Fellowship Information & Application
Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching
University of Michigan-Flint
The Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching offers fellowships for innovative teaching projects designed to enhance the quality of teaching in ways that will have a positive impact on student learning. The Thompson Center is looking for proposals that will significantly develop teaching expertise and strengthen the quality of student learning in courses and programs. We are especially interested in proposals that address
• Active teaching and learning strategies
• Instruction that develops students’ critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills
• Discipline-based or inter-disciplinary courses designed to enhance students’ writing, speaking, and communication skills
• Innovative applications of technology in teaching and learning
• New methods of assessment
• Collaborative faculty pedagogical projects
• Course design or revision based on information gained at workshops sponsored by the
Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching
These fellowships are to be used during Spring or Summer Term for faculty to design a new course, redesign an existing one, or work on a collaborative pedagogical project that will enhance a course or program. It is expected that the new course/redesign/collaborative project will be implemented and assessed within the next academic year. During the fellowship period, applicants may not be working on a funded project which is similar or identical to the proposed project. Applicants must demonstrate that sufficient time is available to them to complete the project as proposed. Fellowship awards are meant to give faculty time and funding to work on instructional improvement projects in their field that involve activities beyond the teaching preparation normally expected of UM-Flint faculty.
Tenure-track faculty, full time lecturers, and clinical track faculty holding one-half time or greater appointment for more than one year may apply for Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching fellowships. Each application should be supported by the applicant’s chair and be endorsed by the appropriate dean or director. Clinical-track and tenure-track faculty members with teaching obligations may receive only one Spring/Summer Fellowship every three years and this may not directly precede or follow a sabbatical term.
The proposal should be approximately five typed, double-spaced pages and should include the following six sections:
Application forms are available below or you may call 237-6508 or stop by The Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching, 366 French Hall.
The applicant should sign the proposal cover sheet, obtain signatures from the department head and appropriate dean/director, and submit one complete proposal with the cover sheet on top to the Director of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching plus eight copies of the complete proposal without the cover sheet. Applicants’ names should not appear on any page of the proposal other than the cover sheet. If human subjects are involved, the application to the Human Subjects Review Committee should be submitted before applying for this fellowship.
The Advisory Board observes strict adherence to deadline dates. Fellowship applications will not be considered if received after the deadline (5 pm, Thursday, November 29, 2007). Furthermore, the Board will review proposals as submitted and will not contact applicants for additional information unless such information is relatively minor. Proposals that are unclear or incomplete will be returned to the applicant for re-submission at the next round.
Each application will be read by all members of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching Advisory Board in a blind reading and will be ranked by these readers based on the selection criteria described below. If human subjects are to be used in the project, even for intensive interview, the application must have clearance from the appropriate Human Subjects Review Committee prior to final approval by the Advisory Board.
Problem/need: the degree to which the project or course design/redesign addresses a significant pedagogical need and its likelihood of success in addressing the need specified.
Teaching innovation: the degree to which the approaches are innovative for the individual, the department, or the field, and pedagogically sound.
Potential impact: potential for affecting instruction beyond an individual course, i.e. its likelihood to influence other instructors, be useful in other courses, or have an impact on a department or program.
Evaluation: appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed evaluation process in assessing the impact of the project on student learning.
Clarity and comprehensiveness: a) quality and completeness of the project proposal;
b) evidence of reasonable and thorough planning for carrying out the project, including timeline; c) adherence to format specified in application materials, including cover sheet and signatures.
1. Final Report:
A final report is due one year after the date of the seven-week Spring or Summer Fellowship period. For awards made in the 2007-2008 Academic year, final reports are due no later than June 30, 2009 (for a Spring fellowship), or August 31, 2009 (for a Summer fellowship). The report should include the materials developed (e.g., a course syllabus, CD-Rom, etc.), assessment materials and results, and any other information showing the impact the fellowship had on teaching and on student learning. It should also include information on planned follow-up projects or revisions if appropriate. Final Reports should be submitted to the Director of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching, 366 French Hall.
Recipients of these fellowships are expected to share their innovative teaching projects with colleagues at UM-Flint and elsewhere through presentations at a UM-Flint Brown Bag seminar, a faculty mini-conference, or other appropriate teaching conference. Recipients are also encouraged to further disseminate this information by writing a paper about the teaching project or presenting at a national teaching conference such as a Lilly Conference on College Teaching.
Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching
University of Michigan-Flint
COVER SHEET
Name(s) and Unit(s)/Department(s) of Project Director(s)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
University Address(es) _____________________________________________________
Office Telephone Number(s) ________________________________________________
Email address(es) _________________________________________________________
Classification: New Course Design _________ Fellowship Period
Existing Course Redesign _________ Spring Term _________
Collaborative Pedagogical Project ______ Summer Term _________
Title of Project and/or Course for Design or Redesign
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Use of Human Subjects: _____No _____Yes
Use of Vertebrate Animals: _____No _____Yes
Date of Submission to Human Subjects Review Committee _________
Date of Approval by Human Subjects Review Committee __________
Have you applied for funding for this project from other UM-Flint sources? _____Yes _____No
If yes, where have you applied?____________________________________________________
Signatures: _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
University of Michigan-Flint
Spring/Summer Course Design Fellowships
Introduction
The Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching offers fellowships for innovative teaching projects designed to enhance the quality of teaching in ways that will have a positive impact on student learning. The Thompson Center is looking for proposals that will significantly develop teaching expertise and strengthen the quality of student learning in courses and programs. We are especially interested in proposals that address
• Innovative approaches to teaching
• Active teaching and learning strategies
• Instruction that develops students’ critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills
• Discipline-based or inter-disciplinary courses designed to enhance students’ writing, speaking, and communication skills
• Innovative applications of technology in teaching and learning
• New methods of assessment
• Collaborative faculty pedagogical projects
• Course design or revision based on information gained at workshops sponsored by the
Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching
Up to five fellowships for $3000 each will be awarded yearly for Spring or Summer Term as a stipend added to the faculty member’s salary for the semester of the award.
Purpose and Description:
These fellowships are to be used during Spring or Summer Term for faculty to design a new course, redesign an existing one, or work on a collaborative pedagogical project that will enhance a course or program. It is expected that the new course/redesign/collaborative project will be implemented and assessed within the next academic year. During the fellowship period, applicants may not be working on a funded project which is similar or identical to the proposed project. Applicants must demonstrate that sufficient time is available to them to complete the project as proposed. Fellowship awards are meant to give faculty time and funding to work on instructional improvement projects in their field that involve activities beyond the teaching preparation normally expected of UM-Flint faculty.
Proposals for new course or program design and special projects should be based on innovative teaching methodologies, development of new teaching materials for active teaching and learning, and/or new technologies. Proposals for course redesign should demonstrate a substantial re-thinking of the course, not merely tinkering with it. Redesign projects are expected to move beyond the revision that faculty normally do to keep their courses current and should demonstrate significant use of new teaching methodologies. Courses should be based upon instructional approaches that are innovative for the instructor, the department, or the field.
Two or more faculty working collaboratively may submit a proposal for a single fellowship with division of payment for each participant indicated.
Eligibility:
Tenure-track faculty, full time lecturers, and clinical track faculty holding one-half time or greater appointment for more than one year may apply for Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching fellowships. Each application should be supported by the applicant’s chair and be endorsed by the appropriate dean or director. Clinical-track and tenure-track faculty members with teaching obligations may receive only one Spring/Summer Fellowship every three years and this may not directly precede or follow a sabbatical term.
Project Proposal:
The proposal should be approximately five typed, double-spaced pages and should include the following six sections:
1. Description of the problem or rationale for the design or redesign of the course. Why is it necessary to develop new instructional approaches? To what extent does this project go beyond normal teaching preparation? To what extent does the project impact and benefit your career development at the University of Michigan – Flint?
2. Proposal for the project. How will this course design or redesign address the problem described in item one? Describe the work to be undertaken and explain how and why it will solve the problem or address the need for new instructional design.
3. Teaching innovation. Explain in what way this is an innovative approach to teaching and learning for you, your department, or your field and exactly how new approaches will be incorporated.
4. Impact on learning. Describe how you expect this project to improve student learning in your course or program. The proposal should clearly describe the relationship between the proposed activities and the anticipated student learning outcomes.
5. Evaluation. The project must include a proposed assessment plan that will evaluate the effectiveness of the course or project on the quality of student learning resulting from the new approach to teaching developed with this fellowship. Multiple methods of evaluation are encouraged, including assessment measures used throughout the project as a means of ongoing assessment of student learning and final evaluation measures to determine the impact of the project on student learning. Evaluation measures might include midterm assessments, peer reviews, student focus groups, pre-and post-tests, questionnaires, end of term student ratings, interviews, samples of student work, reflective student writing, etc.
6. Timeline. Indicate the proposed timeline for the project from the preparation and planning during the period of the Spring/Summer Fellowship through actual implementation with students when the course is taught and the point at which final assessments will be completed. Please include the percentage of a normal work week (40 hours), during the Spring or Summer Fellowship period that will be devoted to this project.
Application Procedure:
Application forms are available below or you may call 237-6508 or stop by The Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching, 366 French Hall.
The applicant should sign the proposal cover sheet, obtain signatures from the department head and appropriate dean/director, and submit one complete proposal with the cover sheet on top to the Director of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching plus eight copies of the complete proposal without the cover sheet. Applicants’ names should not appear on any page of the proposal other than the cover sheet. If human subjects are involved, the application to the Human Subjects Review Committee should be submitted before applying for this fellowship.
Deadlines:
The Advisory Board observes strict adherence to deadline dates. Fellowship applications will not be considered if received after the deadline (5 pm, Thursday, November 29, 2007). Furthermore, the Board will review proposals as submitted and will not contact applicants for additional information unless such information is relatively minor. Proposals that are unclear or incomplete will be returned to the applicant for re-submission at the next round.
Selection Process:
Each application will be read by all members of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching Advisory Board in a blind reading and will be ranked by these readers based on the selection criteria described below. If human subjects are to be used in the project, even for intensive interview, the application must have clearance from the appropriate Human Subjects Review Committee prior to final approval by the Advisory Board.
Selection Criteria in Order of Priority:
Problem/need: the degree to which the project or course design/redesign addresses a significant pedagogical need and its likelihood of success in addressing the need specified.
Teaching innovation: the degree to which the approaches are innovative for the individual, the department, or the field, and pedagogically sound.
Potential impact: potential for affecting instruction beyond an individual course, i.e. its likelihood to influence other instructors, be useful in other courses, or have an impact on a department or program.
Evaluation: appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed evaluation process in assessing the impact of the project on student learning.
Clarity and comprehensiveness: a) quality and completeness of the project proposal;
b) evidence of reasonable and thorough planning for carrying out the project, including timeline; c) adherence to format specified in application materials, including cover sheet and signatures.
Follow-up:
1. Final Report:
A final report is due one year after the date of the seven-week Spring or Summer Fellowship period. For awards made in the 2007-2008 Academic year, final reports are due no later than June 30, 2009 (for a Spring fellowship), or August 31, 2009 (for a Summer fellowship). The report should include the materials developed (e.g., a course syllabus, CD-Rom, etc.), assessment materials and results, and any other information showing the impact the fellowship had on teaching and on student learning. It should also include information on planned follow-up projects or revisions if appropriate. Final Reports should be submitted to the Director of the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching, 366 French Hall.
A request for an extension of time for making the required report beyond the limit stated above will receive consideration by the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching Advisory Board if submitted prior to the due date.
2. Dissemination of Information:
Recipients of these fellowships are expected to share their innovative teaching projects with colleagues at UM-Flint and elsewhere through presentations at a UM-Flint Brown Bag seminar, a faculty mini-conference, or other appropriate teaching conference. Recipients are also encouraged to further disseminate this information by writing a paper about the teaching project or presenting at a national teaching conference such as a Lilly Conference on College Teaching.
Faculty interested in applying for a fellowship may examine the project proposals of previous awardees in the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching. The Thompson Center also offers consultations in drafting and revising fellowship proposals. For an appointment to discuss your idea or review a draft of your proposal, contact Mary Jo Finney, Director, by email mjfinney@umflint.edu or call the Thompson Center, 237-6508.
Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching
University of Michigan-Flint
Proposal for Spring/Summer COURSE DESIGN Fellowship
COVER SHEET
Name(s) and Unit(s)/Department(s) of Project Director(s)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
University Address(es) _____________________________________________________
Office Telephone Number(s) ________________________________________________
Email address(es) _________________________________________________________
Classification: New Course Design _________ Fellowship Period
Existing Course Redesign _________ Spring Term _________
Collaborative Pedagogical Project ______ Summer Term _________
Title of Project and/or Course for Design or Redesign
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Use of Human Subjects: _____No _____Yes
Use of Vertebrate Animals: _____No _____Yes
Date of Submission to Human Subjects Review Committee _________
Date of Approval by Human Subjects Review Committee __________
Have you applied for funding for this project from other UM-Flint sources? _____Yes _____No
If yes, where have you applied?____________________________________________________
Signatures: _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ ____________
Applicant(s) Date________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________ _____________
Department Chair(s) Date__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ ____________
Dean(s) Date