The Ithaca Seminar program is looking for additional faculty to offer new seminars for fall 2009. A summer stipend of $3,350 will be provided for faculty developing new seminars.
Please contact Warren Schlesinger, the Ithaca Seminar academic coordinator, if you have any questions (274-3951). Faculty from all schools are encouraged to join the Ithaca Seminar program by completing a proposal.
The call for proposals is below, or you may request that one be e-mailed to you by contacting program assistant Joelle Albertsman (jalbertsman@ithaca.edu). More information is also available about the Ithaca Seminar program at www.ithaca.edu/ithacaseminar.
Please complete the one page proposal form by November 14 or let me know that you are planning to submit a proposal.
Call for Ithaca Seminar Proposals
Colleagues:
We are recruiting faculty to teach in the Ithaca Seminar Program. We encourage collaborative models-multi-section courses, connected courses, and courses that have related themes, but most seminars are single section courses. For some ideas, please look at www.ithaca.edu/ithacaseminar for a list of current seminars.
Ithaca Seminars give Ithaca College a competitive advantage in recruiting students, improve retention, and enhance the quality of the Ithaca College first year experience. We place a special emphasis on encouraging exploratory students to enroll in Ithaca Seminars to provide a stronger advising experience for these students. Ithaca Seminars are normally capped at 22 students per section.
Goals of the Ithaca Seminar (ICSM)
1.Offer first-year students an academic and intellectual interdisciplinary experience in a small class setting;
2.Foster learning within an interactive seminar environment through exploration, engagement and reflection;
3.Provide a classroom experience where students will learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view; and
4.Connect learning with other aspects of academic and college life to help first year students make a successful transition to college.
Faculty Obligations
a)ICSM instructors agree to conduct their classes as seminars and to include a range of transition to college issues into their courses.
b)ICSM instructors will be the advisor for exploratory students in their sections (normally 6-8 students) for as long as those students remain exploratory students.
c)ICSM instructors agree to attend sessions with their students including three evening presentations on important components of the “Ithaca Experience,” such as diversity, aesthetic appreciation and sustainability and agree to participate with their students in the First Year Reading Initiative.
d)ICSM instructors participate in faculty development activities. These include a two day workshop in May for professional development, a late August luncheon to launch the Ithaca Seminar program, and an early spring semester meeting to review program results. Faculty also conduct course and program assessment surveys.
Faculty Compensation
To foster the development of the outstanding courses that form the backbone of this college-wide program, faculty scheduled to teach a course in the program for the first time in fall 2009 will receive a course development grant of $3350 next summer. In return, faculty receiving the grant would agree to devote a significant amount of time during that summer to course development, and to teach the course three times in the next five years under the faculty obligations listed above or comparable obligations as the program evolves.
After the third offering, faculty may apply for an additional course development grant to support development of a new course, or significant revision of the existing course. If faculty opt for the additional funding, they will again be expected to teach the course three times in the next five years
Faculty who received $2000 for teaching a section last year will be offered $1350 for continuing to participate in the program; in return they will agree to teach the course in fall 2009, and once more in the following three years before applying for additional course development funds.
Proposal Guidelines
Please address the following questions in your proposal. Proposals should be submitted via email to Warren Schlesinger, Ithaca Seminar Academic Coordinator (warren@ithaca.edu) by November 15th. For assistance contact Warren or other Ithaca Seminar faculty.
For both options below, please include a statement that you have discussed teaching an Ithaca seminar with your chair to acknowledge they are aware you are submitting a proposal.
Proposals for those teaching an Ithaca Seminar for the first time (see form below):
1.Draft a title that will describe the course and attract student interest.
2.Draft about 150 words to explain to students the goals of the course (course description).
3.Describe the basic arrangement of the course. Will this be a three credit or four credit seminar, single section course, team taught or linked to another Ithaca Seminar?
4.Explain how the course will meet each of the 4 goals of the seminar that are outlined above.
5.Address what faculty development support you anticipate needing if any in order to accomplish this course. For instance, guidance for collaborative teaching relationships, orientation to Blackboard, etc.
6.Submit a tentative syllabus. Your syllabus does not have to be detailed, but a complete syllabus must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester.
Proposals for those presently teaching in the Ithaca Seminar Program (see form below):
1.Submit a current or revised syllabus.
2.Please describe what you did this semester to “connect learning with other aspects of academic and college life to help first year students make a successful transition to college.”
3.Please offer suggestions for improvement to the Ithaca Seminar program and one or two improvements you would like to make in your class for next year.
4.Describe any faculty development support you need to improve your course (see #5 above).
Please note: Faculty normally teach one ICSM seminar and must be full-time continuing faculty. Each class will have one hour of class time scheduled at noon on either Monday, Wednesday, or Friday regardless when the class is otherwise scheduled. This allows for collaborative activities, shared speakers on transition to college issues, and occasional meeting times for ICSM faculty.
Ithaca Seminar Course Proposal Form for New ICSM Faculty: Fall 2009
Name of instructor(s)_______________________________
Suggested Course Title______________________________
(We are looking for interesting and engaging titles)
Course Credit hours: ___ 3 credits ___ 4 credits
Type of Course: ___ Stand Alone ___ Linked ___ Team taught course
Tentative syllabus or course outline: ___ included in proposal ___ will be sent later
______(Please check) Yes, I have discussed teaching an Ithaca Seminar with my department chair and have his or her support.
Please provide the information requested below. Contact Warren Schlesinger by email (warren@ithaca.edu) or by phone (4-3951) if you have any questions. Please submit the information by email to Warren.
I. A brief course description - about 150 words to explain the goals of the seminar. Subject to editing and your final approval, this will be included in information sent out to students and to faculty advisors, as well as in publicity material for the program
II. Explain how your proposed course will meet each of the 4 goals of the Ithaca seminar program. Please be sure to discuss how your course will meet the goal of being an interdisciplinary class, and how you will address transition to college issues and critical thinking skills (Please contact Warren if you need any assistance in this area or other experienced ICSM faculty).
III. Address what faculty development support you anticipate needing, if any, in order to accomplish this course successfully. Please offer any suggestions you have for our May faculty development workshop.
IV. Please offer any suggestions for improving the Ithaca Seminar program. [Please note that the ICSM advisory committee meets every other Tuesday at 4:00 pm. It is an open meeting. Meeting summaries will be shared with all ICSM faculty.]
Ithaca Seminar Course Proposal Form for Continuing ICSM Faculty: Fall 2009
Name of instructor(s):_________________________________
Fall 2008 Course Title:________________________________
(We are looking for interesting and engaging titles. If you want to propose a change please complete the next line)
Suggested F09 Course Title:_____________________________
Course Credit hours: ___ 3 credits ___ 4 credits
Type of Course: ___ Stand Alone ___ Linked ___ Team taught course
______(Please check) Yes, I have discussed teaching an Ithaca Seminar with my department chair and have his or her support.
Please attach your fall 2008 syllabus unless you have already given a copy to Joelle Albertsman. We will ask in August for an updated version.
Please provide the information requested below. Contact Warren Schlesinger by email (warren@ithaca.edu) or by phone (4-3951) if you have any questions. Please submit the information by email to Warren.
I. Please describe the types of transition to college activities or discussions you had in your course.
II. Based on the list above which 2-3 activities would you recommend to new ICSM faculty.
III. Address what faculty development support you anticipate needing, if any. Please offer suggestions you have for topics, activities, or speakers for the May ICSM faculty development workshop.
IV. Please offer any suggestions for improving the Ithaca Seminar program. [Please note that the ICSM advisory committee meets every other Tuesday at 4:00 pm. It is an open meeting. Meeting summaries are shared with all ICSM faculty.]
