Call for Evergreen 2021 Summer Institute Proposals

Proposal Deadline: Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Faculty and staff have a long and inspired tradition of convening during the summer to build community, improve our practice, and engage in meaningful conversations about student success at Evergreen. The Learning and Teaching Commons is proud and committed to honoring that tradition.

Evergreen’s summer institutes promote a generative culture of interdisciplinary teaching and learning that is student-centered, equity-minded, inquiry-oriented, and committed to access and excellence. The primary purpose of summer institutes is to offer professional development opportunities that build institutional capacities to advance long-term curricular stability as required by our adopted mission and values. These institutes also provide Evergreen faculty and staff the rare opportunity to convene together as learners in a learning organization.

In accordance with article 17.2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the United Faculty of Evergreen, the Learning and Teaching Commons invites proposals from the faculty at large.  

Topics that align with one or more of the following themes are especially encouraged.

Teaching at Evergreen: Inclusive and High-Impact Pedagogies:

As Washington State’s public liberal arts college, Evergreen offers a dynamic undergraduate learning experience that blends engaging high-impact practices with inclusive approaches to learning. Summer institutes in this category explore pedagogical practices that will engage and support Evergreen students equitably. 
[Potential topics include capstones, syllabi and credit policies, disability justice, teaching neurodiverse students, program and course design, supporting student mental health, narrative evaluations, inclusive teaching strategies, learning outcomes assessment, transcripts etc.]

Serving the “New Traditional” Student

In 2002, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report showed that 73% of undergraduates identified with one or more characteristics of a non-traditional student (delaying college, having a caretaker role, working full-time, financially independent, or attending college part-time). Correspondingly, current and potential Evergreen students have been increasingly seeking career-connected degree options that are flexible, cost-effective, and provide credit for prior learning. The New Academic Directions initiative seeks to attract and support a diverse cohort of students by offering stackable curriculum options and flexible modalities. Summer Institutes in this category support expanding institutional capacities to increase access to Evergreen for new populations of students and provide targeted support as students progress towards a degree.

Potential topics include graduate curriculum planning, increasing programs/courses with online/hybrid options, developing certificate programs, part-time pathways to degree, planning 8 & 12-credit programs, advising practices, policy review, etc.

Our Greener Community: Leadership and Organizational Change

Evergreen is faced with the prospect of reinvention during a challenging moment for our state and nation. As individuals part of an organization, we are tasked with embracing and managing the change necessary to attract and graduate new students – while continuing to maintain our existing curriculum and services. Summer Institutes in this category will offer strategies and approaches for managing institutional change, developing faculty and staff leaders, and building a resilient Evergreen community. 
[Potential topics include organizational change, leadership development, relationship building, etc.] 

Thank you for contributing your creative thinking to supporting Evergreen’s mission to offer collaborative, interdisciplinary learning across significant differences. 

Please contact learningandteaching@evergreen.edu if you have any questions or need assistance.