The Call for Applications for the 2023-24 academic year will open on January 30, 2023. See below for general information about the application process.
Eligibility
All BU faculty, including lecturers, who design and teach stand-alone courses at the undergraduate or graduate level at BU are encouraged to apply regardless of discipline or field. Previous experience designing antiracism curricula is not required; we encourage faculty who are new to this work to apply!
Program Requirements
- Participants will be required to attend monthly 90-minute meetings from September 2023 to May 2024 and will be expected to complete 5-10 hours of work between monthly meetings.
- Meetings will take place synchronously
- Participants will need to complete their curricula materials by the end of the program.
- Participants agree to share what they learn with the BU community and beyond.
Letter of Interest
Applicants must submit a letter of interest for designing a new antiracism course or significantly revising an existing course to include or increase antiracism content. The letter of interest should be no more than 1,000 words and include the following:
- Why you are applying for the Fellowship.
- Initial ideas for a new course (this may include a brief draft description of what you envision the course would look like, strategies for integrating alternative pedagogies, etc.) or significant revision of an existing course (those who intend to revise an existing course should include their reflection on why the course needs revision and their vision for possible changes).
- Describe ways in which you have demonstrated interest or engagement in antiracism or equity work outside of the classroom.
Letter of Support
As part of the application, you will be asked to upload an email or letter of support from your department head. The letter of support should include a commitment to, for example, offer the course in the future, integrate into curriculum, etc. This letter does not need to serve as a formal acceptance or approval of any courses developed through the Fellowship.
FAQs
General
What is the DAC Fellowship Program?
The Designing Antiracism Curricula (DAC) Fellowship Program brings together Boston University educators to focus on the development of antiracism undergraduate and graduate courses. DAC fellows will have the opportunity to design or redesign their own courses in order to integrate antiracism frameworks and perspectives, while collaborating with colleagues in a supportive teaching and learning community.
Who is organizing the DAC Fellows program?
The DAC fellows program is organized by a core group comprised of Phillipe Copeland, Assistant Director of Narrative, Center for Antiracist Research (CAR) and Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Social Work; Deb Breen, Director, Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL); Jean Otsuki, Associate Director, CTL; and Megan Segoshi, Manager of Faculty Diversity Initiatives, BU D&I. The core group will invite other faculty and students to provide input into reviewing applications as well as the design and/or delivery of the program. The group is supported by a communications team from BU D&I, CTL, and CAR.
Application Process
When is the program running?
The fellowship program runs each academic year from September to May.
Who can apply?
All Boston University educators who are able to fulfil the goals of the DAC Fellowship program are eligible to apply. That is, applicants should demonstrate a commitment to the development of antiracism curricula, be able to confirm that their new or revised course has departmental or program support, and be prepared to share their work with colleagues within DAC and more broadly to cultivate and extend conversations about antiracism teaching.
When are applications due?
Applications for the DAC Fellowship Program are accepted annually from January through March for the upcoming academic year. Please see the latest application timeline above.
When will I find out if I will become part of the DAC Fellows cohort?
Participants in the DAC Fellows cohort will be notified by mid-May each year. Please see the latest application timeline above.
What are DAC Fellows expected to do?
Participants will be asked to commit to monthly meetings with their DAC colleagues to discuss readings, and share pedagogical approaches and ideas for developing or revising courses. In addition, there will be 5-10 hours of work outside of these meetings each month as fellows work on their own courses. Fellows will also be expected to share their knowledge and materials with a broader audience, both inside and beyond BU, as a way to extend and support ongoing conversations about antiracism teaching.
Is there any compensation offered?
Yes, a stipend of $1,500 for the year will be provided to each participant.
What do I need to do for the application?
The application will ask you to tell us about your interest in antiracism frameworks, including in teaching. We are also interested to find out about the course you would like to work on, either a new course that you would like to develop or a course that you are already teaching and would like to significantly revise. We will also need a letter from your department or program chair to indicate that your proposed revision/new course is already being offered or will be offered in the future. Finally, we are interested to hear how you might support the broader conversation about antiracism pedagogy, both within and beyond BU.
How will participants be selected?
The committee will select the DAC Fellows based on the application as well as a short interview.
How can I find out more about the application process?
You may reach out to Phillipe Copeland at copelanp@bu.edu with your questions.
