About:

The Michigan State University Lilly Teaching Fellows Program is intended to advance the University’s continuing efforts to support excellence in teaching and learning. The primary objective of the MSU Lilly Teaching Fellows Program is to provide a diverse group of tenure-stream faculty with the opportunity to enhance their teaching abilities through a series of activities designed to focus attention on the art and skills of teaching both generally and in their particular disciplines. The MSU Lilly Program is designed to encourage the teaching fellows to become future faculty leaders and models for their peers as well as inspire a broad range of faculty at all ranks to develop new and enhanced programs which emphasize and sustain teaching excellence.

Seven MSU Lilly Teaching Fellows were selected for the 2009-2010 academic year. You can read about this year's Lilly Fellows on the Current Fellows page. A hallmark of the Program is the pairing of Lilly Fellows with experienced faculty mentors, chosen by the Fellows either from within their departments or schools or outside their disciplinary areas. Lilly Fellows will participate in monthly cohort meetings and attend off-campus retreats and relevant Lilly Seminars. Each Fellow will be responsible for a personal teaching and/or Scholarship of Teaching and Learning development project during the Fellowship year.

To facilitate the participation of faculty members selected as Lilly Fellows, each participating department/school will be given an allocation of approximately $7,000 to be used for release time and/or for equivalent department/school support in recognition of the assignment. Fellows and mentors will also receive $100 to be used for books, and supplies. The chair of the primary academic unit is expected to match the support for the Fellowship award provided by the Office of the Provost. The form of this support should be determined collaboratively between the primary chairperson and the Fellow.

Eligibility/Requirements:

Individuals who are assistant professors on a probationary status in the tenure and Health Programs systems, or College of Law tenure system, or who are continuing system librarians, beyond the first year of appointment, or are completing the first year of appointment at the time of application, are eligible to apply for the Lilly Teaching Fellows Program.

Applications to the Program must include endorsements from department/school chairs or directors and college deans. The chairperson’s/director’s letter of support and/or signature on the application signifies that the Fellow’s project will advance the mission and goals of the academic unit.

An experienced scholar-teacher who is tenured or appointed within the Health Programs system must also endorse the nomination to indicate her/his agreement to work directly with the Fellow as a mentor during the Fellowship year.

Information Session: Tues., Dec. 1, 2009, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 10, Nisbet Bldg.

To register, email Cindi Young at fodevent@msu.edu by Wed., Nov. 25, 2009