2013-14 Lipton/Modarres Fellowship

 

Ethan Lipton/Ali Modarres Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
California State University, Los Angeles
2013-14 Application Guidelines

The Purpose of the Fellowship
The Ethan Lipton/Ali Modarres Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching and Learning was established by two University alumni in honor of their Cal State L.A. professors, who they say inspired them and made a positive impact on their lives.  The fellowship is named for the honorees: professors Ethan Lipton and Ali Modarres.  The purpose of the fellowship is to acknowledge the importance of life - changing teaching practices and to encourage inspirational teaching and mentoring.  This fellowship provides support for a promising Cal State L.A. faculty member to further develop his/her skills in helping students attain their potential. 

The successful applicant is one who (a) wishes to develop or enhance their pedagogical, curriculum, or mentoring skills, or engage in ancillary activities, which will lead to improvements in the achievement of student learning and (b) proposes an innovative approach for achieving them. The fellowship is to be used to assist a faculty member to significantly invest in his/her students’ academic performance, professional preparation and personal development.  Faculty will be considered who have a sustained interest in and show promise for excellence in teaching and facilitating learning; have further interest in making their subject matter clearly understood, relevant, and inspiring to their students; and/or who invest their time in mentoring students.  
 
An institutional grant of up to $20,000 is available to support a project for a one year period, commencing September 1, 2013 and ending August 31, 2014.  These fellowship funds are available to support a range of activities including, but not limited to, release time for professional development, and related travel, workshop and conference attendance, focusing on pedagogical development.  If a faculty fellow chooses to be paired with a faculty mentor from within his/her discipline or from another discipline, funds may be used to support such collaborations as well.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria
Faculty who apply for this fellowship must be willing to reflect and innovate in order to improve their teaching as well as their students’ learning.  Eligible faculty members should demonstrate both a commitment to teaching excellence and potential for growth.  Applicants will propose a concept and provide corresponding metrics or procedures for measuring effectiveness, and indicate a deliverable(s), after the fellowship has concluded.

The successful proposal will include concepts that 1) address teaching innovation, 2) help facilitate student learning, 3) serve to inspire students to perform at their highest level, or 4) invest in students’ personal development and professional preparation.   Sample topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Teaching Innovation
Examples:

• Innovation in the classroom using experiential learning, evidence- or problem-based learning, or instructional technologies
• Applying effective teaching strategies in the discipline
• Mentoring by colleagues on pedagogy
• Pursuing activities and publication in the scholarship of teaching and learning
• Interdisciplinary, community engagement and other innovative teaching projects

Facilitating Student Learning
Examples:

• Undertaking activities such as curriculum redesign that advance the quality and practice of teaching and learning in the classroom, across the curriculum or discipline, the college or the University
• Advising and mentoring students
• Using impactful methods to assess student learning
• Professional development and growth (learning communities, teaching symposia, summer institutes on teaching)
• Teaching outside of the classroom (clinic/lab/studio/community)

 Understanding and Working with the Cal State L.A. Student Population
Examples:

• Using effective teaching to increase and retain students
• Employing administrative approaches that make informed contributions to course and curriculum development; programmatic change
• Re/designing curriculum to include the needs of first-generation, transfer and educationally and economically disadvantaged student populations  (Note: projects must be compliant with CA Proposition 209 requirements and may not selectively provide services to individuals based on race, gender, ethnicity or national origin, to the exclusion of others).
• Community engagement and service learning projects

Application Process
This fellowship is open to Cal State L.A. tenure-track faculty members who have been at the University for at least six quarters, and have taught a minimum of 48 units. Faculty at any stage of their careers may apply, from assistant and associate professors, to mid- and late career faculty who have a legacy innovation. Applicants must receive the approvals of their respective Chairs and Deans prior to submitting applications.

In order to be considered, faculty applying must:

1. Attend a brief information | Q&A session between 3:15 pm and 4:15 pm on Feb 18, 19 or 20, 2013, in the CETL Annex (LIB Palmer Wing, Third floor, Room 3074).
2. Create an application packet in hard copy including the following items:
1. A proposal not to exceed three (3) pages in length, plus citations. The proposal will outline the concept and the project to be undertaken within the specified one year timeframe. Applicants will propose a teaching innovation(s), a metric(s) for capturing student learning or teaching innovation, and specify a deliverable(s). Applicants must specify how they will disseminate their work to the campus.
2. A detailed project budget for up to $20,000 for one year.
3. Current curriculum vitae.
4. A completed application cover sheet, signed by the applicant’s Department Chair and Dean. This cover sheet includes a list of undergraduate courses taught in the past six quarters. Please fill out a complete cover sheet for each proposer (and include all curricula vitae) if there is more than one applicant per project.
3. Application Deadline: The deadline for receipt of applications in the Center of Effective Teaching and Learning is noon, March 31, 2013.
4. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Award Process
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated based on their perceived merit, and their ultimate potential for creating a meaningful and enhanced educational experience for students.

The fellowship is for one year, commencing September 1, 2013.  If the fellowship is available in ensuing years, former fellowship recipients may submit an application for a second year of continued funding. 

The recipient shall be notified by May 15, 2013.

Performance and Post-Award Activities
The award recipient must submit a final report to the Center for Effective Teaching and Learning at the conclusion of the fellowship, summarizing the goals and outcomes of the project.   

The Center for Effective Teaching and Learning will include the final report, and corresponding deliverables such as papers, presentations or case studies, in its repository of information for the use and review of others, including future applicants.

Please address questions to Catherine Haras at charas@calstatela.edu.