Applications Invited for Faculty-Led Workshops, Feb 1 – May 1, 2021

Thanks to a three-year initiative supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, CUNY is embarked on a visionary program designed to support engaged, active humanities pedagogy and recognize the transformative power of teaching for CUNY’s diverse population of students.   

In Spring 2021, we dedicate our support specifically to showcasing and broadcasting the great work of our own CUNY faculty. Rather than turn to outside experts, we lead by honoring the practices and vision of CUNY faculty whose commitment to racial justice and equity are central. We believe that the inclusion of the insights and expertise of all CUNY faculty, including Asian American, Black, Latinx, nonbinary, people with (dis)abilities, and working classes, is crucial to the transformative practice of higher education. 

We offer stipends to honor those organizing events in line with TLH’s mission. TLH would like to partner with and support our faculty who are committed to these goals and who are excited to share innovative ideas and methods among the CUNY community and the general public.  

Detailed Description: The purpose of co-sponsoring Spring 2021 faculty-led events is to recognize the remarkable success of CUNY faculty, including in teaching over 275,000 students online during a pandemic. Maybe you have taught a class that was successful or introduced a particular element (such as contract grading or student-generated syllabi or multimedia assignments) that was deep and meaningful for your students—and that you would like to share with your colleagues? Or maybe you want to learn from CUNY community members who are developing alternative assessment methods and try them out yourself? Or perhaps you would like to read a book or article, watch a documentary, or listen to a podcast and discuss what it means and how it might apply to your classrooms at CUNY?  

Event Types: Proposals can include workshops, presentations, reading (or viewing) discussion groups, symposia, public art performances, or any other event of your creation that would inspire transformative teaching and learning. We are especially interested in programming that engages the audience in creative new ways (i.e., not just “talking heads” but an engaged, interactive session). Further, we seek to support programs that include students as well as faculty, staff, and the general public in the discussion of a visionary, future humanities for CUNY, a humanities that is relevant and committed to a more just and equitable society.  

Events might address questions such as: How can we design equity within a syllabus? How can teachers empower students as co-creators in their own education and academic excellence? How can classrooms become communities of trust? How can a transformed classroom dismantle racism, xenophobia, and sexism to support racial and gender equity? How can the humanities offer flexibility and adaptability beyond the classroom? What does an accessible class look and sound like online? What kinds of alternative assessments are possible? How can teaching poetry as well as the arts and sciences, together, be transformative?    

Faculty Eligibility: All faculty (full time or adjunct) in the humanities, arts, and qualitative social sciences are eligible to apply to lead a peer-to-peer workshop, seminar, or other event. Please note: Faculty on fellowship leave (sabbatical) are not eligible for stipends. 

Funding may be requested for: 

• Faculty Compensation: Faculty members (full time or adjunct) organizing a Spring 2021 event co-sponsored by TLH will receive $500 after the event. If faculty wish to collaborate on organizing a multi-day event, two co-organizers may apply together to receive $500 each. Co-organizers must be listed on the same application to be eligible. 
  • Full-time faculty will receive a $500 stipend.  
  • Part-time faculty will be paid $500 as non-teaching adjuncts.  
  • If you are considering a proposal that would require more than two co-organizers, please contact us at TLH@cuny.edu before crafting your application.  
  • Adjuncts: please confirm prior approval from your department to be appointed as a Non-Teaching Adjunct, or NTA. Those part-time faculty not teaching during Spring 2021 should indicate this on the application form. 

• Honoraria: Up to an additional $500 may be requested to pay an external speaker for their participation in an event. Please note: additional CUNY faculty, staff and student speakers may not be paid an honorarium. 
• Additional Support: If you have a request for additional support, please include this request in your application for special consideration.  

Administrative and Technical Support: TLH will offer assistance in the planning and executing stages of co-sponsored events. 

Other Forms of Partnering and Co-Sponsorship: If you or your program are already engaged in planning a program for Spring 2021 that meets TLH guidelines and would like to partner with TLH on other forms of support, please contact us. We would be happy discussing other ways TLH can support your efforts. 

Expectations: These faculty awards are for conceiving and executing the event, for soliciting participants, and for producing an openly-licensed public contribution. A public contribution might be a sample assignment, lesson plan, or syllabus. It could also include a critical reflection published online or in print. All awardees will be asked to participate in an assessment of this initiative. 

Recognition: Faculty who offer an event co-sponsored by TLH will receive a formal letter of recognition for their institutional leadership. 

Deadlines: There will be a rolling application process. The first round of applications will be reviewed on January 15, 2021. Priority will be given to applications received on or before January 15. If funds remain, additional applications will be considered through March 1, 2021. 

Optional Consultation: If you would like to discuss your application prior to submission please contact us at TLH@cuny.edu.  

Application form: To apply to partner with TLH on an event this spring, please fill out the online application form by clicking here. 

Thank you for all you contribute to our students, to one another, and to higher education. We hope you are excited by this Transformative Learning in the Humanities initiative and we look forward to hearing from you!  

Click here to fill out the application.

Please note this is not the call for faculty seminars–that application will open on January 25, 2021.