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Pedagogy Fellows Program

(No applications currently being accepted.)

The Pedagogy Fellows Program consists of two types of positions:

  1. The Senior Fellow
  2. The Pedagogy Fellows

Senior Fellow Position:


The Senior Fellow in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and Instructional Design mentors the Roanoke College (RC) pedagogy fellows, encourages SoTL discussions among broader communities on campus, and maintains active engagement with the latest developments in SoTL.

The Senior Fellow in SoTL:

  1. Mentors current RC Pedagogy Fellows.
  2. Coordinates with the Director of the Teaching Collaborative (TC) to incorporate SoTL into the TC programming.
  3. Keeps up-to-date with current developments in SoTL research, particularly as it pertains to RC initiatives and educational goals.
  4. Conducts SoTL research in an area of focus for the RC community, in accordance with current Pedagogy Fellows Initiatives (see Instructional Design focus areas at end of this document)
  5. Holds steady office hours (5 hours a week on average) in the TC each semester, allowing for any member of the RC community to drop-in to discuss SoTL findings, current practices, and ideas.

The Senior Fellow reports to the Director of the Teaching Collaborative. The Senior Fellow role is a three-year appointment, renewable for a second term, contingent upon performance and the needs of the college.

To apply, please:

  • Submit a 1-2 page application letter addressing your qualifications for the responsibilities described above, along with goals you have for SoTL research at RC.
  • Submit a 1-2 page document describing your training and experience in instructional design.
  • Submit a teaching activities summary (max two pages) including:
    • Courses taught over the past three years
    • A brief description of teaching innovations employed in courses
    • Pedagogical (SoTL) presentations, publications, or grant activity
    • Teaching awards and recognitions you’ve been nominated for or received
    • Participation or leadership in pedagogical development activities on campus in recent years

Applications are due on or before April 15 to be effective July 1, 2025. Applications should be submitted to the Director of the Teaching Collaborative via email, teaching@roanoke.edu. The Director of the Teaching Collaborative will review applications and make a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) in time to notify applicants on or before May 5, 2025. Final approval is the responsibility of the VPAA.

Compensation: 

  1. One reassigned time per academic year.
  2. Stipend of $2000 for each summer for the duration of the award (If the Senior Fellow joins in the spring term, the stipend will start in the summer following the spring term.) The stipend covers the Senior Fellow’s researching topics pertinent to aiding faculty and staff development, assisting in planning TC events, and light administrative tasks.
  3. Funding for a national or regional conference up to $2,000 per year dedicated to pedagogical development, each year for the duration of the award. The Senior Fellow is expected to utilize their learning in their work with faculty and staff.

 The Senior Fellow in SoTL program is funded through the Dean’s office.

Pedagogy Fellows:

The Teaching Collaborative Pedagogy Fellows (TC PF) program is designed to enhance faculty, staff, and student learning. The TC PF program aims to enrich campus culture by developing a strong network of faculty and staff conversant with research-based best practices who can respond well to the challenges and opportunities presented by changing student demographics and technologies. We also seek to encourage faculty and staff to advance research in the science of teaching and learning.

PF awards range from 1–3 years and are determined in conversation with the Director of the TC, the Senior Fellow in SoTL/Pedagogy, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). We encourage those interested in the PF program, but not interested in one of the above areas to still apply to work with the Director on other potential Collaborative needs.

Eligibility:

  • The Pedagogy Fellows program is open to any member of the teaching faculty and exempt staff member at the College. Exempt staff must first seek supervisor approval prior to applying.   
  • An applicant who is recommended and approved for the PF program will not be eligible again for five years after the completion of their term. Participation in the PF program has no impact on eligibility for faculty sabbatical considerations. Pedagogy Fellows granted sabbatical while also holding a PF position will not have their time extended, nor receive a course stipend.

Application Process:

  • Applications should be submitted on or before May 9, 2025 to be effective beginning July 1, 2025. Applications for the Pedagogy Fellows program should be submitted to the Director of the Teaching Collaborative via email, teaching@roanoke.edu .

Application Details: 

  • All applicants need to submit a concise two-page proposal that speaks to their commitment to faculty and staff development, specific ideas for engaging faculty and staff (e.g., workshop, presentations, consultations), and possible metrics to be used to measure success.
  • If you are applying to a specific area, please indicate the area in the proposal.
  • Please include the length of term you feel is necessary to achieve your proposal goals: 1, 2, or 3 years
  • If you are a faculty member: A teaching activities summary (max of two pages) including:
    • Courses taught over the past three years
    • A brief description of teaching innovations employed in courses
    • Pedagogical (SoTL) presentations, publications, or grant activity
    • Teaching awards and recognitions you’ve been nominated for or received
    • Participation or leadership in pedagogical development activities on campus in recent years
  • If you are an exempt staff member: An activities summary (max two pages) including:
    • A brief list of workshops, seminars, etc. you’ve held for students, faculty, and/or staff to improve the life of the college
    • A brief description of teaching or learning innovations employed in your area to enhance student success and/or community engagement
    • Recognitions or awards you’ve been nominated for or received related to your position at RC
    • Participation or leadership in pedagogical development activities on campus in recent years

Selection:

  • Evaluation of applicants will be based on:
    • demonstrated interest and previous engagement in faculty and staff development
    • commitment to learning about the field of faculty and staff development and the scholarship of teaching and learning
    • dedication to and effectiveness in teaching
    • strong collaboration and listening skills, and the potential for growth in these areas

  • The Director of the Teaching Collaborative and the Senior Fellow will review applications and make a recommendation to the VPAA in time to notify applicants on or before May 30. While fellowships may not be necessarily distributed equally among schools, efforts will be made to ensure that all academic divisions are regularly represented. No more than one fellow in any given year will come from a single program.

  • After recommendation from the Director of the Teaching Collaborative and the Senior Fellow, final approval is the responsibility of the VPAA.

Pedagogy Fellow Compensation: 

  1. Stipend:
     - A stipend the equivalent of one-course overload, each year for the duration of the award
     - A stipend of $1500 for each summer for the duration of the award (If a Fellow joins in the spring term, the stipend will start in July following the spring term.) The stipend covers fellows’ researching topics pertinent to aiding faculty and staff development, planning TC events, and light administrative tasks.

  2. Faculty Service: Release from all college-level committees for the duration of the award (generally three years). Fellows may serve as or on: committee alternate, a council, a group, and/or a taskforce. These typically carry lighter service workloads enabling those not working with the TC to serve in other committee-level capacities.

  3. Funding for a national or regional conference up to $1,500 per year dedicated to pedagogical development in the Fellow’s area of focus, each year for the duration of the award. Fellows are expected to utilize their learning as they create workshops, trainings, and information sessions for faculty and staff.

The Pedagogy Fellows program is funded through the Dean’s office.

2025 Areas of Instructional Design Requested:

  1. Pedagogy of Educational Technology: We welcome applications focusing on educational technology, especially (but not limited to) generative AI. As a college, we are exploring how to embrace and use generative AI for appropriate educational experiences. We invite applicants interested in researching Educational Technology, working with the Dean’s Office, and designing programming for RC faculty and staff.
  2. Pedagogy of Student Agency: We applications focused on student agency (aka empowered learning), especially as it pertains to the RC mission statement. Allowing students a safe space to learn from mistakes, encouraging students to take ownership of their education, and helping our students grow into whole persons, preparing them for lives of learning and leadership. We invite applicants interested in researching current practices of student agency, working with the Dean’s office, and designing programming for RC faculty and staff.
  3. Pedagogy of Assignment Feedback and Grading: We welcome applications focused on assignment feedback and grading, especially (but not limited to) the current “less but better” concept in too busy a world. As a college, we recognize the sheer amount of work individuals put into RC and the “do more” culture RC has gained over the years. Providing efficient yet meaningful feedback to students might allow more of a “less but better” approach to classroom assignments and grading. We invite applicants interested in researching current practices in assignment feedback and grading to aid in changing the RC culture, working with the Dean’s office, and designing programming for RC faculty and staff.
  4. Pedagogy of Learning Theories: We welcome applications focused on learning theories, especially (but not limited to) the modernizing educational practices that embrace cultural differences.  We recognize a changing student population of both cultural and generational differences and want to keep RC at the forefront of pedagogical practices, perhaps incorporating heutagogy (such as Inquiry-Based Learning) or culturally responsive teaching. We invite applicants interested in researching current learning theories to better educate our students, working with the Dean’s office, and designing programming for RC faculty and staff.
  5. Pedagogy of Usability and Accessibility: We welcome focused on usability and accessibility. With the education being online more than ever before, how do we ensure students get the best education they can with cheaper educational materials (Open Education Resources (OER)) and accessible (both with respect to availability and to ADA accessibility) digital material? We invite applicants interested in researching current practices of usability and accessibility for our students, working with the Dean’s office, and designing programming for RC faculty and staff. 

General Outcomes of Pedagogy Fellows Program

Grantees support the enhancement of teaching and learning on campus by:

  1. Gaining growing expertise in the science of teaching and learning.
  2. Collaborating with the Director of the Teaching Collaborative in the day-to-day work of the Roanoke College Teaching Collaborative, including a monthly Fellows meeting.
  3. Serving as a resource to colleagues during the grant period, disseminating evidence-based best practices and stimulating innovation in teaching and mentoring.
  4. Curating resources for the TC web-page, Inquire site, and related newsletters.
  5. Engaging in summer planning meetings as needed (typically two).
  6. Conceptualizing and implementing, when appropriate, new TC programing.
  7. Other responsibilities as deemed beneficial to the scholar and/or the college.
  8. Advancing both their own and others’ thinking about and knowledge of various pedagogical approaches for their focus area.
  9. Engaging in the work of scholarship of teaching and learning, including classroom experimentation, the gathering of data, and the dissemination of results through programming at the TC. Though not required, when opportunities emerge, fellows might also share their research at conferences and/or in publications.
  10. Those who participated in the Pedagogy Fellows program will submit a written report and assessment of the period to the VPAA and Director of the TC (cc to their Dean and Assistant Dean). Submit this report within the first six weeks of the regular semester following the completion of the PF program.