O'Donnell Visiting Educators

O'Donnell Visiting Educator Proposals for 2011-2012 Academic Year
Initial Proposal DEADLINE: Friday, February 25, 2011 - 4 p.m.

The Global Studies Steering Committee requests proposals from the three divisions for O’Donnell Visiting Educators to be supported by the Ashton J. and Virginia Graham O’Donnell Visiting Professorship in Global Studies Endowment during the 2011-12 academic year. The purpose of this endowment is to create a program of O’Donnell Visiting Educators (OVEs). These are individuals who have been practitioners in international affairs, academics who straddle the academia/practitioner divide, or scholars with significant applied experience in international affairs, broadly conceived. A strong candidate for an OVE may have international experience in any number of areas, including the arts, sciences, technology. engineering, international business, diplomacy, social movements, environmental regulation, immigration, health, and development. Faculty members in all departments are encouraged to submit proposals.

Although this is a call for proposals with a due date of February 25, please note that we will accept OVE proposals at any time of the year, funds permitting (and so far, they have), but for ease of management, it is useful for the Steering Committee to consider the bulk of the proposals at the same time.

Proposals:

Individuals or departments interested in hosting an OVE should submit their applications to the Global Studies Steering Committee, c/o Susan Bennett in the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty by 4 p.m. on February 25, 2011. You may choose to make an initial proposal before finalizing your arrangements with the proposed OVE, but it is preferable to take some initial steps in order to see if the educator you have in mind is available and interested in coming to campus. Similarly, though a final schedule is not required at the time of the initial proposal, a rough idea of when the OVE will come to campus is desirable. Your proposal should have three basic parts:

1.  A description of the individual being nominated. A CV is ideal, but a less formal document might also be satisfactory. You should include a statement explaining how this person fits within the guidelines of the endowment.

2.  A description of the nature of the visit, how it will fit into overall departmental and/or college curricula, and how our students will be encouraged to participate. In evaluating requests, the Committee will consider the length and depth of the interaction between students and the proposed OVE. OVEs may come to campus for periods ranging from a single lecture to a full semester.

To enable students to secure credit for academic work done in conjunction with such visits, the faculty has adopted the following course: Interdisciplinary Studies 400, O’Donnell Endowment – Special Topics in Applied International Studies. These classes are offered for a single, un-graded credit. Typically, an OVE who spends a week or two at the College will teach classes in relevant course(s), give one or more public addresses and/or workshops, visit other appropriate courses, and/or make him or herself available to students and faculty who are interested in the OVE’s area of expertise. One excellent source of names of persons who may be available for week-long campus visits is the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow Program; see http://www.cic.edu/projects_services/visitingfellows.asp. WWVFs are often individuals of considerable accomplishment in their fields.

3.  A budget. The proposal should contain a budget that will include funding for travel, room and board for the OVE. There will also be funding for advertising, meals with appropriate members of the campus community, and other incidental expenditures. Two additional items include: (1) compensation for the OVE; and (2) an administrative stipend for the faculty member organizing the visit. You should consult with Susan Bennett in the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty if you have questions regarding the formulation of an appropriate budget. Many of the tasks involved with hosting an OVE can be handled by the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty (e.g., travel arrangements, arranging lodging). The appropriate size of the compensation offered to the OVE will depend upon several factors, including the stature of the OVE and the length of the visit. (There is a set fee of $5,000 for WWVFs, so in this case it is relatively simple to specify a budget.)

The following are meant to be rough estimates of the usual compensation amount for an OVE and the person administering the visit:

 If you have further questions, please direct them to Bruce Magnusson at 509-527-4939 or magnusba@whitman.edu

Global Studies Steering Committee:
Bruce Magnusson, Director
Michelle Acuff
Bill Bogard
Gaurav Majumdar
Elyse Semerdjian
Zahi Zalloua