum design, linkages with other institutions of higher education or organizations, requirements for student research or study abroad, support for relevant internship or other co-curricular opportunities, or specialized advising.(2) The extent to which the institution's library holdings (print and non-print, physical and digital, English and foreign language), other research collections, and staffing support high-quality undergraduate training in the applicant's area of focus through the provision of basic reference works, journals, and works in translation but do not constitute an important library collection in the applicant's area of focus.(3) The extent to which the applicant, including affiliated faculty and institutional partners, generates information about the applicant's area of focus, disseminates this information to various audiences in the United States, and effectively engages those audiences through sustained outreach activities at the regional and national levels that respond to the diverse needs of, for example, elementary and secondary schools, State educational agencies, postsecondary institutions, nonprofit organizations, businesses, the media, and Federal agencies.(4) The extent to which the applicant's activities address national needs related to language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including, but not limited to, the applicant's record in placing undergraduate students into post-graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need related to language and area studies knowledge, including into education and training at a variety of other institutions.(d)Project design and rationale. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following: (1) The extent to which the intended outcomes of the proposed project are clearly specified, possible to achieve within the project period, and address specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities related to the Center's area of focus, the purpose of the National Resource Centers program described in § 656.1 , and the undergraduate type of Center described in § 656.3(c) .(2) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to contribute to meeting national needs related to language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including, but not limited to, by the proposed project's intended outcomes and other stated efforts related to increasing the number of undergraduate students that go into post-graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need.(3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build academic and/or institutional capacity in the Center's area of focus and sustain results beyond the project period.(4) The extent to which the proposed project will reflect diverse perspectives, as defined in part 655, and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs.(e)Project planning and budget. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:(1) The extent to which all proposed activities are adequately described relative to their contribution to the proposed project's intended outcomes.(2) The extent to which all proposed activities are of high quality, including the degree to which they align with the purpose of the National Resource Centers program as described in § 656.1 , the undergraduate type of Center described in § 656.3(c) , and the proposed project's intended outcomes.(3) The extent to which the proposed timeline of activities and other application materials, such as letters of support, demonstrate the feasibility of completing proposed activities during the project period.(4) The extent to which all costs are itemized in the budget narrative and the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.(f)Quality of project evaluation. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the proposed project.(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving the proposed project's intended outcomes.(3) The qualifications, including relevant training, experience, and independence, of the evaluator(s).