Form an FLC

Start Your Own Learning Community

Faculty Communities are collaborative, peer-led professional learning groups. This page contains information and requirements for faculty interested in forming and facilitating a learning community. Community Faculty Leaders will receive a stipend of $1,500 per semester.

Faculty that have an idea for a Community of Practice (CoP) can submit the form located below or contact the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. A planning meeting will be scheduled to assist with developing the goals and direction for your community.

Get Started

Community Development & Structure

Start planning your group with these steps.

Define what the shared practice of your community is. Your community should have a purpose and goals; but the topic areas, content, and discussions may shift and emerge over time based on the needs of the community.

The Community Leader sets the direction for the group, but individual members should establish their own goals aligned to the shared practice and purpose for the community.
A Community of Practice typically has a one-year lifespan, but the community may be extended to provide ongoing support and engagement. One-semester communities will also be considered.

A community should have a minimum of 5 members to receive funding and support from the FCTL.

Communities should meet a minimum of 5 times during a semester, with each meeting lasting approximately 2 hours. A community may choose to meet more frequently or adjust meeting times and/or modality based on their goals and interests.

The Community Leader sets expectations for shared collaboration, but regular attendance and active participation should be expected.
1. Learning

Conversations focus on teaching and learning and are informed by evidence-based practices. Community members engage in critical reflective practice and are encouraged to share and grow together.

2. Collaboration

Community members are actively engaged and meet regularly in a safe, inclusive environment that values all perspectives and contributions.

3. Results

The community creates goals that focus on student learning outcomes and deliverables for their FLC.
A variety of measurements can be used to assess the value and impact of a Community of Practice. These include participation numbers, member feedback on personal growth (increased knowledge), shared resources developed by the community, and evidence of integrating the defined practice.

Funding & Support

Find out how the FCTL will help support your group after it’s been accepted.

Community Faculty Leaders will receive a semester stipend of $1,500.

The FCTL can also assist with other costs such as books, supplies, or refreshments.
Communities can work with the FCTL in support of strategic development, finding resources (guest speakers, publications, reports, etc.), collaboration, and community development.

Administrative staff will provide logistical support with room reservations, advertising, registration, and ordering supplies.
The FCTL will reach out to Community Leaders for an end-of-the-year (or semester) summary of the Community’s work.

It is a primary goal of the FCTL to share Faculty Spotlights highlighting work accomplished through the Community of Practice groups.

Draft Your Proposal

FLC Proposal Requirements

When drafting a proposal, follow this outline of requirements.

FLC Name
Facilitator(s) Name(s)
FLC Duration

You may elect to facilitate the FLC for one semester or for a full year.

Abstract (100-150 words)

Provide a brief description of the community that can be used for marketing the group.

Goal(s)

Goal-setting is a key activity within FLCs. Each member is encouraged to set their own individual goals, and group goal setting is encouraged. However, when planning the FLC, each facilitator should set broad measurable goal(s) for the group as a whole to set the direction of the community. For example, participation in a community may increase awareness of a topic/issue, change a teaching practice, increase collaboration, impact the university community, etc...

Meeting Plan

The meeting plan should include dates, times, and session topic/outcomes. The plan should include a minimum of 4-5 sessions per semester with a minimum of 10 contact hours spread across the semester.

Resources & Materials

The FCTL will take care of the details, but please include information about books, supplies, materials, etc. that you will need for the group.

Evaluation

Please provide your plan for assessing the progress of the community towards meeting the FLC goal(s). Review the FLC goal(s), and describe how and when you will measure the community progress. You might think about what data you will need to gather and how/when you will obtain the data. Will you include a pre/post survey question, use observational techniques, collect responses to reflective questions, etc...

Deliverables to demonstrate evidence of FLC impact. Please provide a description of deliverables which may be generated by the group to communicate the evidence of impact of your FLC on the university, faculty, and/or students.

Submit a Proposal Now

Complete the Proposal Form

screenshot of the proposal form for forming an FLC