Program/Activity Eligibility
Activities/programs seeking support from Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) funds must be certified by the Provost in accordance with the criteria specified below.
To be certified a program/activity must meet all of the following requirements:
- Essential to a quality educational program
- Provide an important instructional experience for any student enrolled in the respective program
- Substantially related to an instructional program and a direct extension of the in-class experience
- Directly involve faculty in the management and supervision of the activity/program
- Provide an identifiable benefit to a significant number of students
- Enhance the overall balance of university programs and the breadth and balance of IRA activities/programs
- Cannot duplicate another university certified activity
PLEASE NOTE:
- Certification and recognition as an Instructionally Related Activity does not guarantee funding
- If an activity/program that has been discontinued wishes to become recertified, they must reapply for certification
Certification Process
To be eligible for Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) funding at Chico State, programs must first be certified. Certification confirms that a program is connected to a formal instructional course and meets academic standards—but it does not guarantee funding. IRA funding is limited and allocated from a fixed annual budget. This means new proposals don’t come with additional funds—they compete alongside existing programs for the same pool of funds.
To apply for certification, complete the Request for Certification form (PDF), get approval from your department chair and college/unit dean, and email the signed form to ira@csuchico.edu. Proposals are accepted year-round. The Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC) will review submissions to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria listed above.
Certified programs are then eligible for funding from their respective units during the annual budget cycle. Specific program funding decisions are made at the unit level relative to the unit’s IRA allocation.
Funding
- Certification of a new IRA program does not increase the college's established IRA yearly allocation.
- IRA funding is allocated to colleges/units at the beginning of the each academic year.
- Deans/Directors are responsible for allocating funding to individual activity/programs.