Proposals from permanent faculty who are interested in teaching sections of UN1001 for Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 are now invited. Funding is available to support instruction.
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry is the seminar for first-year students that begins the sequence of general education courses. In this academic year, 66 sections are being taught by 57 different instructors from 17 departments. The success of this course is due completely to participation of excellent teachers from across the university. These faculty find that Perspectives is an exciting course to teach. The individual sections address topics chosen by and of central interest to the instructor; the course focuses on inquiry that is intellectually stimulating to both instructors and students. Sections are small, and this year were capped at 20.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: General and catalog descriptions of the course are available on the Perspectives web site: (http://www.biol.mtu.edu/courses/bl447/poi_home.htm). Catalog-type descriptions of current individual sections are also available there.
FORMAT FOR NEW PROPOSALS: The format for new proposals is described below.
PREVIOUS & CURRENT INSTRUCTORS: Instructors who have taught UN1001 previously and who wish to teach their same topic for next year should indicate this in an email to the course coordinator. A change of topic will require a new proposal.
A NOTE ABOUT COMMITMENT: Submitting a proposal is only an expression of interest in teaching a section of UN1001. It does not commit you to teaching a section. The time for an actual decision will come later.
MONEY: For academic Year 2002-2003, the current arrangements for funding sections of UN1001 will be continued. For permanent faculty, this means that $4500 will be given to the SS/E accounts of their home departments. Instructors are free to arrange with their department chairs for the disposition of these funds, e.g., for travel or other professional development. (Exceptions apply to those departments with assigned commitments to UN1001.)
SAMPLE PROPOSALS: Some sample proposals from previous calls for proposals are also available on the Perspectives web site. Note that these proposals are responses to proposal formats that differ somewhat from the present call for proposals.
PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Please submit your proposal by Friday, 1 March 2002. Email submission is preferred but not mandatory. Deadline extensions may be available if requested.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION: The Perspectives committee of six faculty and professional staff will read and respond to the proposals. The committee may also consult the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development to ensure the selection of effective teachers.
TEMPORARY INSTRUCTORS: If insufficient permanent faculty respond to this request, temporary instructors will be solicited. Current temporary instructors who wish to teach next year should notify the course coordinator.
WORKSHOPS AND OTHER PREPARATION: Workshops for new and current instructors are planned for Spring and Fall semesters. The format of these is presently amorphous.
MORE INFORMATION: Interested individuals who wish more information about this request for proposals, or who simply want to discuss their ideas for topics are asked to contact Bob Keen at 7-2346 or send email to rekeen@mtu.edu.
STILL MORE INFORMATION: Interested faculty should feel free to contact current instructors of UN1001 for first-hand accounts of UN1001. Be forewarned: Many of the instructors have become contagiously enthusiastic about this course.
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PROPOSAL FORM
If you are interested in teaching Perspectives, please address the following questions in a brief proposal (500 words maximum), emailed to rekeen@mtu.edu by March 1:
- What general topic do you propose as the focus for your section?
- Describe your interest in and approach to this topic.
- What one or two central questions will guide the inquiry of the course?
- What different perspectives on the central question will be addressed in the course? (Preferably express these in terms of further questions.)
- What are your specific ideas for sources of material for your section (books, articles, films, videos, field trips, etc.)?
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