Summer Grants & Workshops 2012

Core Course Development Workshops - Summer 2012

Summer course development workshops are offered to full-time faculty to support the development of new core courses or for substantive revisions of existing courses to meet core course requirements. This summer's workshops focus on Foundations and Explorations courses, although instructors interested in Integrations courses are welcome to the workshops. Workshops focusing on Integrations courses will be offered at a later point.

The workshops are offered in different modules. Each module is half a day long, generally, 9:00am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 5:00pm and will take place at the CTE unless indicated otherwise. Faculty members can sign up for modules in different combinations (unless indicated otherwise). Faculty members can participate in as many modules as they wish; financial support is available only for a limited number of modules per faculty member – for details see below under summer grants.

Workshops are hands-on with opportunities for faculty members

• to explore different implementation models that meet the core course requirements and are compatible with their subject areas,
• to experience and try out different models and pedagogies,
• to be inspired by their colleagues' experiences, ideas, and feedback,
• to discuss and develop their own ideas and classes.

Faculty members will be asked to come with ideas and any material they may have already developed. If you are interested in contributing to any specific workshops (beyond just participating), please do let us know at teachers@lmu.edu.

• Core Course Application Details
• Additional Resources

Workshop Modules Schedule

Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided.

These workshop modules are designed for specific group sizes. If modules are full, they will no longer be available for registration. If a module you are interested in is no longer being offered (i.e. is full), then please let us know what you are interested in at teachers@lmu.edu. We will consider offering additional modules should the ones offered fill quickly.

Workshop Descriptions

Immersion - FYS Model (2 modules each)
This workshop allows faculty members to experience a shortened version of a highly effective and engaging pedagogy used in a large number of First-Year Seminars at other institutions. This pedagogy can be used in the form presented or with variations as the unifying experience for a FYS spanning most of the semester or for a limited number of sessions only. It involves close reading and critical analysis of primary sources, as well as writing and speaking. Detailed documentation and support material will be made available during the workshops. Participants will be provided with individualized material before the workshop as preparation allowing faculty members to experience the FYS model also from a student perspective. The pedagogy showcased in this module is one that can be adapted also to other classes – the module may therefore also be of interest for faculty members teaching other classes (not FYS). Participation in this workshop requires attendance of both modules (morning and afternoon) on the same day. Seats in this workshop are limited - early registration recommended.

Each faculty member can sign up only for one of the two days:

• May 7: The Trial of Galileo: Aristotelianism, the "New Cosmology," and the Catholic Church, 1616-33
• May 10: The Threshold of Democracy: Athens in 403 B.C.
• August ??: Indicate you interest and availability on the registration website.

FYS Course Development (1 module)
During this workshop, faculty will develop a basic syllabus for a First-Year Seminar they intend to teach based on the course criteria for FYS. Based on key course design principles, faculty members will develop an outline of their course satisfying the learning outcomes and defining characteristic of a LMU FYS. This workshop will offer the opportunity to discuss and work together with colleagues when developing the course outline. This workshop should be combined with a FYS Reading and/or Writing module and supplements the Immersion FYS Model modules.

Teaching Reading (1 module)
This workshop supplements the FYS Course Development module by focusing on the teaching of critical reading skills. Based on a selection of texts from different fields and a variety of exercises, faculty members will engage each other in short teaching units that explore different approaches of engaging students in close and careful reading and understanding of primary sources. Instructors will not only experience different approaches of close and critical reading, but will also develop reading samples and instructions for their FYS. Ideally, this module is taken together with the Course Development and Writing modules, as well as the Immersion FYS Model modules.

Teaching Writing (1 module)
This workshop supplements the FYS Course Development module by focusing on different strategies of teaching writing. This workshop addresses specific writing aspects of the FYS as well as possible models of collaboration with writing instructors. Faculty will have the opportunity to mine their own writing process as a source for a sound writing pedagogy. The workshop will help professor explore writing as a critical act of "thinking on the page." Time saving strategies, multiple modes of student engagement and evaluation, and helpful classroom practices will be the focus of the workshop. This workshop is also suited for instructors who plan to teach a course satisfying a writing flag in different fields. Instructors will leave with a rich set of ideas and exercises as well as some assignments they can incorporate into their classes. Ideally, this module is taken together with the Course Development and Reading modules.

Course Development (Foundations and Explorations) (1 module)
During this workshop, faculty will develop a basic syllabus for a Foundations or Explorations class based on the LMU course criteria by modifying an existing syllabus or developing a new one. This workshop will rely on key course design principles to develop course elements addressing learning outcomes for the respective courses. This workshop will offer the opportunity to discuss and work together with colleagues when developing the course outline.

Teaching Information Literacy (1 module)
This workshop will introduce strategies for incorporating information literacy into classes across academic disciplines. Exercises to help students learn how to find, evaluate, and reflect on information sources will be introduced and participants will have hands-on time to begin to adapt them to their disciplines and courses. Instructors will leave with a toolkit of classroom ideas, exercises, and assignments that they can incorporate into their classes, as well as contacts among LMU's librarians who will serve as a resource and as partners for the information literacy components of the new core.

Teaching Oral Communication (1 module)
This workshop introduces a selection of methods and approaches to include oral communication elements in classes. This class is hands-on, showcasing and putting into practice the methods discussed.

Teaching Reading - Writing - Speaking (1 module)
During this workshop instructors will share reading, writing, and speaking assignments that they plan to use in core courses. Each participating instructor has to contribute at least 2 different kinds of assignments (one reading and one writing assignment, etc.) in advance by uploading them in pdf format during the workshop registration (copies will be provided for all attendees). Uploaded assignments should include all relevant material, instructions, and rubrics, if applicable.

Assessment Plans for Successful Core Course Proposals (1 module)
Are you developing a proposal for a new Core course? If so, you will also need to submit an assessment plan that explains how the course assignments will provide evidence of students' level of achievement of course learning outcomes. In this hands-on workshop we will discuss effective assessment plans and you will have the opportunity to create your own core course assessment plan, as well as a rubric to help you carry out that plan. There will be time to discuss your plan and rubric with colleagues and assessment staff as you develop them. If you've started your course proposal, please bring the draft along.

Completing Course Development (1 module)
Based on key course design principles, instructors will analyze each others' course proposals. To participate in this workshop instructors should have a fully or almost fully developed course proposal and syllabus. Instructors need to bring along all assignments, readings, and other material for the course so that they can discuss details of their courses with others.

These workshop descriptions will be updated as the planning for the workshops proceeds.

Please let us know at teachers@lmu.edu should there be any additional workshops that may be helpful over the summer.

Workshop Registration

Registration for workshops has been opened again as of 7/30/12 and will close on 8/09/12. is closed as of 5/4/12
To register, please go to the registration website.

You can register for workshops, if you have already applied for a grant in the past (and receive additional payment, for up to a total of 5 modules over the summer), and also if you did not apply for a grant in the past - in that case, you will need to submit a grant application upon registration (please read the instructions below before going to the registration site).
You are welcome and encouraged to register for workshops also if you do not apply for a grant and are not developing a core course. Participation will be confirmed, if there are open spots in the modules. If you participate w/o a summer grant, you will not be compensated for participation in any modules.

If you would like to indicate interest in future workshops and signal your plans for developing core courses, please click here.

You are welcome and encouraged to register for workshops also if you do not apply for a grant and are not developing a core course. Participation will be confirmed, if there are open spots in the modules. If you participate w/o a summer grant, you will not be compensated for participation in any modules.

Summer Grants

Participation in the workshops is combined with a faculty grant. To receive the summer grant, a faculty member has to participate in at least 2 workshop modules and submit a final report and first version of a course syllabus latest by September 14, 2012. Faculty member are compensated for participation in up to two three additional modules over the summer and are encouraged to consider participation in further modules, if interested. Grant recipients are required to submit a course proposal application, either before the summer, or by the September 21, 2012 course proposal deadline.

Payment of the grant is based on several aspects:

• Participation in workshop modules.
• Submission of a final report, syllabus, and a course proposal application.
• Collaboration in interdisciplinary teams.

Participation in a workshop module is compensated by $300 per module, for up to 4 5 modules over the summer (faculty members are encouraged to participate in additional modules). The workshop payments are made at the next possible pay date after the workshop participation, once two workshop modules have been attended. Upon submission of a syllabus and a final report as well as a course proposal application, a final payment of $500 is released in September. Instructors are encouraged to work in interdisciplinary teams of two (or at most three) members from different departments. Such collaboration is rewarded with an additional payment of $200 per person (does not apply to disciplinary teams). Per course developed at most one summer grant is awarded.

Interdisciplinary teams are expected to coordinate their application, to work closely together over the summer when developing their courses, and to submit a final report and a syllabus that reflects their collaboration. Team members need to develop a clear and realistic plan of how the teaching of the courses will reflect the interdisciplinary nature in the future, keeping in mind that courses may not always be taught contemporaneously by the instructors in the team. Applying for and receiving a summer grant as member of an interdisciplinary team, as well as submitting an interdisciplinary course proposal does not imply any guarantee about coordinated teaching schedules, team teaching, or other organizational matters.

To summarize, upon completion of all requirements, total grant payment for a faculty member working independently is

• $2,000 = 5 * $300 + $500 for 5 or more modules,
• $1,700 = 4 * $300 + $500 for 4 modules,
• $1,400 = 3 * $300 + $500 for 3 modules,
• $1,100 = 2 * $300 + $500 for 2 modules.

For a faculty member working in a collaborative team, the corresponding grant amounts are

• $2,200 = 5 * $300 + $500 + $200 for 5 or more modules,
• $1,900 = 4 * $300 + $500 + $200 for 4 modules,
• $1,600 = 3 * $300 + $500 + $200 for 3 modules,
• $1,300 = 2 * $300 + $500 + $200 for 2 modules.

Each faculty member may receive at most one core course development summer grant during the summer of 2012.

The syllabus, final report, and course application form will be made available to the LMU community; detailed instructions for the final report will be made available at the beginning of the summer.

Grant Application

To apply for grants, please go to the registration / application website. If you have already applied for a grant in the spring, then you do NOT need to re-apply to participate in further workshop modules, however, you do need to register for the workshops.

Make sure to discuss your grant application with your Chair before submitting an application (no approval required for the grant application). A copy of your application will be forwarded to you, your Chair, your Dean, the University Core Curriculum Committee and the Core Implementation Task Force, and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

If you have not yet submitted a course proposal application, to apply for the grant, you will have to provide the following during registration:

• a provisional title for the course,
• a short description of the topic and objectives of the course (max 200 words),
• a short explanation of the rationale of the course (connection to department, core, etc., if applicable, max 300 words),
• if this application is for a substantive revision of an existing course, then please explain the substantive nature of the revision (max 200 words),
• if the application is part of a team, the name(s) of all collaborators and a short description of the nature of the intended summer collaboration and envisioned teaching implementation.

You may want to prepare these points in a file and upload a pdf during registration, or you can enter them one by one as your register. If you are considering more than one course, you have the option to indicate that.

If you have already submitted a course proposal application, please have a pdf version of the application available to upload during the registration process. If you plan to work in a team, then you will also have to provide the name(s) of all collaborators and a short description of the nature of the intended summer collaboration and envisioned teaching implementation.

Grant applications are due LATEST by August 9, 2012. April 27, 2012

Decisions about grant applications will be taken on a rolling basis and latest by May 4, 2012.

Final Report

To receive the last installment of your grant ($500), you need to submit a final report by latest September 14, 2012 to teachers@lmu.edu. You may submit a final report for another core course than your original course application after consultation with the CTE Director; in that case, you need to address the point 9 below. Your final report needs to be in pdf format and consist of the following:

1. your name, department, course type, and title for the course,
2. an updated short description of the topic and objectives of the course in the final version (max 200 words),
3. a careful description of how you plan to amend the syllabus and the rationale for that type of amendment, if the course were to be taught as a four-unit course instead of a three-unit course (max 300 words),
4. a short explanation as to whether this course is designed to be taught by different instructors in the department (or beyond),
5. a list of other core courses you are considering to design or have already prepared (please list the course title, the type of course, the stage of development, and when, ideally, you would like to first teach it), if applicable,
6. if the course is a first-year seminar, a short description of your preferred writing instructor model (max 200 words),
7. if the application is part of a team, the name(s) of all collaborators and a short description of the summer collaboration and teaching implementation (max 200 words),
8. if you redesigned an existing course, please make clear how the course you developed turned out to be different from the previous version and how the changes relate to the core (max 200 words),
9. if you submit a final report for a different course than the one initially described in your grant application, please explain why you changed course and whether you still intend to develop the course you initially applied for and, if so, when (max 300 words),
10. any special requirements or aspects of your class that the Core Implementation Task Force should be aware of (if any, max 200 words),
11. a copy of the syllabus of the course (this has to be a complete, carefully developed, and implementable version of the syllabus).

The final grant payment will be initiated only if all points are addressed in a satisfactory manner and a core course application has been submitted.

Your final report and syllabus will be made available via a link on this website to the LMU community.

Timeline

There will be further course approval submission deadlines throughout next academic year and beyond. Summer grant recipients need to submit a course proposal application latest by September 21, 2012.

Grant Reports & Syllabi

These final reports and syllabi are provided for individual academic and research purposes only. They may not be disseminated in any form without explicit written consent by the author and notification of the Center for Teaching Excellence at teachers@lmu.edu.

The syllabi above are the September 2012 versions. Instructors are free to modify the syllabi at any point. These syllabi do not constitute valid syllabi for any specific class taught by the instructors listed above or by any other instructor - students need to consult the syllabus for the specific class they are enrolled in. The syllabi and final reports are not part of the course approval process. The core course development grant payment and inclusion of a course in the list here do not confer any right to teach this class or to teach it as described in the syllabus. Courses listed here may or may not have been approved in a form compatible with the syllabus included here.

QUESTIONS? Please get in touch with us at teachers@lmu.edu

Last Updated - 9/14/2012