Experiential Learning Faculty Fellowships

Experience | Success

Submission Deadline: 7/1/23

The Experiential Learning Faculty Fellowship Program is a faculty development program, research, and formal learning community that provides an opportunity for selected faculty members to integrate or advance current practices of experiential learning into their teaching while being recognized as campus leaders in Experiential Learning Pedagogy.  Up to six (6) Faculty Fellows will be selected for the 2023-2025 cohort through a competitive review process and will each be awarded funds to support their EL activity and research.

Athens State University faculty participating in the Experiential Learning Faculty Fellowship will:

  • Join a community of educators dedicated to enriching intellectual inquiry around learning and teaching
  • (Re)design a course activity; implement the course activity (re)design and evaluate their (re)design for learning gains.
  • Develop and enrich their skills as educators
  • Develop analytical and research skills relevant to learning and teaching
  • Submit a proposal for presentation/publication to an Experiential Learning platform.
  • Be recognized for their contributions through the Athens State University QEP Webpage

Experiential learning is a core area to “empower students to make valuable contributions in their professional, civic, educational and economic endeavors” (Athens State University Mission Statement, 2015). As part of our effort to equip our students to become the next generation of global leaders and channel their passions to spark social impact in a wide range of disciplines, the EL Faculty Fellowship program aims to support faculty who are doing work our Experience | Success initiative.

Commitment to full participation in the program activities is required for considerartion as an Experiential Learning Faculty Fellow.  This is a two-year program with the first year focused on a rigorous core curriculum and the second year focued on mentorship and engagement.

Applicants must commit to the following activities to be considered for selection:

  1. Integration of Experiential Learning Activity
    1. Enhance a current course activity or develop a new EL activity to integrate into a class during the fellowship period. (See guidelines below)
    2. Submit a progress report.
    3. Present project at the EL Symposium during end of second year.
    4. Submit presentation and/or article for publication at an approved conference, journal or other entity by the EL Professional Development Committee.
  2. Experiential Learning Community (Year 1)
    1. Participate in a daylong or two half-days’ workshop, depending on schedules, held in September at the start of the Fall 2022 semester. The workshop sets the groundwork for the EL Learning Community and provides an introduction to the program goals, pedagogy, social impact assessment, and course design.
    2. During the first year the cohort is asked to participate in a 2-hour monthly meeting for progress updates and topic focused discussions.
    3. During the first year the cohort will be asked to watch and/or participate in informational trainings that will follow a book study. Meetings will be scheduled for discussions to take place based on the book study.
    4. Apply for EL course designation
  3. Leadership (Year 2)
    1. Serve as mentors to future Fellows, especially the following year’s cohort.
    2. Submit proposal for publication or presentation to approved conference, journal, or other pedagogy or experiential learning publication. (Approval listing will be posted, fellow may request approval for event not currently published.)
    3. Attend at least three meetings or events, this can include serving on a workshop panel, serve on application review committee, serve on EL class designation committee, contribute to research working meetings, or other activities.

The Experiential Learning Faculty Fellowship program is an opportunity for faculty to engage deeply with others working on the Experience|Success initiative.  Fellows will enhance an existing EL activity or develop a new EL activity for their course during the year. Generally, activities are developed during the first Fellowship year and implemented in the second year but in some instances, due to when courses are offered, this time frame may be adjusted.  The Fellowship award may be used to help implement the activity or provide additional professions development support for participants.  Steps of associated to the integration of an EL activity may include:

  • Integration of EL into an existing course where the EL aspect is a new component of the curriculum;
  • Creation of assessment tools or strategies for measuring the impact of the EL activity on undergraduate student learning outcomes, faculty, or community;
  • Development of new activities that can be incorporated into courses taught as traditional, online, or hybrid learning environments.

Support for activity development and integration will be discussed during meetings and through meetings with faculty partners familiar with EL pedagogy. Completed first year work will be highlighted formally at the end of the program during the Fellows Reception.  Development may be adapted or changed during the year as participants develop in their understanding of experiential learning.

Goals of the Fellowship are twofold:

  1. Develop a faculty learning community to support teaching innovation, networking, and leadership towards strengthening and expanding Athens State’s Experiential Learning efforts.
  2. Provide funding support for faculty who are interested in developing activities, mentor and train others in their development of activities, and participate in publications and/or presentations of Experiential Learning pedagogy.

To this end, the Fellowship program is committed to supporting participants in the following endeavors:

  • Becoming part of a core group of campus leaders and advocates who are knowledgeable about and engaged in Experiential Learning pedagogy.
  • Increasing familiarity and exposure to EL theory and current research
  • Exploring evaluations and assessment strategies for measuring EL’s impact on students, faculty, and community members.
  • Developing and implementing EL related activites that merge the categories of EL with academic coursework
  • Connect to public service and outreach initiatives and existing community-university partnerships
  • Develop interdisciplinary EL activities through conversations and collaboration with faculty from other disciplines

Enhance the EL resources to support faculty with high-impact practices.

The EL Fellowship program is open to any full-time Athens State University faculty members who have an interest in Experiential Learning. New faculty members are highly encouraged to apply.

To be considered for the 2023-2025 Experiential Learning Faculty Fellowship Program, please apply by July 1, 2023.  Selected faculty will be notified by August 6, 2023.

FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION