Faculty Development Fellowship: Open Society Institute

Overview

In 1997, the Open Society Institute introduced an innovative faculty exchange non-degree program designed to:

•encourage the pursuit of academic careers
•generate new approaches to curricular and pedagogical reform, and
•build and sustain local and international academia networks

Each year for up to three years, fellows spend one semester at a U.S. university and one semester teaching at their home universities. Grantees design new courses, present conference papers, complete articles and books, expand research topics and develop new teaching materials.

Awards

Over the course of two years, fellows will alternate semesters between a U.S. university and their home university. Participants may apply for a third year once they have successfully completed the first two years. Approximately 20 awards will be granted to professors teaching humanities or social sciences.

The Faculty Development Fellowship is being offered to applicants in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Fellows will begin their first semester in January 2012.

Participant Responsibilities

Pre-Academic Summer Program

In July 2011, grantees are required to participate in a four-week pre-academic summer program held in Istanbul, Turkey. The program consists of classes in academic writing in English and curriculum development, as well as social science and humanities-based seminars.

U.S. Component

The program is focused on learning alternative approaches to teaching and developing appropriate curricula for the home institution. Grantees will be assigned faculty mentors and will be expected to participate in the classroom as well as assist with class-related tasks. Ideally, grantees will also absorb other aspects of U.S. higher education such as administrative structures and student-related services, which may be applicable to the home institution. It is expected that by the second semester in the United States, some mechanism for online connectivity between home/host departments will be in place. It is also expected that by the end of two years grantees will have developed course plans and related materials for new courses.

Minimum Requirements

•Audit two to four courses, complete assignments, participate in discussion;
•Develop new courses for the home institution;
•Give lectures at host institution and/or teach a full course (during the second or third semester);
•Visit classes to observe teaching methods, review syllabi and reading lists of host faculty;
•Attend departmental and university faculty meetings;
•Introduce the home country's higher education system to faculty and graduate students.
Examples of Other Grantee Activities

•Co-publish and participate in research projects;
•Consult with students who have a project related to the grantee's field;
•Participate in academic conferences—as an attendee and/or panelist;
•Develop new courses for host institution;
•Attend seminars offered by local organizations;
•Establish exchange link between home and host institution;
•Create resource-oriented web site for students;
•Participate actively in university outreach efforts (e.g., presentations at local schools, email correspondence for incoming international students);
•Take courses on U.S. higher education history and/or administration.
Home Country Component

During the home semester and summer, grantees will be expected to maintain contact with their U.S. mentor and develop plans for sustaining that relationship. They will be expected to test teaching methods and course material developed while in the United States. Grantees should share information and resources with colleagues and home institution administrators. OSI staff will work with grantees to ensure that grantees are fully cognizant of other initiatives in higher education reform to which they can contribute and use to further their professional goals.

Fields of Study Offered
Art history, cultural anthropology, history, law, philosophy, political science, public health, religion, social work, or sociology.

Host University Responsibilities
U.S. universities are asked to provide J-1 sponsorship, work space, faculty supervision, access to university research facilities, and on-campus logistical support. Assistance with securing housing will also be necessary for the first semester.

Participating Universities

Host universities for the program have included: Appalachian State University, Boston College Law School, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Florida State University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, Georgetown University, Georgia State University, Harvard University, Ithaca College, Indiana University, The John Marshall Law School, New York Institute of Technology, New School University, New York University, Rice University, Rutgers University, San Francisco State University, Stanford University, Tulane Law School, University at Albany, SUNY, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of California at Berkeley, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Denver, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of Maine, University of Minnesota, University of Montana, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond, University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, University of Wyoming, Wake Forest School of Law, Washington University in St. Louis, Washington State University at Pullman, and Yale University.