OVERVIEW

Established in 2022, the Honors Faculty Fellow designation is given to faculty who advance the mission of the Utah Valley University Honors Program. Faculty apply following the process below; if selected, each faculty will receive reassignment of 3 ICHE/ACHE per semester to participate in the leadership of the Honors Program.

The Honors Program’s mission is “to enhance the collegiate experience of highly motivated students through specialized academic and enrichment opportunities that cultivate personal, professional, and civic engagement.” We achieve this through diverse learning experiences in and out of the classroom that help students discover their potential for excellence, creativity, and innovation.

Our program has over 600 students who major in academic programs from across all colleges and schools. Honors staff serves as our students’ mentors and secondary academic advisers who assist with curriculum planning, identification of undergraduate research, education abroad, and internship opportunities.

An overview of High-Impact Educational Practices provided by the Association of American Colleges and Universities can be found here. 

FACULTY FELLOW OPPORTUNITY

To offer faculty an opportunity to formalize their contributions to Honors beyond teaching HONR or General Education sections, we have created the Honors Faculty Fellow program. Involvement with the program by Honors Faculty Fellows may include:

• Teaching an Honors course (HONR 2000 and/or HONR 2100) each semester of the fellowship in lieu of some department teaching assignment
• Developing faculty-led research and education opportunities domestically or abroad for Honors students during the academic year or summer
• Development and facilitation of Honors affinity groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, first-generation, non-traditional, etc.) and other cohort programs (i.e., career and grad school preparation for pre-med, pre-law, etc. )
• Honors co-curricular enrichment opportunities that promote faculty-student mentorships outside of the classroom, such as weekend excursions to experience Utah’s outdoor excellence, service-learning opportunities, and mentoring students to attend regional or national honors conferences
• Engaging Honors student participation in and production of the Honors student journal Untold
• Developing new initiatives, such as coordinating a Legacies Faculty Group or involvement in regional or national honors opportunities like Partners in the Parks
• Assisting the program director and assistant director with developing capacity in strategic areas, including faculty development, student recruitment and retention, and curriculum assessment
• Other projects as proposed by faculty and approved by the Honors Director

Please note that Honors Faculty Fellows must contribute to at least two of the above listed areas during each semester of their appointment. The anticipated time commitment is approximately 15% of the faculty member’s time, or 5-6 hours a week. All Faculty Fellows will also serve on the Honors Steering Committee.

Honors Faculty Fellows are also eligible to apply for professional development funding from the Honors Program to support enhancement activities related to the tasks associated with the fellowship, such as attending workshops or conferences related to their research and teaching, developing course materials, etc. Faculty Fellows may apply for up to $1,000/semester to support such activities.

All tenured or tenure-track UVU faculty are eligible to apply.

Fellows agree to serve a one-year appointment with the possibility for renewal based on project goals and measures. Fellows will establish project goals and measures in collaboration with their chair and the Honors Director at the beginning of the fellowship period.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications received by November 15 will be considered for a start date of Spring semesters. The fellowship would comprise Spring and Fall.

Only complete applications will be considered. Complete applications include:

• A completed cover sheet 
• An up-to-date CV
• Two brief statements of no more than 200 words each; the first statement describing past contributions to the mission of the UVU Honors Program or experience with other High Impact Practices (see list) and the second statement describing proposed future contributions in at least two of the areas listed above.

Please have all materials ready before clicking the application link below. 

Applications will be reviewed by the Honors Program Director, the Honors Steering Committee, and the Associate Provost for Student Success. Applicants will be evaluated based on their past, current, and future contributions to the Honors Program. Decisions will be communicated to the applicant via email.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Kate McPherson at [email protected] or 801-863-8055.

 

Honors Fellow Application closed