The University Honors Program (UHP) is excited to announce the 2021-2022 Honors Faculty Fellowship call for proposals. Faculty selected to teach Honors seminars are recognized as Honors Faculty Fellows during the year in which they teach their Honors seminar.

To participate in 2021/22, please propose an Honors Seminar by Nov. 30. These seminars are at the core of the UHP curriculum. They are small and engaging three-credit courses meant to appeal to students from across disciplines. This is a fantastic opportunity to teach small classes made up of eager and dedicated high-achieving students. You can try out new material, spruce up an existing course or teach a seminar you have taught before.

Honors Faculty Fellows will be featured on the UHP website and invited to participate in the life of the UHP to engage with colleagues who share a love of teaching while mentoring some of the most motivated undergraduates at NIU. The UHP would also be pleased to offer help building up faculty teaching portfolios (e.g., teaching observation and letters of support for promotion files, teaching awards, etc.). Compensation for teaching Honors Seminars (e.g., onload, off-load, etc.) is determined by department chairs and the director of the UHP. Fellows can also apply for stipends for course enrichment (up to $1000).

We encourage you to consider submitting proposals with innovative pedagogical approaches. Faculty from all disciplines are welcome to apply. This is an open call in terms of topics or themes, but we are also suggesting the theme of “creativity” for those who are inspired by it. Proposals are assessed by the University Honors Committee, and successful applicants are invited to teach the seminar they proposed as Honors Faculty Fellows in the fall or spring of the subsequent academic year – again, as determined in consultation with individual departments/centers/colleges.

Application information, sample syllabi, and a list of current seminars are all available on the Honors Faculty Fellowship site. Please note that you will require chair/director support to apply.

Please contact Andrea Radasanu (aradasanu@niu.edu) with any questions.