Steven P. Schinke Innovation Fellowship Program

The Office of the Associate Dean for Curriculum Innovation and Academic Affairs has announced a new opportunity for the School of Social Work’s MSW and PhD students in honor of late faculty member D’Elbert and Selma Keenan Professor Steven Schinke.

Called the Steven P. Schinke Innovation Fellowship Program, it aims to support students with an interest in finding ways to use cutting-edge technology to improve teaching and learning experiences, in the tradition of Steven Schinke, who, in the final years of his career, oversaw the School’s creation of the Online Campus, mastered the new technology, and shifted to teaching courses in statistics and research methods exclusively online.

Schinke embraced the challenges of online teaching with the same eagerness he had displayed in his career as a social worker and social science researcher. For his ground-breaking efforts in the online space, he was awarded the 2015 Excellence in Online Teaching Award from the Online Learning Consortium.

Within an academic year (October to April), Steven P. Schinke Innovation Fellows will

• Take at least two CTL workshops/courses/MOOCs related to teaching & learning (one per semester).
• Attend the monthly Fellows Hour, an in-person or virtual meeting to report back on progress and discuss ideas.
• Work with new convening groups such as the Office of Professional Excellence, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Online Campus to support and/or develop projects related to academic innovation.
• Complete at least one project for presentation to the School’s Curriculum Committee in the spring semester (see examples below).
• Optional: Submit project(s) to social work’s national bodies (NASW, CSWE and/or SSWR) for possible presentation at annual conferences.

Examples of possible projects include

1. Work with Professor Qin Gao to develop a course or seminar series on Being an Effective Policy Practitioner in the Digital Age.
2. Provide administrative support for Dr. Yamile Marti and Professor Ellen Lukens to develop a structural plan for incorporating international field placements for CSSW (for students interested in international social work). This project will entail coordinating with various departments and professors.
3. Research online educational technology tools and online pedagogy (possible publishing opportunities).
4. Develop and implement a tracking system for the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) to monitor our adjunct faculty, review course syllabi for consistency in learning outcomes and assignments, and incorporate topics related to diversity and inclusion.
5. Oversee the development and implementation of the new Office of Professional Excellence (OPE) resource website and create a social media presence.
6. Working with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), research and develop virtual DEI training materials.
7. Provide your own proposal for an independent research project looking into the use of cutting-edge technology for curriculum innovation or other potential improvements to teaching and learning experiences.

The Schinke Innovation Fellowships will be awarded annually, with up to ten awardees per year. The fellowship includes a $1,000 stipend ($500 each semester).* All current MSW students, both residential and online, and PhD students are encouraged to apply. The deadline for the first competition is 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 20, 2019. Interested students should complete the application form here, consisting of basic information, a resume, and a 500-word essay on why you are interested in this fellowship program.

For more information, please contact Desmond Patton at [email protected] or Vida Herling at [email protected].

*Stipends are considered to be financial aid. MSW students should check with the Office of Financial Aid to determine if their eligibility for other aid will be affected.