CEU partners with universities around the world to provide teaching experience via fellowships to early-career academics. Through the Global Teaching Fellowhip Program, a selected group of advanced doctoral candidates and recent doctoral graduates of CEU and select CIVICA Partner institutions have the opportunity to teach at GTFP Partner Universities for one semester or one academic year. Global Teaching Fellowships combine teaching with research, thus giving the fellows the opportunity to contribute to the academic life of the host departments and have a fulfilling scholarly experience.
The OSUN Developing Teaching Professionals (DTP) program, led by the CEU Elkana Center, provides ongoing and sustained academic support for Fellows through a comprehensive mentoring and support program. The GTF Mentoring Program integrates an orientation session, workshops, individual consultations, and group meetings to assist Fellows, both to deliver high-quality teaching at their host universities and to develop as early-career academics. The Mentoring Program is an integral part of the Global Teaching Fellowship and consists of four stages.
Stage 1. Pre-application stage
In the pre-application stage, GTF candidates are strongly encouraged to complete the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education before taking on a Fellowship. For information about the full program sequence, please see the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education page on our website. Candidates are also advised to familiarize themselves with detailed information about the logistics of the Fellowship and application process, both of which are managed by colleagues in ACRO. Furthermore, applicants are required to submit a Teaching Philosophy Statement. The Elkana Center provides step-by-step guidance on writing this important document throughout the Certificate program and also offers dedicated workshops.
Stage 2. Orientation and Individual Consultations
In early summer, successful applicants are invited to an orientation with Elkana Center colleagues and former GTFP participants to begin their teaching preparation. Fellows begin planning their courses with the focus on designing academic content and activities that are student-centered, meaningful and feasible in the context of their host institutions. Before term begins, they have the opportunity to receive individualized feedback on their teaching plans from faculty colleagues. For Fellows beginning their fellowship at other times of year, the orientation is replaced with individual consultations. Regardless of start date, ACRO colleagues provide individual consultations on the logistics of their fellowship.
Stage 3. Ongoing Support during the Fellowship
The Elkana Center works with Fellows in individual and/or group-based, online or in-person mentorig sessions. These generally take place once a month. The purpose of mentoring is not just to discuss common issues, successful strategies, teaching challenges, and useful resources, but to help Fellows progress in their own development as early-career academics. Mentoring sessions are sometimes supplemented by workshops and other Elkana Center events. Frequent topics include:
- Assessing student work, especially group projects and team activities;
- Facilitating seminar discussions;
- Interactive lecturing;
- Working with diverse student cohorts;
- Teaching sensitive topics;
- Problem-based teaching;
- Collaborative learning;
- Teaching innovations in particular disciplines.
The specific content and frequency of consultations will be determined by the Fellows in consultation with the Elkana Center Mentor.
Stage 4. Reflection on the Fellowship Experience
Upon their return to CEU or at the conclusion of their Fellowship, Fellows will be invited to share their reflections on the teaching fellowship experience in a joint group session. Fellows may wish to use this experience and apply it toward the development of an online teaching portfolio. Interested fellows may also continue to reflect on their teaching activities and develop materials in subsequent months in preparation for scholarly articles or as part of their teaching portfolios for job interviews and academic positions.
Learn more about the Global Teaching Fellowship Progam on ACRO's site