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ULearn Faculty Fellow

The Office of Distance Learning is seeking a faculty member who would like to serve as a ULearn Faculty Fellow. The appointment will begin in August 2017, and continue for one year (August 2017 - July 2018).    

Submit ULearn Faculty Fellow Application by January 31.

Possible Project Topics

Interested faculty may consider one of the following topics or propose one of their own to design their fellow project.

  •     Humanizing / Social Presence
  •     Authoring tools
  •     Designing for the Mobile Learner
  •     Increasing Engagement through Technology
  •     Adaptive Learning
  •     21st Century Competencies

Purpose of the ULearn Faculty Fellows

The ULearn Faculty Fellows program is inspired by the Academic Affairs Leadership Fellows program with faculty embedded in an administrative unit of the University. Learn more at http://academicaffairs.louisiana.edu/faculty/faculty-development/fellowships.

Those faculty who apply and are selected as ULearn Faculty Fellows will be professionals who are making exemplary contributions to distance learning at the University. These contributions may represent advances in using innovative instructional practices or implementing instructional technology that has increased student learning. A ULearn Faculty Fellow extends the ability of the Office of Distance Learning to do one or more of the following: (a) share successes and challenges of teaching distance courses with other faculty to assist them in reshaping and rethinking how they design online courses; (b) develop and implement a special project that enhances the University’s capacity to deliver high quality online instruction, (c) assess student learning, and/or (d) research hybrid and/or online teaching and learning.

Eligibility of Faculty Fellow Applicants

  • An instructor, tenure-track or tenured faculty member in good standing with his or her Department and College

  • ULearn Certified Online Teacher or Course Designer or both

  • Demonstrate activity teaching hybrid or online courses

  • Endorsement of Department Head and Dean as indicated on application documents

Responsibility of Distance Learning Staff

  1. Communicate Faculty Fellow opportunities to all faculty members in partnership with the Office of Academic Planning and Faculty Professional Development.

  2. Establish a list of project priorities for potential fellow applicants to select and create a proposal in response to a defined need.

  3. Make a recommendation to the selection committee of the most viable candidates.

  4. Agree on a scope of work with clear learning outcomes.

  5. Support the selected faculty fellow through the successful completion of the identified scope of work.

Responsibility of Faculty Fellow

An agreement similar to the format of a professorship:

  1. Agree to a scope of work with clear learning outcomes.

  2. Collaborate and cooperate with Distance Learning staff to successfully meet outcomes within the timeframe of the agreement.

  3. Act as an extension staff member of the Office of Distance Learning.

  4. Present outcomes of completed fellow project to some audience(s) using a variety of media and communication channels.

Compensation of Faculty Fellow

At least one Faculty Fellow per year will receive the following direct or indirect compensation:

  1. Faculty replacement cost for one course release per semester (fall and spring) to be paid by ODL budget. No course release is paid in summer semester. The replacement cost would cover a faculty overload or an adjunct.

  2. A $5,000 stipend (distributed $2,000 in the fall, $2,000 in the spring, and $1,000 in the summer) plus required University benefits for that stipend.

  3. Reimbursement for any approved travel required to complete agreed upon parameters of the fellow agreement.

  4. Professional development related to the achievement of learning outcomes in the fellow agreement paid for by the Office of Distance Learning.

Time Commitment of Faculty Fellow

The time period for this award is one academic year (defined herein as fall, spring, and summer). The fellow agreement will establish any “physical presence” requirements, if needed. It is expected that selected fellows will fulfill the obligations of the fellow agreement and accomplish the agreed upon learning outcomes.

Selection of ULearn Faculty Fellow

An application process will be used to solicit applicants. A committee of five (5) members, four (4) of which will be ULearn Certified faculty, with a distance learning staff member serving as chair and voting only if a tie breaker is needed. Selection committee final selection pending approval of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Application Components

The Application components will mirror those of the Academic Affairs Leadership Fellows program, but at a minimum, the following items will form the core application components:

  1. Signed Approval from Department Head and Dean (see form)

  2. Letter of Intent from the faculty member will address the following:

    • If the project is based on a scaled implementation of proven software/hardware in teaching and learning; or if the project is research based; or if the project is exploratory (pilot of new instructional or technological service); or if the project is another distance learning related project.

    • How the project fits into the annual workload - research, service, teaching excellence and/or scholarship of teaching.

  3. An updated Curriculum Vitae (indicating accomplishments in Distance Learning)

  4. Letters of Support (1 letter required, not more than 5 accepted)

All application components should be submitted online using the link on this page.

Selection Timeline - 2016-2017

November – January 31, 2017 Application
November Applicant Interest Session (F2F and Virtually)
February 2017 Committee Meets to Review and Make Recommendation
March 2017 Gain Necessary Internal Approvals
March 1, 2017 Announce Fellow
May 2017 Sign Agreements / Scope of Work