IWU offers a number of programs that support faculty work. They include standard professional travel allotments, traditional research or artistic grants, curriculum development funding for individuals or groups, and course release and leave programs for both tenured and junior faculty. In addition, there are occasional opportunities to participate in regional and national conferences that focus upon various aspects of one’s professional development.
The Faculty Development Committee, Grant and Leave Programs
The IWU Faculty Development Committee is an elected group of colleagues with the Associate Provost serving in an ex officio capacity. Its charge is to be responsible for matters concerning faculty development and the professional growth of faculty and in this capacity, it advises and makes recommendations to the Provost/Dean concerning faculty leaves, University grants, and support for faculty research and other professional activities (Faculty Handbook, 2012). In this capacity, it produces an annual online Faculty Development Handbook that describes procedures for applying for internal grants and leaves. University grant and leave applications are available online, as are exemplary proposals.
Members of the 2012-2013 Faculty Development Committee include:
Kathleen Montgomery, ChairCarren Moham, Vice Chair
Diego Mendez-Carbajo
Brad Sheese
Loni Walker
Frank Boyd (ex officio)
Faculty Travel
With regard to travel, IWU offers partial support during the academic year for expenses related to professional development or achievement, and this budget, with the exceptions noted below, is administered through the Mellon Center. The Provost, in consultation with the Faculty Development Committee, determines the standard amounts for which a full-time faculty member may be reimbursed for various activities, as well as maximum amounts for automobile mileage, lodging, and meals. In 2012-2013, these funds can be drawn upon from August 1, 2012, through July 12, 2013. Additional funds are allocated to departments who can offer supplemental assistance to tenure-line faculty. Specific regulations involving eligibility for and receipt of travel funds can be found in the Faculty Development Handbook. Faculty Travel Request Forms are available from department or school office coordinators or from the Mellon Center, 309-556-3760.
Workshop Support
The Mellon Center also offers support for faculty reading groups, teaching circles, technology and pedagogy workshops, held both on and off-campus.
Collaboration with the Thorpe Center
The Thorpe Center is a collaborative endeavor between Information Technology Services, the Mellon Center and The Ames Library, offering support for the use of technologies inside and outside of the classroom, assistive technologies, and digital video editing, so as to expedite the integration of audio and video into presentations and projects. Throughout the year, workshops are offered whereby faculty and staff share their technological expertise and discuss relevant applications for their work.
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable
The university's Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable includes members from constituencies throughout the campus and meets regularly to facilitate the use of information technology and resources to support teaching and learning at IWU. A TLTR blog invites faculty and staff to share and comment upon their experiences as they relate to this mission and can be accessed through: http://blogs.iwu.edu/TLTR
Faculty Colloquia
It has been an IWU tradition to invite selected faculty to deliver formal presentations focused upon their research and teaching during the academic year. For 2012-2013, the following colleagues have been invited to participate in the program:
September 21st: Andrew Shallue
November 9th: Edgar Lehr
February 22nd: Min-hyung Kim
External SupportThe Grants and Foundation Relations Office works closely with faculty to seek external funding for their research and scholarship. A list of funding sources and agencies can be found on the SPFR webpage. Grant-writing workshops, co-sponsored by both offices are scheduled during the academic year.
Assessment and EvaluationAssessment and evaluation are part of our regular, ongoing responsibilities as teachers and scholars. The Mellon Center works with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning in order to offer assistance to faculty as they pursue these aims. Faculty who write grants with prominent evaluation components can call upon the Associate Dean of the Faculty and the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research, Planning, and Evaluation for advice and help. Those who want to create insightful ways of determining how adequately students learn and assess the effectiveness of their curricular and instructional strategies, can also count upon the support of the Associate Dean and the Assistant Vice President in their pursuit of such efforts.