ORCS is pleased to share this new Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI) opportunity with you. Instructions on the application process can be found below. Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Anthony Pinder, Vice Provost for Internationalization & Equity, or Dr. Tuesda Roberts, Director for Faculty Development and Diversity.

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President’s Fund for Curricular Innovation

2024 PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana

Program Directors

Drs. Anthony Pinder and Tuesda Roberts

Location

Accra, Ghana

Key Dates

• Application Period: March 8th through April 8th, 2024
• Applicant Notification Date: April 15th, 2024
• Pre-Departure Meetings: TBD
• Passport Submission Date: May 15th, 2024
• Travel Dates: July 18th through July 28th, 2024

Application Requirements

Eligible faculty members can access the Google application form. The application requirements are as follows:

• A brief bio (200 words max), uploaded as a separate document
• A short CV, uploaded as a separate document
• A copy of the latest syllabus for the specific 2024-2025 course you would use as the basis of your pedagogical plan
• Responses to four short essay prompts (approximately 250-500 words each)

Applications are due by April 8, 2024.

Purpose

The purpose of the President’s Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI): Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana is to provide an intensive short-term faculty development experience that builds on Emerson’s capacity for international education and the internationalization of the curriculum. The Ghana seminar offers five (5) Emerson faculty the opportunity to enhance their cross-cultural perspective, and open doors to collaboration with Ghanaian culture, artistic traditions, professional and creative enterprises, faculty also enhance their pedagogical frameworks. PFCI was designed an internal faculty grant program purposed to enhance professional development experiences of the faculty, departmental curricula and to increase curricular alignment with the institutional priority of internationalization and equity.

Program Objectives

Four primary objectives will guide this faculty development program in Ghana:

• Creating (and sustaining) a culture of teaching excellence;
• Advancing new initiatives in teaching and learning;
• Supporting the individual faculty member’s goals for professional development; and
• Supporting the expansion of faculty members’ understanding of diverse cultures, systems of knowledge, and business.

Eligibility & Selection Process

Five (5) full-time Emerson faculty members will be selected to participate in the 2024 PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana.

Full-time Emerson faculty with scheduled courses to be taught during the 2024-25 academic year will be eligible to apply. Faculty from all academic departments and the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies are invited to apply.

Faculty who have a demonstrated pedagogical, creative, or scholarly focus on African/Africana, African American or Black Diaspora studies are encouraged to apply. In addition, faculty with limited or no global education experience are also encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed by the PFCI Selection Committee.

Faculty must have a passport that will be valid until January 28, 2025.

Program Overview

Faculty participants will develop a curriculum project and a plan to share their broadened knowledge and pedagogical adaptivity related to African or Africana creative and communication-based studies. Based on participants’ areas of specialty, each faculty member will be paired with their Ghanaian academic or industry peer. Participants will also engage with the faculty and administration at University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UNIMAC). Additional research and pedagogical planning will be required of the faculty outside of the seminar. Results of that research and planning should be evident in the implementation of their curriculum plan and the information they disseminate.

The PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana will be composed of a pre-arranged itinerary that includes immersive group activities exposing faculty to Ghanaian heritage, history, and culture, and opportunities for the faculty to engage with Ghanaian scholars, creatives, and professionals, facilitated workshops as well as opportunities to engage in structured reflections with PFCI directors. The itinerary will be developed for the purpose of providing faculty information and experiences that are related to their curriculum projects and teaching responsibilities.

Due to the cohort nature of the seminar and the expectation that participants attend all scheduled activities; there will not be time for faculty participants to engage in extensive individual research during the 10-day Ghana seminar.

Financial Support and Responsibilities

Selected participants will be awarded a stipend of $1,000 (subject to applicable state and federal payroll taxes). Participants are encouraged to utilize stipend funds towards items listed in the “Expenses Not Covered” section, particularly the cost of obtaining the required yellow fever vaccine, which is typically not subsidized by standard medical insurance.

Expenses Covered

• Round-trip airfare between Boston, Massachusetts and Accra, Ghana on the program start and end dates (approx. $3,000)
• Lodging during the ten days of travel
• Single-entry, expedited visitor visa for Ghana (approx. $100)
• Some provided, group meals
• Included activities and excursions as part of the program itinerary
• Emergency travel/medical insurance through Zurich

Expenses Not Covered

• Required vaccination(s) for entry to Ghana, including yellow fever (cost varies)
• Medications as recommended by the CDC (malaria, etc.)
• Fees associated with obtaining or renewing a passport
• Independent meals
• Personal travel/medical insurance

Participation Requirements

Faculty selected to participate in this program will be required to do the following:

• Obtain required vaccination(s) for purposes of entry to Ghana.
• Submit physical passport and corresponding documents to Internationalization & Equity for purposes of obtaining a visa for entry to Ghana.
• Participate in pre-departure meetings.
• Travel together on the pre-established group travel dates/flights.
• Engage in dialog, prior to departure, with PFCI directors and global partners to draft on-site professional development activities with Ghanaian academic/professional counterparts.
• Formulate a plan that accounts for (1) the pedagogical and learning outcomes that would be enhanced by virtue of their participation, (2) how on-site experiences would substantively enhance a course that will be taught during the 2024-2025 academic year (3) submit a report about the professional skills and knowledge gained, impact on student outcomes, and implications of participating in the bilateral exchange experience. Each participant will be expected to submit this report prior to the end of the semester that follows the teaching of the focal course.
• Jointly develop a panel, with other program participants, that will be made available to the Emerson community during the 2024 International Education Week (November).
• Meet twice with PFCI directors during the 2024-2025 academic year to discuss progress implementing their pedagogical plan.