What are Evergreen Summer Institutes?
Evergreen Summer Institutes are a series of faculty and staff professional development workshops, proposed and led by Evergreen faculty and staff. The institutes foster collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving focused on supporting the Evergreen mission. Faculty and staff gain information, tools, and resources to support their work and engage in critical conversations about learning and teaching at Evergreen. [Learn more]
What is a Community-initiated proposal?
There are two types of Summer Institutes. Sponsored summer institutes are proposed by the Provost, Deans, offices in the Student Engagement, Equity and Support (SEES) Division, or the Learning and Teaching Commons. Community-initiated proposals are submitted by faculty or teams of faculty and staff. These proposals are reviewed by the Commons Advisory Council, who makes recommendations for the Summer Institute program.
Call for Proposals | Now Closed
Convener notifications will be sent by March 6
In accordance with Article 17.2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the United Faculty of Evergreen, the Learning and Teaching Commons and the Commons Advisory Council invite proposals for community-initiated Summer Institutes. First-time conveners are especially encouraged to apply. To support proposal development and preparation, the Commons team will offer timely workshops, asynchronous resources, and individual consultations.
Summer Institutes aim to enhance student success, learning, and teaching in alignment with the Five Foci and Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate. We welcome proposals that respond to current institutional priorities, trends in higher education, and emerging knowledge and skills to support faculty. Summer Institutes also foster community and collaboration across coordinated studies and our collective work.
Summer Institute proposals should be aligned with one or more of the following goals.
Summer Institute Goals:
- Provide opportunities for collaboration and experiential learning
- Enhance and support Evergreen’s unique curriculum and teaching practices
- Engage faculty and staff in developing advanced skills and knowledge to meet current student and curricular needs
- Spark conversation about teaching philosophy, learning theories, and concepts
- Address cutting-edge developments in teaching and learning
- Consider big challenges facing Evergreen or higher education
Equity Goals
The Summer Institutes center specific equity goals for the benefit of participating conveners, faculty, and staff. Proposed institutes with a significant emphasis on these goals will be designated in the program as an option to fulfill the Equity and Inclusion Training Requirement (see CBA 6.1.5 and SB5227).
- Inclusive – The proposed institute should be open to any and all faculty and staff at the institution and present no barriers to full participation or benefit from attendance.
- Equitable – Many approaches to and possibilities for equitable pedagogy are represented by our identities, positions of privilege, and disciplinary backgrounds. The proposed institute should creatively and positively address equity with consideration for the topic and the context.
- Diverse – Our learning is enriched by the diversity of our academic community, and we encourage institutes that highlight diverse perspectives, under-represented populations, interdisciplinary approaches, and new or experimental topics and ideas.
If you have questions about these goals or would like support with framing the equity goals in your proposal, we are happy to discuss your ideas and assist. Please contact learningandteaching@evergreen.edu.
Submission Guidelines
Proposal submissions will be accepted from November 5 – February 6 by completing an online form. You can access the form preview and worksheet to prepare a draft of your proposal prior to submission.
Your proposal will include:
- Convener information for all participating conveners
- Institute title and description (150 word limit)
- Overview of planned activities and goals
- Logistics for scheduling, length, and modality
Upon submission of a proposal, the lead convener should receive an automatic message confirming receipt of the proposal. If you do not receive this message please contact us at learningandteaching@evergreen.edu. Conveners will be notified of the status of their proposal no later than Friday, March 6.
Review Criteria
Proposed 2026 Summer Institute titles and descriptions will be shared with Evergreen faculty via a survey in early February to collect broad feedback from our community to indicate interest and help predict attendance for specific sessions. Anonymized proposals will then be reviewed by faculty serving on the Commons Advisory Council (CAC) who will design the program based on faculty feedback and the criteria provided below, as well as budgetary and other logistical considerations.
| CRITERIA | DESCRIPTION |
| Goal Alignment | Institute description, activities, and goals align with one or more Summer Institute goals |
| Teaching and Learning Focus | Promotes teaching and learning in alignment with the college mission, the Six Expectations, and the Five Foci. |
| Community Building | Strengthens existing partnerships, fosters new partnerships, and improves collaboration |
| Participant Engagement | Includes a clear and convincing plan for engaging participants in their own learning through a variety of activities and assignments that support multimodal learning. |
| Equity-producing | Proposed institute aligns with one or more of the following equity-producing goals: – Closing opportunity gaps for students historically underserved in higher education (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, undocumented, immigrant, living with disabilities, first in family to attend college, housing insecure). – Promoting equitable learning communities through culturally-affirming/anti-racist pedagogies and/or inclusive teaching strategies. – Redressing systemic inequities at Evergreen such as institutional racism, gender-based discrimination and violence, and ableist structures. |