Harte Center Fellowship

The Harte Center Fellowship (HCF) offers an opportunity for 2-3 faculty members from diverse disciplines to engage in a transformative learning and teaching experience. Each academic year, selected fellows will receive a stipend along with support to cover costs related to their learning journey or teaching impact, such as enrolling in courses or attending conferences.

Year 1: The Learning Journey

In the first year, fellows embark on a unique journey of learning by stepping outside their area of expertise. Imagine a Math faculty member learning to sail, a Biology professor joining a poetry workshop, or a Theater instructor auditing a Chemistry class. These journeys are chosen for their feasibility and the diversity of disciplines represented. Special consideration is given to proposals that involve students as teachers or partners.

During this immersive experience, fellows will encounter the challenges and rewards of learning something entirely new. They will reflect on the teaching methods that could have eased their path and the support they received along the way. Monthly meetings with the Harte Center Director will provide opportunities to discuss these experiences, with suggestions for relevant learning theories in the form of articles, books, or podcasts to help crystallize the learning journey.

Learning Journey Activities:

  • Propose a learning journey outside your area of expertise.
  • Engage in the immersive experience, noting challenges and reflecting on the teaching process.
  • Attend monthly meetings with the Harte Center Director to reflect on the experiences and explore related scholarship.
  • Develop a reflective narrative connecting your experience to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Outcome:

  • Fellows will (re)experience the learning curve, enriching their teaching practice and contributing to the scholarship of teaching and learning through their reflective narratives.

Year 2: Teaching Impact

In the second year, fellows focus on transforming their reflective narratives into public presentations that can benefit other educators. This process involves identifying a specific problem of practice that emerged during the learning journey-whether related to motivation, cognitive load, or another issue-and drawing from both personal experiences and relevant scholarship to address it.

Fellows will continue to meet with the Harte Center Director monthly to discuss prior scholarship and strategies for sharing their journey with other teachers facing similar challenges. The culmination of the fellowship involves creating an impact plan that could take various forms, such as a presentation at Fall or Winter Academy, an article publication, a digital story, a conference presentation, or a teaching guide for the Harte Center website.

Teaching Impact Activities:

  • Identify a problem of practice from your learning journey.
  • Develop and present your reflective narrative to benefit other educators.
  • Attend monthly meetings to discuss strategies for sharing your journey.
  • Create an impact plan to conclude your fellowship.

Outcome:

  • Faculty will share their insights with the W&L community, contributing to the broader scholarship of teaching and learning.