University Teaching Leadership Fellows

Meet the 2023 University Teaching Leadership Fellows

Inaugural Cohort: Deadline is Closed

This site provides key information about the University Teaching Leadership Fellows (UTLF) initiative.

Additional information about the UTLF initiative can be found on the Application and Selection Process and the Frequently Asked Questions sites.

Mission and Goals

The University Teaching Leadership Fellows (UTLFs) are a distinguished and cross-disciplinary community of educators who act as institutional change agents by engaging in educational leadership, research, advocacy, networking, service, and mentoring to promote educational excellence.

The UTLF initiative furthers the goals of the 2019 University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Plan and other institutional teaching and learning initiatives by:

Developing and supporting faculty across academic disciplines as educational leaders through a 3-year engagement in research, inquiry, networking, mentoring, and professional development;
Promoting innovative and effective teaching and learning practices that will improve undergraduate and graduate teaching and student learning through designing and conducting teaching and learning projects that have implications for the broader University community and beyond the University of Guelph;
Leading and supporting teaching initiatives and contributing to college and institutional cultures of open discourse and critical reflection about teaching, learning, and student success, through networking in their own colleges, sharing innovative and promising approaches to the University of Guelph community, and engaging with their cohort of UTLFs in a community of practice;
Recognizing, rewarding, and celebrating the engaged and excellent teachers who are selected as UTLFs, and advancing and promoting the value, status, and recognition of teaching and learning at University of Guelph.

The University Teaching Leadership Fellows initiative also responds to the recommendations from the 2021 Provost’s Task Force on Pedagogical Innovation to recognize and support faculty who are leaders in teaching innovation and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Eligibility

The University Teaching Leadership Fellows welcomes applications from full-time UofG faculty members, including tenured tenure-track, and full-time adjunct faculty, from all three campuses, and university librarians. Up to 10 UTLFs will be accepted per cohort. The selection process is committed to equity and diversity in the representation of Fellows, including across all divisions and campuses at the University.

As UTLFs design and engage in educational leadership initiatives at the college and institutional levels, membership is geared towards mid-career and senior faculty and librarians with strong track records as innovative leaders in teaching and learning.

Award

UTLFs will hold a 3-year non-renewable appointment. The term will allow for time to complete a substantive project and disseminate findings to the University community and beyond, build and cultivate networking channels in their college, and engage in their own professional development as educational leaders.

Each UTLF receives $30,000 during their 3-year term. Funds can be used towards an undergraduate or graduate research assistant, expenses related to research and scholarly activities (see Eligible Expenses as listed for the Research Leadership Fellows), or professional development related to teaching, scholarship, or educational leadership. This award may be augmented by the respective Colleges or Library.

The expected time commitment to fellowship activities is normally 20% of effort, equivalent to 1 day per week, throughout the 3-year term.

Individuals accepted are designated as “University Teaching Leadership Fellows.” Each Fellow will be further identified as having a specific role or focus based on their project. For potential examples, see the non-exhaustive list below:

University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Anti-Racism Pedagogies
University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning
University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Decolonizing and Indigenizing Curriculum and Pedagogies
University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Universal Design for Learning
University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Advancing Authentic Assessments

For information about how to apply, see the Application and Selection Process.

Conditions of the Award and Expectations of Fellows

University Teaching Leadership Fellows focus their efforts and contributions in three main areas:

1. Designing and Implementing a Teaching and Learning Project

[Approximately 65% of Fellows’ work]

Fellows design and implement a teaching and learning project that best meets the strengths and interests of the Fellow, and advances innovative and effective teaching and learning practices that will improve undergraduate and graduate student learning and success at the University of Guelph. Projects can be focused on any aspect of pedagogical inquiry, practice, leadership, and innovation, and may advance current institutional initiatives (e.g., Indigenous Initiatives Strategy, Supporting the Needs of Black Students, Teaching and Learning Plan).

UTLFs also agree to fulfill all the following requirements for their project:

Research Ethics Board approval if human subjects are involved in the project.
Sharing of Project Findings with U of G: Formally disseminate the results to the U of G community through a public presentation, showcase, website, workshops or seminars, etc.
Sharing of Project Findings Beyond U of G: Submission of a representation of the work to a national or international venue or audience, such as a teaching newsletter, website, conference, show/competition, journal, or book, as appropriate to the discipline(s) and the project.
Recognition of Institutional Funding in all presentations and publications of the project.

2. College- or Library- Level Communication and Networking

[Approximately 25% of Fellows’ work]

UTLFs will propose and execute a plan to engage in consistent and active communication and networking in their college or library, encouraging local conversations about teaching and learning among their colleagues. This will be enacted in different ways in each unit, depending on existing structures and resources (e.g., teaching and learning groups or committees), the size of the college, and the needs of the unit with respect to teaching and learning. Examples include:

Cohort-based program for new faculty
Mentoring, networking, or teaching partnership initiative
Series of activities or events on a specific topic related to teaching and learning needs in the college or library (e.g., indigenization, EDI, discipline-specific teaching or assessment approaches)
Development of a formalized teaching and learning group
New or extended responsibilities and initiatives within an existing college- or library-level teaching and learning group or committee

Note: The Teaching and Learning Project proposed in #1 can overlap with the plan for College- or Library-Level Communication and Networking.

3. Additional Responsibilities that Advance their own Professional Development as Teachers, Educational Leaders, and Researchers

[Approximately 10% of Fellows’ work]

All UTLFs will convene as a group at least twice per semester in a cohort-based Faculty Learning Community to encourage cross-disciplinary conversation about teaching and learning and to discuss their projects. Additional responsibilities will be centered around each individual UTLF’s goals, needs, and interests, including their professional development goals related to teaching, scholarship/research, or educational leadership.

UTLFs will also submit one-page annual progress reports and a final report at the end of their tenure.

Interested in applying? See the Application and Selection Process page.

For questions about the University Teaching Leadership Fellows initiative please contact Dr. Christie Stewart at cstew@uoguelph.ca.