Call for Participation

MEMORANDUM

To: Tenured, Tenure-Track Faculty, Instructors, and Supportive Professional Staff

From: Raymond Alden III, Executive Vice President and Provost

Re: 2007 Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute - Call for Participation

Date: November 6, 2006

The Office of the Provost and the Provost’s Task Force on Multicultural Curriculum Transformation are pleased to announce NIU’s annual Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute to be held May 14-18, 2007, at NIU.   We invite full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors, and supportive professional staff to apply and participate in this intensive institute, which is designed to assist faculty and staff in incorporating multicultural perspectives and content into their courses, enrich their curricula, and prepare our students for a diverse workplace and society.

Instructional staff members interested in participating in the full institute are encouraged to apply for Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Awards. The individuals selected will each receive a $1,000 stipend to support specific curriculum transformation projects such as developing new courses or revising existing courses to address multicultural issues. Faculty, supportive professional staff, and instructors on 12 month contracts cannot receive the $1000 award. Limited funds are available for these awards. The application deadline is February 1, 2007, and the guidelines are enclosed.

Approximately 180 NIU faculty members have received awards to participate in multicultural institutes and transform their courses. These participants have responded enthusiastically to the opportunity to interact with colleagues across disciplines about multicultural issues, share resources, and increase their knowledge and confidence with regard to incorporating multicultural issues into their courses and teaching. Their participation has resulted in significant curricular transformation and innovation as well as personal transformation.

This summer’s institute will feature plenary addresses on curriculum transformation and presentations by invited scholars and NIU faculty, panel discussions, syllabi critique, video presentations, and small group activities on incorporating current scholarship relevant to race, gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, and disabilities into content as well as pedagogy. Plenary sessions and some presentations will be open to all members of the university community but the small group sessions will be open only to award recipients to allow for in-depth interactions on transformation of their courses. Application information is attached. The complete schedule will be available later this spring.

If you have questions regarding the institute, please feel free to contact the Task Force Assistant, Kimberly Reuille, at 753-8557, the Chair, Michael Gonzales, at 753-1532, or email:  mcti@niu.edu.