Funded by the CPP SPICE Grant
2015-2016 TEACHING ACADEMY
REQUEST FOR TEACHING FELLOW APPLICATIONS
DUE: 5 PM, FRIDAY JUNE 19, 2015, VIA EMAIL
Imagine professors freely visiting each other’s classrooms and intensely discussing how to improve their
teaching and student learning! Very few faculty of any level have the opportunity to focus deeply on
their teaching with their colleagues in the classroom, for an extended time and in an organized fashion.
The Faculty Center for Professional Development is excited to offer a year-long Teaching Academy for
faculty who have a strong desire to improve their teaching and student learning in the company of
colleagues from different disciplines. The Teaching Academy is supported by a Cal Poly Pomona SPICE
(Special Projects for Improving the Classroom Experience) Innovative Instruction grant, funded by the
Student Success Fee. The Teaching Academy will be led by Dr. Ruth Ahn (Education) and Dr. Victoria
Bhavsar (Faculty Center & eLearning).
We invite 8 Teaching Fellows from tenure-track and lecturers. The Teaching Academy is deliberately
kept small to facilitate maximum interaction among faculty members. During 2015-2016:
1) Fellows will start with a three-day Summer Institute from August 25-27, 2015, on campus, to
prepare a well-designed target course for Fall 2015. The goal is to be fully prepared and
equipped for that course at the beginning of the new academic year, while being able to
apply the same principles and strategies in other courses.
a. Necessary prep work prior to the Summer Institute will include working through
preliminary course design and reading a relevant book. Other resources will be
offered on an optional basis.
b. Key projects during the Summer Institute will include creating well-crafted syllabi
that comply with Cal Poly Pomona policies, articulating measurable or describable
learning outcomes, creating student-centered learning activities that promote
student engagement (including Blackboard strategies where appropriate), and
creating on-going assessment tools and accompanying rubrics to ensure student
learning.
c. At the end of the Summer Institute, Fellows will be encouraged to submit an IRB
protocol application to prepare for presentations and/or publications on their
teaching and student learning.
2) Fellows will meet monthly during the academic year for discussions based on wellresearched areas of teaching and learning, with the goal of applying these ideas to their
teaching.
1
3) In pairs, Fellows will observe each other’s classrooms, including online classrooms, with the
goal of visiting monthly and focusing on the area of teaching under discussion in the large
group. Pre- and post-observation discussions will support faculty in reflecting deeply about
effective planning, teaching strategies, and student learning assessment. Fellows will gather
student learning outcomes data throughout the year. After the completion of the Teaching
Academy, Fellows will be encouraged to present and/or publish their results to extend their
impact beyond their classrooms.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
The Teaching Academy invites applications for Fellows who meet the following criteria:
 Tenure-track, tenured, and lecturer faculty who have a strong desire and commitment to
improve their teaching and student learning in the company of colleagues from different
disciplines, experience, and backgrounds.
 Open to receiving and giving helpful, non-judgmental formative feedback and suggestions for
teaching including having one’s course visited at least one or more times each quarter. Please
note that these visits cannot count as peer review for departmental evaluation processes.
 Available to make one or more quarterly visits as agreed upon (the more visits you make, the
more you’ll learn!) to other Fellows’ courses during the year.
 Available for the Summer Institute (August 25-27, 2015) and monthly meetings (see dates
below).
Funding is available for up to 8 Teaching Fellows. Preference will be given to faculty who teach courses
that have a high failure and repeat rate, 2nd or 3rd year tenure-track faculty, and lecturers with more
than half-time, 1-year contracts.
The main criteria to participate as a Teaching Fellow are to be willing to engage fully in the community
and to be able to devote the necessary time. The final selection will include considerations of diversity
in discipline, faculty career stage, course type, etc.
REQUIREMENTS/DELIVERABLES



2
Prepare for and participate in the Summer Institute and create deliverables such as: wellthought out syllabus, Blackboard course shell, planned assessment artifacts (e.g. pre/post
test, assignment rubrics aligned with learning outcomes, etc.), signature assignments and
learning activities aligned with learning outcomes and assessments, outline of IRB protocol
application (including appropriate training if needed), etc.
9 face-to-face meetings in Fall 2015, Winter 2016, and Spring 2016 (see below for dates).
Observe and discuss colleagues’ teaching during each quarter.



Collect classroom assessment data on student learning.
Provide quarterly reflection in December 2015, March 2016, & June 2016 about your
learning and professional growth.
Optional but highly encouraged: Participate at CSU Symposium on University Teaching in
March 2016/2017 and/or other scholarship of teaching and learning conferences in 20162017 and write an article on your teaching.
Meeting dates and times: All monthly meetings are on Fridays, 12:00-2:00 P.M. (including lunch).
Teaching observation dates/times will be worked out at the Summer Institute.
 Summer Institute August 25-27, 2015 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. each day.
 October 2, November 6, and December 4, 2015
 January 8, February 5, and March 4, 2016
 April 8, May 6, and June 3, 2016
In a small group such as a learning community, the absence of even one person can affect the group. It
is understood that people may have previous commitments such as a conference, or an emergency may
arise. One such absence is allowable, but the stipend or professional development funds will need to be
reduced if more absences occur.
BENEFITS
Financial benefits: Each Teaching Fellow will receive 1) $1,000 at the end of the successful completion
of the Summer Institute with significant preparatory work and specified deliverables, i.e., before the
start of classes for Fall 2015; and 2) $1,500 near the conclusion of the 2015-2016 academic year at the
completion of the Teaching Academy with consistent and regular participation in meetings, collegial
observations, and quarterly reflections. Money may be received as stipends (taxable income) or as
professional development funds (must be spent within the 2015-2016 fiscal year).
Professional growth: There will be presentation opportunities at the CSU Symposia on University
Teaching in March 2016/2017 and other scholarship of teaching and learning conferences. During the
year and especially in Summer 2016, Fellows will be encouraged to write for publication based on the
outcomes of this experience.
INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY:
Due Date: Friday June 19, 2015, 5:00 pm, via email. Please email your application to Victoria Bhavsar,
vbhavsar@cpp.edu. Please include an electronic signature (typed name) on the commitment statement
page. The decision will be announced by June 30, 2015 by e-mail.
3
APPLICATION FOR A TEACHING FELLOW IN THE CAL POLY
POMONA 2015-2016 TEACHING ACADEMY
Name:
Years at Cal Poly Pomona:
Department:
College/School:
Telephone:
Email:
Please answer the questions below briefly (1-2 paragraphs).
1. Please describe the class that you are interested in focusing on for the Teaching Academy (level,
number of students, main course delivery method). It should be a class that you are scheduled to
teach in Fall 2015 and preferably but not necessarily in 2016.
2. What are some challenges that you have experienced in teaching this class? What teaching
methods do you feel have worked well in this class? What methods didn’t seem work? What kinds
of changes would you like to make?
3. How would the Teaching Academy be helpful for you at this point in your career?
4. Being a Teaching Fellow in the company of colleagues requires a serious time commitment for
summer 2015 plus 3 quarters in 2015-2016. Please comment on how you will accommodate the
time.
Please read, check off, and provide an electronic signature (typed name) on the Commitment Statement
below. Email your application to Victoria Bhavsar, vbhavsar@cpp.edu, by June 19, 2015.
For questions: Please contact Dr. Victoria Bhavsar at the Faculty Center (x4640, vbhavsar@cpp.edu).
COMMITMENT STATEMENT
If I am selected as a Teaching Fellow for the Teaching Academy, I agree to participate fully in the
program’s activities:
 Participate in the Summer Institute for 3 days (August 25-27, 2015) with significant
preparation beforehand.
 9 face-to-face meetings in Fall 2015, Winter 2016, and Spring 2016 quarters.
 Each month, observe and discuss colleagues’ teaching.
 Collect classroom assessment data on student learning.
 Turn in a final reflection in June 2016 about your learning and professional growth.
 Highly encouraged to participate at CSU Symposium on University Teaching and/or other
SoTL conferences in 2016-2017 and write an article on your teaching.
 I understand that the $2,500 ($1,000 & $1,500) stipends will be available to me when
deliverables have been submitted as described above.
Electronic Signature __________________________________ Date ______________
4