Summer Institute

Modality: P (In Person)

We are happy to announce the call for proposals for the 2025 UCF Summer Faculty Development Institute to be held in-person May 5-7 in Classroom Building One on the main campus. Please note that the week of the Institute is the week following final exams and graduation.

The Institute will provide faculty members with opportunities to learn about UCF initiatives and to work on transforming specific courses and teaching practices to improve student learning and success. Funded participants must commit to attend the entire institute and are encouraged to work in teams but must apply individually. Any UCF faculty member may choose to attend the Institute sessions without funding.

Please keep in mind that the application process may be very competitive. We encourage applicants to submit early and to make a specific case for participation.

Timeline: All proposals for funded participation are due by Monday, March 3, 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by March 14, 2025. Following full participation and completion of track deliverables, each faculty member who is accepted will receive compensation. Apply to your preferred track below. As always, only full-time faculty are eligible to participate for funding.

FCTL Track: Revisiting Student Engagement: Strategies for a Changing Educational Landscape

Nationally, faculty report waning attention spans, declining motivation, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning behaviors and mental health. They seek new ways to engage students. Our theme explores practical, research-based strategies to re-engage students by addressing the realities of today’s students, their learning behaviors, and their learning environments. Topics will include fostering self-regulated learning skills, designing activities to capture and sustain attention, and building connections that reach all students, including those who may feel disconnected or overwhelmed. We will also explore ways to use AI tools appropriately to support creativity and critical thinking while preparing students for tomorrow’s workplace. Mental health concerns will be another key focus, with sessions addressing how to recognize and support students who may be struggling, while balancing faculty workload and expectations to maintain academic rigor. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to create inclusive, engaging, and resilient learning environments and strategies that help students thrive. Participants at the institute will gather ideas to address their specific challenges. Up to 65 faculty participants will earn $500 after full participation in the institute and delivery of a brief report that outlines how ideas learned at the institute will be implemented. The selection to the FCTL track will be based on order of submission to the application survey which will close once the quota has been reached (please do not submit more than one application).

Go here to submit your application to the FCTL track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1ZXnBGkUpnZ1MHA

If the FCTL track has reached its quota, please go here and join the waitlist:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6R1DfDUuYWGl2Mm

Classroom to Careers Track

How do we effectively leverage curriculum to help prepare students for what’s next? Faculty from all disciplines are invited to apply for the Classroom to Careers Track at the FCTL Summer Institute to help your department expand and strengthen course curriculum career readiness and prepare an undergraduate departmental course for the new Career Foundations course-level designation. Leveraging faculty expertise across disciplines, this track focuses on connecting departmental coursework to foundational career competencies to equip students with the skills and experience needed for a rapidly changing workforce. Participants will explore career readiness resources, collaborate with peers, and work independently (or as part of a department group) to develop career-focused activities and assignments that support updating a course for the new Career Foundations designation. Faculty will also meet one-on-one with course designation leads and participate in workshops, networking opportunities, and institute-wide events. By the institute’s conclusion, when appropriate, participants may elect to complete a draft submission for the Career Foundations Course Designation. Final submissions must be submitted in Kuali by May 7, 2025. All participants will receive $500 at the end of the institute. If cohort participants successfully submit their course as a complete application in Kuali, they will receive an additional $300 ($800 total). Multiple participants from the same department may apply together to review and submit a course from their department. There are 15 to 20 opportunities available. Please note, this course designation is recognized at the course-level, not instructor-level. Departmental chair approval of your participation is encouraged, but not required. For questions, contact careerplanning@ucf.edu.

Go here to submit your application to the Classroom to Careers track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2co4K2dhIXYdX4q

Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP) Track

Are you interested in teaching in prison? Would you like to learn more about mass incarceration in Florida and how our state colleges and universities are addressing it? The Florida Prison Education Project (https://cah.ucf.edu/fpep/) is sponsoring 10 faculty to participate in the FCTL Summer Institute. In this track, you will learn best practices for higher education in prison and develop a syllabus for a prison-based course. Up to 12 faculty will be selected based on their interests and areas of expertise. Selected faculty will receive $500 for their participation in the Institute (including attending required FPEP workshops and training sessions) and the development of a course syllabus suitable for implementation at one of the following facilities: the Central Florida Reception Center, Polk Correctional Institution, and Lake Correctional Institution.

Go here to submit your application to the FPEP track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ddp0n7gcvuyFlX0

The Sharing and Caring track invites UCF faculty to collaborate on creative strategies to improve General Education Program (GEP) courses and enhance student learning outcomes. Through dynamic sessions and hands-on workshops, participants will discover methods to refine their teaching practices, build effective community partnerships, and align their courses with institutional and statewide objectives for student achievement. This track opens with an in-depth overview of recent updates to General Education policies and UCF’s ongoing initiatives to address these changes. Faculty will then engage in sessions showcasing transformative classroom approaches, unique instructional techniques, and interdisciplinary lessons. Participants will connect with nonprofit organizations and colleagues who have successfully incorporated service-learning into their courses, gaining insights and practical resources to inspire meaningful student engagement. Later sessions will emphasize designing GEP courses that promote long-term success, including strategies for creating pathways that foster both academic and professional growth. For those teaching large online classes, the track offers expert guidance on cultivating a sense of community, addressing varied learner needs, and integrating technology to maximize student interaction. The track culminates in a reflective session, where participants will consolidate their key insights, share experiences, and develop actionable plans to implement during the 2025-2026 academic year. By the conclusion of the program, faculty will leave with fresh perspectives, valuable resources, and practical solutions to transform their GEP courses and empower students to excel.

Faculty who attend all required sessions will receive a $500 grant. This track provides a unique forum for collaboration, professional growth, and strategies that result in measurable improvements in teaching and learning.

Go here to submit your application to the GEP track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3ZR77kxDIYTUMK

HIP Course Designations Track

Apply for the High-Impact Practice Course Designation track at the UCF Summer Faculty Development Institute for the opportunity to spend focused, individualized time adapting a course to submit for one of UCF’s four HIP designations: Service-Learning (SL), Integrative-Learning Experience (IE), Research Intensive (RI – undergraduate courses only), or Global Learning (GL).

High-Impact Practices (HIPs) are educational strategies recognized by the AAC&U that give students opportunities to excel in and out of the classroom. The UCF HIP Course Designations are available to expand access to HIP opportunities; to help faculty document their innovative courses; and to allow students to identify HIP opportunities quickly during registration. Participants in the HIP Course Designation Track will learn about the HIP submission process, meet one-on-one with course designation leads, collaborate with peers, and work independently during conference hours to create or refine course plans and assignments to meet the criteria of their selected course designation. Additionally, faculty will attend institute-wide events, including informational sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities with colleagues. Final drafts must be submitted in Kuali by May 7 at midnight, 2025. All participants will receive $500 at the end of the institute. If cohort participants successfully submit their course as a complete application in Kuali, they will receive an additional $300 ($800 total). We plan to have 15+ opportunities. Preference will be given to departments that currently offer few or no HIP designated courses. Address any questions to HIP@ucf.edu.

Go here to submit your application to the HIP Course Designations Track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41KMoiZCGQK4kia

Hispanic-Serving Institution Track

The Office for Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives invites faculty to participate in the HSI Track of the Summer Faculty Development Institute. This track is part of UCF’s POTENCIAL initiative funded by a U.S. Department of Education Title V grant and will guide faculty through Garcia’s (2023) Processes of Pedagogical Development at a Transformed HSI. The HSI track will consist of participants from Project POTENCIAL’s Spring 2025 Faculty Learning Community and newly selected track participants. Returning FLC participants are asked to complete the application as their registration. Faculty who are not participating in the spring FLC are asked to complete the application for consideration of track participation. More than 20 newly selected faculty will receive $500 after full participation in the institute and submission of a reflection assignment based on one of the seven pedagogical development areas presented during the institute track. Reflection assignments must be completed and emailed to POTENCIAL@ucf.edu by May 7^th at 11:59PM. Faculty will be selected based on a demonstrated commitment to strengthening pedagogy to better serve students in an HSI context by utilizing intentional and inclusive methods. For more information, please visit:
https://access.ucf.edu/ucf-summer-faculty-development-institute-hispanic-serving-institution-hsi-track/ Email questions to POTENCIAL@ucf.edu.

Go here to submit your application to HSI track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e5apNFmtYjHOy6W

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Track

The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Track engages faculty in the research-based principles of writing across the curriculum and invites them to reimagine their courses, programs, pedagogies, and research practices with these principles in mind. This year’s WAC Track invites participants to think about writing along three different threads: (1) how can writing be used to meet goals, outcomes, and standards in courses or programs, (2) how might faculty rethink existing writing assignments and strategies in light of the rise of artificial intelligence-powered content generators, and (3) what research projects might faculty develop that engage with writing as a mode of learning and development for students. Faculty participants will earn $500 after full participation in the institute and delivery of a brief report that outlines how ideas learned at the institute will be implemented. The track invites individuals to apply to work within their own interests and also welcomes small groups from the same unit to apply together to work toward common unit level goals. No previous WAC experience is needed to participate in this track.

Go here to submit your application to WAC track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3QWJmkZNTFZZLUy

Learning Assistants (LA) Track

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduate students who support student learning in various interactive classroom environments. The main goal of the LA track is to facilitate collaboration and networking among faculty to enhance the impact of LAs on student success. Whether you are a program coordinator, a faculty member with extensive experience working with LAs, or just interested in incorporating LAs into your course, we welcome your proposal!

Participants in the LA track will develop plans for introducing LAs into their courses; explore strategies to improve the impact of LAs already incorporated; and identify ways to assess the impact of LAs in their courses or programs. Funding is available for 10 College of Sciences faculty, 10 College of Engineering and Computer Sciences faculty, and 2 College of Medicine faculty. Participants who fully participate in the institute will earn $500. Participants will be selected to ensure representation from a diverse range of departments and disciplines within these Colleges. For more information, please contact Chemistry LA Coordinator Julie Donnelly.

Go here to submit your application to Learning Assistant track:
https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Mc01fLstqJU4Cy

View the agenda for the 2024 Summer Institute.
Agendas from other years of the Summer Institute can be requested by emailing fctl@ucf.edu.