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    Faculty Fellows: Accelerated Course Instruction

    Academic Year 2025-2026

    Faculty Fellows is a year-long professional development opportunity. This year, the program will equip faculty with tools, strategies, and support to design and deliver high-quality courses in condensed formats, such as 8- and 12-week terms. Faculty Fellows will support a cohort of innovative educators committed to reimagining course structures to meet the evolving needs of learners. Fellows will explore how to thoughtfully adapt their teaching to meet the demands of shorter timelines while maintaining a strong focus on student success. Throughout the year, Fellows will develop an accelerated course and a set of best practices, leveraging instructional technologies and pedagogical frameworks that foster student engagement and academic success. On this page, you’ll find details about the program’s purpose, structure, eligibility, and application process.

    Why Accelerated Courses?

    Accelerated courses offer flexibility and faster paths to completion, especially for adult learners and part-time students. However, these formats require intentional course design and pacing. At NWFSC, accelerated courses currently account for 18% of all for-credit enrollments. This program equips faculty to meet the demands of accelerated instruction while maintaining academic integrity and student engagement.

    Timeline and Requirements

    Faculty Fellows runs through the 2025-2026 academic year, beginning in the fall and concluding in the spring.

    Application Deadline: August 29, 2025

    • Presentation Requirement: Each fellow will present their work at a CITL faculty development event. Presentations may be scheduled in either fall or spring, depending on topic and event timing.
    • Fall Semester: Orientation and monthly training sessions
    • Spring Semester: Continued training sessions and collaborative development of best practices

    Fellow Expectations and Deliverables:

    • Attend orientation and monthly training sessions
    • Contribute to the creation of an “Accelerated Course Instruction Best Practices” resource
    • Develop an accelerated course in your area and receive a high-quality designation by submitting the course through the Quality Course Review process.
    • Present your work at a CITL-sponsored faculty development event

    Fellows will explore topics such as backward design, effective course structure, digital tools for efficient teaching, advising alignment, and strategies to support student success in accelerated formats.

    Eligibility and Application

    • Open to full-time and adjunct faculty in any discipline
    • Applicants may currently be teaching an accelerated course or have an interest in teaching one in the future
    • Requires department chair endorsement
    • Applicants will indicate which course or courses they are interested in developing as accelerated formats