Leadership in Teaching & Learning
Call for Proposals
McMaster’s Deans and Associate Vice-Presidents have indicated the need for faculty champions who
are leaders and mentors to their peers for continued improvement in teaching and learning and
enhancement of the student learning experience.
Part of MIIETL’s core business is to engage faculty in scholarly exploration, innovation,
implementation, evaluation and dissemination of teaching and learning practices. One concrete way to
achieve this goal is through MIIETL’s new 2-year Fellowship program - Leadership in Teaching &
Learning. The Fellowship program is grounded in the evidence-based philosophy that faculty
involvement is key to leading change that enhances students’ learning experiences in higher
education. Leading change in teaching and learning, a contextual and complex process at its core is
fostered through collegial efforts and implementation of new ideas and innovations within courses and
programs. MIIETL’s Leadership in Teaching & Learning Fellowship program is comprised of two
complementary streams: Evaluating Course Impact and Implementing Program Change.
Evaluating Course Impact:
This stream aims to recognize and honour faculty members who are already using high impact
educational innovations within their courses by providing them with resources to collect evidence of
transformational learning. This call targets faculty members teaching in a variety of lab and classroom
settings that use innovative pedagogy through integration of technology, community-based learning,
or undergraduate research. Impact Fellows will, in partnership with MIIETL: (1) plan an evaluation to
measure the impact of a course redesign that incorporates a high impact practice; (2) extend the
conversations about teaching and learning towards building networks; (3) disseminate project
outcomes both within and beyond their departments; and (4) mentor incoming program Fellows.
Implementing Program Change:
This stream is intended to enable departments to implement a change initiative that focuses on
curriculum, pedagogy, or the use of educational technologies to enhance their academic programs.
This call targets faculty members interested in leading a change initiative within their academic
programs that is aimed at enhancing students’ learning experiences. Change Fellows will, in
partnership with MIIETL: (1) plan the implementation of a collaborative change initiative that
enhances the academic program or curriculum within or beyond the department; (2) extend the
conversations about teaching and learning towards building networks; (3) disseminate project
outcomes both within and beyond their departments; and (4) mentor incoming program Fellows.
MIIETL’s Leadership in Teaching & Learning program provides its Fellows with access to a
network of support aimed at enhancing the projects being undertaken and fostering cultures of
continuous improvement. In the first year, Fellows will focus on designing and implementing their
projects. Mentorship development will become the focus of the second year as projects are completed
and disseminated. Fellows will be awarded $15,000 per 2-year Fellowship. Normally, a maximum of
15 participants will be admitted annually with an effort to balance the number of participants within
each stream and faculty. Projects with a focus on the integration of Learning Portfolios and
Educational Technologies are encouraged.
Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria: degree to which project meets program stream
goals & description; degree of proposed project impact; level of project connection to institutional priorities;
degree of student development and engagement; feasibility of project proposal.