Faculty Fellowship Program

Texas Tech's Indigenous and Native American Studies Circle invites faculty members to participate in Expanding the Circle, a three-year project to expand Texas Tech's Indigenous and Native American Studies (I&NAS) curriculum and to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships with Native communities in our region, including the Comanche Nation, the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe. Expanding the Circle is funded by a Humanities Initiatives Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and will be administered through the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center (TLPDC). Participating faculty will receive financial and practical support to offer I&NAS courses in concert with the Humanities Center's 2024-25 theme of “Celebrating Indigenous Resilience and Cultural Survival: Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Red River War.” Participants will also have the opportunity to integrate their courses with the new Certificate Program in Indigenous and Native American Studies.

Central to this project is the Faculty Fellowship program, which will offer training, curriculum support, a $1500 stipend, and access to funding to invite experts from our Tribal partners to visit with students and engage in class projects. Faculty members from all Humanities disciplines are invited to apply. Faculty members from non-Humanities fields who are interested in the program are encouraged to inquire with project Co-Director Allison Whitney (allison.whitney@ttu.edu) about potential collaborations. Deadline for applications is April 14th, 2023.

Faculty Fellows will commit to a three-year process:

Year One: Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, Fellows will attend a series of ten workshops hosted by the TLPDC, with the goal of developing a new or revised course preparation in I&NAS. Workshop topics will include Native epistemologies and methodologies, best practices in I&NAS pedagogy, addressing the needs of Native students, restorative justice, and meetings with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers from the Comanche Nation, the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe. Fellows will have the opportunity to network with our Tribal partners and to welcome visitors from these communities in their courses. Fellows will also have access to the resources of the TLPDC and the Office of Outreach and Engagement for developing Service Learning projects. Upon active participation and completion of Year One of the program, participants will receive a stipend of $1500.

Year Two: In 2024-25, Fellows will offer the courses they planned in Year One. The program will provide funding for guest speakers, and will assist Fellows in coordinating their teaching with Humanities Center programming.

Year Three: In 2025-26, Fellows will participate in a symposium where we will reflect on the program, strategize with our Tribal partners about sustaining our relationships, and propose plans for continued I&NAS program development across the University. Fellows will receive administrative support for integrating their courses in the Certificate Program.

To apply, follow the link below, and be sure to address the following questions in your application. Application deadline is April 14, 2023:

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• Describe your position at Texas Tech, offer a brief overview of your research and teaching interests, and note any experience with community-engaged scholarship, teaching, and/or service. (max 300 words)
• Describe the course you plan to develop during the program, including course number. Graduate and undergraduate courses in any humanities field are eligible. (max 300 words)
• While Fellows are not required to have a background in I&NAS, please describe any relevant experience, expertise, or training pertaining to the goals and themes of this program. This may include participation in curriculum development, pedagogy trainings, and efforts to expand and diversify the curriculum. (max 300 words)
• Attach a CV (five pages)
• Each applicant's Department Chair will be asked to confirm that the applicant will be able to meet the time commitment of the Fellowship, and will be able to offer the themed course in 2024-25.

Please contact Expanding the Circle Co-Director Allison Whitney with any questions about this program at allison.whitney@ttu.edu.

“Expanding the Circle” has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project's workshops, public events, or resulting course offerings do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

Ready to apply?

The application deadline is Friday, April 14th, 2023.