The University of Georgia Libraries and the UGA Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) announce a new faculty development opportunity for individuals who teach full-time at The University of Georgia. The Special Collections Libraries Faculty Fellows Program provides instructional support and a $2000 financial stipend to faculty who wish to develop new courses or redesign existing courses to make significant use of the collections and resources of the University of Georgia’s three special collections libraries: the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection.
Recent studies have demonstrated that effective archives-based learning enhances student engagement, performance, and, in some cases, student retention across all higher education disciplines (www.teacharchives.org). Students who engage with primary sources in an archives setting build observation and summarization skills, learn to work collaboratively to analyze information and solve problems, and discover the sensory and emotional impact of handling historical materials. These skills and experiences help students understand and value the interconnected processes of research and analysis that draw upon many resources, approaches, and viewpoints to generate rigorous scholarship.
To achieve these goals, archives-based learning works best when instructors and archivists collaborate to craft archives-centered assignments and projects that align with course goals, provide clear learning objectives, offer appropriate guidance and direction, balance logistical constraints, and illuminate the intrinsic value of historical materials for research and for life. The Special Collections Libraries Faculty Fellows program provides a wonderful, engaging, and exciting archives-centered faculty development experience in a convivial and collaborative environment that values experimentation, reflection, and, yes, even fun!
The 2017 activities for the Special Collections Libraries (SCL) Faculty Fellows begin in December 2016. Formal faculty development sessions occur throughout Spring 2017. Course implementations may occur anytime during the 2017-2018 academic year.
Goals
- To provide teaching faculty with support to implement innovative archives–centered pedagogical approaches in their courses;
- To provide faculty with opportunities for sharing ideas with other dedicated, highly-motivated, and innovative teachers from various disciplines;
- To provide faculty with opportunities for building partnerships and collaborations with Special Collections archivists and librarians;
- To allow faculty to access personalized consulting and instructional assistance from the UGA Center for Teaching and Learning;
- To provide funding for an instructional project rooted in the unique collections and resources of the Special Collections Libraries;
- To further integrate what research tells us about the value of archives-centered pedagogy into undergraduate and graduate learning;
- To cultivate an innovative instructional environment that honors and recognizes dedicated teaching scholars and promotes a learning community spirit on a large campus.
Eligibility
Applicants must be full-time employees of the University of Georgia and will teach their archives-centered course during the 2017-2018 academic year. The SCL Fellows program is open to all University teaching faculty, tenure-track and non-tenure track.
Each fall, a committee composed of the SCL program coordinators and a representative from the CTL will select up to twelve faculty members to begin participation in a one-year program beginning in January. Demonstrated passion for and commitment to excellence in teaching, and an interest in experimentation and innovation in approaches and techniques are key factors for selection. The selection committee will review applications and may elect to interview applicants. The committee will notify applicants by November 14, 2016.
Application Process
Applications should be submitted here: https://ugeorgia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2lbUICGfegBRiHr
Financial Support
Each SCL Faculty Fellow receives a stipend in the amount of $2000 to support development and implementation of their archives-centered course.
Activities
The following activities comprise the 2017 program:
Kickoff events: Welcome dinner and Collections tour on Monday, December 5, 2016 (4pm-7pm) and a half-day, fellows Morning Retreat on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 (9am-2pm). These events will introduce the core instructional facets of archives-centered learning.
Monthly Workshops: The fellows will meet as a cohort twice a month throughout the spring semester in a large group workshop setting.
Meetings will be conducted as a combination of round table discussions and workshop activities and may include outside speakers. Core topicswill include:
- theoretical and practical foundations of archivy (understanding archives) and their implications for knowledge creation and transmission,
- the value of expanded sensory engagement (see, hear, touch…) for learning, archival collections as novel data (new uses for archival collections), opportunities for experiential learning in special collections,
- the place of historical knowledge in the sciences and professional fields,
- and assessing learning outcomes from special collections-centered learning contexts.
TeachArchives.org will serve as a core text for this program. In 2017, workshop meetings will take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. on the following dates: January 11, January 18, February 8, February 22, March 15, March 29, April 12, and April 26.
Maymester Institute: The SCL will hold an institute on May 9-12, 2017 to focus on course design, planning, and development in advance of the 2017-2018 academic year.
For More Information
For additional information, contact Jill Severn at jsevern@uga.edu or Dr. Chase Hagood attchagood@uga.edu.