Overview

Who can apply?

All faculty (full-time or part-time/adjunct) who teach a course at CSM are encouraged to apply. Effort will be made to maximize the number of disciplines represented, while also ensuring representation from disciplines that serve as a gateway to transfer.

How and when can I apply? 

Faculty can apply for the upcoming Spring '25 semester by submitting an application/interest form by Friday, October 18, at 11:59 pm. Awards will be announced within two weeks of the deadline. If course schedules have already been determined, Deans will work with awardees to identify an alternative instructor for the course you were scheduled to teach.  

What would I be committing to?  

During the semester in which the faculty member receives the course release, they will: 

• Engage in a semester-long workshop series (two hours every other week plus prep work, a half-hour peer check-in between workshops, and two consultations with an instructional designer) about high-impact, equity-minded, and accessible practices, facilitated by colleagues and our campus professional development practitioners. Prep work, workshops and check-ins will provide space for cross-disciplinary collaboration, feedback from peers and students, hands-on work, and research into discipline-specific practices.
• Revise a course in five key areas (climate, grading, assignment design, lesson planning, and curriculum), and submit resulting materials (a revised syllabus, a revised grading plan, a revised assignment, a revised lesson plan, and a draft revised Course Outline of Record) to a central hub (the REAL Repository), to be shared with the campus community.  The Office of Planning, Research, Innovation, and Effectiveness (PRIE), will support the faculty in developing a plan for measuring the impact of the course revisions after the semester is over.  
• Give a 10-minute presentation on your revisions at a professional development event (the REAL Report-Out). 
• Contribute, during a final workshop session, to the development of a CSM framework for culturally responsive pedagogy and practices in course design across the disciplines (the REAL Roadmap).  

What if I have questions?

Any questions can be directed to Susan Khan, CSM's Professional Development Faculty Coordinator.