The Cromwell Fellowships
The purpose of Cromwell Fellowships is to spark innovation, self-reflection, and continued development among the teaching faculty at Washington College. Cromwell Fellowships fall into two categories: Course Development and Program Development.
Applicants should articulate how their project requires them to reach beyond the normal responsibilities of a teaching faculty member, and they should demonstrate the proposed project’s value to their students, their department, and the institution as a whole.
Each semester, CTL Fellows are expected to write a short blog post about their project for The Catalyst, as well as to develop and implement one faculty engagement event (i.e. a lunch discussion, a short workshop).
Fellows may be asked to submit a brief report to the CTL after the conclusion of their fellowship and to present their findings at CTL-sponsored events. In addition, the CTL may ask fellows to work with Marketing & Communications to discuss their work with various constituents.
See this listing of current and past Cromwell Fellows.
Eligibility: Cromwell Fellowships are open to all teaching faculty at the College. All tenure-line, as well as non-tenure line and part-time faculty with an appointment beyond one year, are eligible; teaching members of the staff engaged in course or curricular program development are also encouraged to apply. Previous Cromwell Fellowship recipients must wait at least one year after the conclusion of their fellowship term before submitting a new proposal.
Application Deadline: April 1
Applications for the Cromwell Fellowship Applications should be submitted via Forms. See the email from Cromwell Center for Teaching and Learning for the link. Letters of support from department chair(s) should still be emailed to the CTL email. We have included information about the Fellowships as well as the application questions below to help you prepare.
FOCAL POINTS
Fellowship proposals for course or program development must be focused in one or more of these three areas:
A. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
For projects to create or revise courses and develop pedagogy that promote understanding and meaningful engagement with different perspectives and experiences, including those of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups. In addition to pedagogy, projects could include making use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to address access and equity in course materials.
B. Innovative Pedagogy:
For projects to create or revise courses and develop pedagogy that build upon innovations in learning and teaching technologies, broadly conceived. Projects might include, but are not limited to: developing multimedia resources and projects for a class; creating augmented reality projects; developing maker-space pedagogy and projects. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with colleagues in Library and Academic Technology as they prepare proposals.
C. Interdisciplinarity:
For projects to create or revise courses and develop pedagogy that explore important issues from interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives.
FELLOWSHIPS FOR COURSE DEVELOPMENT
Fellowships for course development consist of a stipend of $3,000 for the instructor(s) for each year of a two-year term as Cromwell Fellow. Applicants may include requests for up to $1,000 seed money for materials or other course-related costs (i.e. transportation, museum entry fees, etc.) during the term. Instructor teams of two or more will split the stipend; teams will determine how to divide the stipend in a manner proportionate to workload. Multiple applicants for the same project should submit one common application.
In the first year of the fellowship, Cromwell Fellows will focus on research, learning, and development related to their project; in some cases, initial implementation in a course might be feasible. Fellows will also serve as campus ambassadors, communicating insights and experiences from their project in CTL-sponsored venues such as Bitesize presentations, lunch-and-learn discussions, workshops, and the CTL blog. In the second year, Cromwell Fellows will focus on implementation of the project in course teaching and also pursue initial feedback, assessment, and adaptations related to the project. As campus ambassadors, in addition to communicating through CTL-sponsored venues, Fellows will also serve as mentors to first-year Cromwell Fellows. At events throughout the year, Fellows will gather to share and celebrate their accomplishments.
Proposed courses may supplement regular departmental offerings or be part of the First Year Program (FYS). Fellows are expected to offer the course at least twice.
Proposals for a Course Development Fellowship should include:
- A brief description of the course topic
- The rationale for proposing this approach to the topic
- An explanation of how the project relates to the focus on the Fellowship requested (i.e., DEI, Innovative Pedagogy, Interdisciplinarity)
- An explanation of how the project goes beyond the scope of the expected teaching duties and beyond the expected curriculum development of the applicant(s)
- A demonstration of the value of the course for students, department(s), and the institution
- An itemized budget for requests for seed money, including a plan to cover any long-term expenses that the course might require
- If applicable, a statement of needs for Library and Academic Technology resources (hardware, software, databases, staff support)
- A timeline for the project
- Brief letter of support from the Chair(s) of the department(s) involved.
FELLOWSHIPS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
The CTL also offers planning grants to bolster an existing interdisciplinary program (minor, concentration, or track) or to explore possibilities for the creation of a new interdisciplinary program (major, minor, concentration, or track. Proposals must involve at least two full-time members of the faculty. Proposals can request any monetary amount up to $3,000 for each year of a two-year term as Cromwell Fellows.
Planning initiatives may include, but are not limited to, the following: a workshop/retreat that brings Washington College faculty together to discuss an existing or new interdisciplinary program and ideas for its future development; invitation to colleagues at other institutions who have initiated programs similar to what we may want to pursue; travel by Washington College faculty to other institutions that have developed programs similar to what we may want to pursue. If you have other ideas for how CTL funds can advance the development of an interdisciplinary program, please feel free to include them in your proposal.
Proposals for a Program Development Fellowship should include:
- A description of how the proposed activities will bolster the program (for existing programs)
- A rationale for why the College ought to consider developing such a program (for prospective new programs)
- A discussion of how the proposed activities will enable the College to explore the potential benefits (and costs) of pursuing such a program
- An estimated timeline for implementation or revamping of the program
- A detailed budget for the proposed activities.