CAMPAIGN PRIO RITIES: Ensuring Access Propelling the Liberal Arts and Engineering Developing Students Beyond the Classroom The Union Fund
C E N T E R F O R FA C U LT Y E XC E L L E N C E
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ix years ago, a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation enabled Union to create a faculty development framework that emphasizes the teacher-scholar model and supports faculty members across the lifespan of their careers. Today, the College is preparing to establish its new center for faculty excellence. Gifts to this initiative will provide the financial resources necessary to facilitate programs and opportunities that sustain both the teaching and the research activities of the faculty.
Focused on the acquisition of student-centered pedagogies, effective course design and the integration of research and teaching, the new center is not a bricks-and-mortar project. Rather, it will offer a variety of programs and professional development opportunities designed to ensure Union’s long-term ability to attract, reward and retain faculty members who are both leading scholars in their fields and exceptional teachers. “Gifts to this project will support training in inclusive pedagogy and evidence-based instructional design methods that research in the learning sciences has shown increases student learning and engagement,” said Jennifer Fredricks, dean of academic departments and programs. “We also need to elevate research and to do this, we must provide more funding for faculty travel, publishing and writing workshops and seed funding for grant applications.” “We need to demonstrate to internal and external communities alike that teaching and research are interconnected and equally important aspects of faculty careers,” she continued. “With Mellon Foundation funding we have made great strides in providing faculty development support, but we need significant resources to sustain this invaluable work.”
Every gift to Powering Union is invested in students. To read more about the campaign and personal stories about the impact that gifts from the Union community are having, visit www.union.edu/powering
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UNION COLLEGE | FALL 2021
