Overview
The HEAL Fellowship program provides opportunities for faculty to identify and study an important problem or challenge facing higher education and propose a scalable and impactful intervention that ultimately supports the success of students, faculty, staff, or the university.
This program is focused on executing a high-impact project and on developing the fellow as a leader in higher education. Through structured reflective exercises, readings, meetings and other experiences, fellows will connect their growth as leaders to successful implementing their projects. Fellows will work with on-campus mentors and foster and develop relationships with external mentors.
Montclair State University strives to be at the forefront of public higher education. By focusing on student success, engaged scholarship and research, involvement and service to the community, and leveraging its strengths, the university continues advancing its mission for higher education leadership. Today’s leaders in higher education are challenged by financial constraints, demographic changes, evolving student needs, rapid changes in technology, and political and public scrutiny. Our success has been and remains dependent on innovation and creativity, and faculty have been and are essential not only through their traditional roles but also, increasingly, through their intentional and informed leadership. Successful leaders in higher education are strategic thinkers, strong collaborators who are flexible as they engage and inspire others, and excellent in planning, communicating, and executing. This program seeks to develop faculty leaders.
The Program supports faculty members interested in exploring leadership in higher education. In the Provost’s Faculty Fellowship Program for Higher Education Academic Leadership (HEAL), a small group of faculty come together to explore and learn about academic leadership while they work individually on a problem or project they are uniquely equipped to address. The HEAL Fellowship program provides space and support for thoughtful innovation and action, supported by collaboration. Fellows propose and pursue their projects to make a measurable, lasting impact on Montclair.
Support
In this program, a faculty member can be released for up to 4 credits of on-load activity for two semesters to focus on an issue of importance to higher education, with the potential for an extension if the project is expanded. Fellows will be provided with financial support for travel or other expenses related to higher education leadership and the needs of the Fellow’s project. During the year, fellows will meet twice a semester with the Provost and the HEAL leadership team for leadership and project development. In addition, over the year, fellows will meet with all of the University’s leaders to expand fellows’ understanding of how universities work and to gain access to diverse perspectives on higher education leadership.
The successful fellow will be mentored and supported by the Provost’s office (and other parts of the University), completing the program with their proposed plan achieved.
The successful fellow is highly organized, proactive, and interested in learning more about “how universities work.”
Call for Proposals AY26 (25-26)
The Office of the Provost is seeking proposals from faculty to participate in the Higher Education Academic Leadership (HEAL) fellowship program for AY26.
Priority will be given to projects that hold the most potential for sustained positive impact to the University and are aligned with the strategic directions and plan of the University, which evolves given the rapidly shifting challenges facing public higher education.
AY26 Themes
Applicants should develop proposals based on their expertise and interests inspired by the following themes that speak to Montclair’s mission and current priorities. Consider the following themes presented as questions that are intended to spark interest and guide proposals:
- STUDENT SUCCESS: How can we address the diverse needs of our student population to support their academic, personal, and post-graduation success?
- FACULTY EXCELLENCE: How can we further faculty professional growth, sense of belonging, and capacity to flourish and lead?
- ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING: How can academic programming be adapted through interdisciplinarity or other means to meet evolving societal, student, industry, or community needs?
- GLOBAL REACH: What strategies could increase our institution’s global presence or foster international partnerships?
- RESEARCH IMPACT: How can we foster interdisciplinary and other collaboration among faculty to improve research productivity and impact?
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: What partnerships or initiatives would enhance our institution’s impact on the communities we serve?
- PUBLIC GOOD: How might we expand the institution’s partnerships with others to further contribute to the “public good”?
With these themes in mind, proposers should develop a question and outline a plan for addressing it.
Deadline for the next cohort: December 31, 2024.
Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals
- Relevance and significance to the mission and goals of Montclair State University
- Innovation in approach to the challenge or question addressed in the proposal
- Feasibility of the project and its implementation components
- Potential impact
The HEAL Fellowship applications will be available via Interfolio.
Proposal Components (Requirements)
- A statement of no more than 3 single-spaced pages that provides a brief description of your proposed project and its primary aims, and which addresses the following questions as they relate to your proposal and plan.
- Why are you interested in the opportunity?
- What topic do you want to explore and why is this of interest or important to you?
- Why is this issue of importance to Montclair and its strategic direction?
- What project outcomes and metrics for success are consistent with your proposal?
- What is your time timetable, necessary resources, and principal offices or people would be helpful in supporting the project?
- Current CV
- Letter of support (no more than one page) co-signed by the applicant’s chair/director and dean indicating enthusiasm for the candidate, project, and support for the requested one course per semester release.
Applications will be reviewed by the Provost and his designees, as well as external reviewers. Finalists will be invited to interviews.
Successful applicants shall:
- Submit regular updates and a final report according to a template and/or written guidance from the Provost or designee;
- Give a presentation at the conclusion of the fellowship at an on-campus venue determined by the Provost in consultation with the Fellow;
- Meet at least twice a semester with other Fellows (and sometimes national experts in the field) to discuss learning, progress, approaches, and ideas;
- Attend short meetings with divisional leaders, the President, and other university leaders;
- Attend a national conference with direct relevance to the Fellow’s project and/or to learning in higher education academic leadership/
Timeline
December 31, 2024: Submission deadline of application via Interfolio.
February 28, 2025: Announcement of approved fellowships.
Contacts
- To request an application template for the HEAL Fellowship Program, contact Jessica Montesdeoca at 973-655-4280 or montesdeocje@montclair.edu. Jessica must be contacted by December 23rd in the morning to give you access.
- For questions about the fellowship, you may contact:
Ken Sumner at 973-655-4667, or by email at sumnerk@montclair.edu, or
Emily Isaacs at 973-655-5307, or by email at isaacse@montclair.edu.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 12, 2024 3:49 pm
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Information Sessions
Information sessions will be held on December 6 @ 10am and December 12th at 3 pm. Register here.