Application Overview
The Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship is interdisciplinary and open to faculty from all three campuses. The Fellowship program has created new pathways for teaching and learning at Montgomery College since 1998. We encourage you to apply.
Benefits to You
Smithsonian Faculty Fellows are selected through a competitive process and represent all three MC campuses. During their yearlong Fellowship, participants have shared common passions, developed new skills and understandings in incorporating museums into their classrooms, grown professionally, extolled the value not only of extending their professional networks but also speak most profoundly about the close friendships they’ve forged with other members of the cohort, and have called their participation a “very good experience” or even “the most important experience I ever had” at Montgomery College.
Major benefits , according to past Fellows, include bringing new approaches and pedagogical approaches into their teaching, which, in turn, foster their love of teaching innovation throughout the program. Faculty Fellows have highlighted the major benefits of bringing museums into their classroom and often add a Smithsonian component to other classes they teach. Because of the Fellowship, faculty and their students experience a “deeper dive” into course content , which then integrates museum-based field trips, exhibits, objects, and artifacts into their learning. Fellows present their findings not only to the College community but share their experiences with other local, regional, and national audiences. In addition, some Fellows have continued their graduate work and use museums more for their own interests. As a result of their participation, Fellows report feeling more engaged with the College community, and some report higher job satisfaction.
Application Outline
- Discuss with Department Chair
- Prepare cover letter to application
- Research and prepare your proposal
- List activities at Montgomery College
- Submit application package
Detailed instructions are available.
Commitment
The Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship program is a year-long commitment and is considered a part of your work load assignment. Fellows are awarded three ESH per semester, a total of six ESH for their work.
In the spring semester, Fellows attend meetings every Thursday. These include, for example, regular business meetings at Rockville campus, the Showcase presentation at Rockville, and trips to Smithsonian museums and sites, including a panel discussion and the annual reception (typically held at the Smithsonian Castle).
In the summer there are no formal meetings scheduled. Fellows work independently to visit museums, collect information and refine plans for their fall course implementation.
In the fall semester, Fellows attend business meetings at the Rockville campus, implement their Smithsonian project (lesson plan and museum visit) with their class, and develop materials to share with their cohort and colleagues. Fellows are a cohort of learners who share responsibility for developing the theme and applying it to the Smithsonian experience. During the year Fellows support one another, participate in exercises, share teaching resources and techniques and share leadership roles. Former Fellows report that the cohort learning environment offered by the Fellowship is remarkably rewarding!
All meetings take place on Thursday afternoons, and Fellows must plan their schedules (and allow time for travel) so that they are present at meetings (College or Smithsonian) which begin promptly at 2:00 pm. This is non-negotiable; do not accept work that will interfere with your full participation.
Fellowship Deliverables
Work products developed over the year include, for example: development of a course syllabus that includes the Smithsonian lesson plan and museum visit; one or more newly designed assignments related to the lesson plan; keeping up with assigned readings and tasks; developing discussion topics; and preparing a final written report summarizing the Fellow’s project implementation (about 500 words), and participation in a variety of assessment activities.
Additionally all Fellows deliver a presentation of their final report at the Smithsonian Faculty Fellows’ Showcase event (typically held in February on the Rockville campus). The Showcase event will be videotaped by MCTV and will later become available on YouTube.com.