Resources for Professional Development

  • Provost and Dean of the College
  • For Faculty
  • Professional Development

St. Olaf College offers substantial funding for faculty development, including programming and workshops available through the academic year and summer, assistance with researching and writing grant proposals, sabbatical and competitively-awarded leaves, and internal and grant-funded support. With a few exceptions, these resources are available to term as well as tenured/tenure track faculty members.

Grants – College Funded

The Walter and Betty Stromseth Fund for Intercultural and Inter-religious Education provides funding up to $2,000 to support course development, workshops and training, and/or speakers addressing the ethical resources of the major religions for cooperatively addressing global issues of poverty, health care, and environmental preservation and to explore the challenges and opportunities of integrating cultural and religious pluralism.

The Gimse Striving for Peace on Horizon’s Brim Art Endowment is a call for creative project proposals funded in the range between $2,000 and $12,000 open to the St. Olaf faculty, staff, and student community. The Gimse Striving for Peace on Horizon’s Brim Art Endowment supports a wide range of creative projects on the St. Olaf campus that demonstrate a commitment to peace and global justice and foster a greater understanding and respect for the diversity of humanity. Applications should be submitted via email to the Associate Dean of Fine Arts, Alison Feldt, by March 1, 2025. A review committee  will announce recipients of the awards by May 1, 2025.

Grants awarded by the Faculty Life Committee:

Grants awarded by the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community:

Grants – Externally Funded

Many St. Olaf faculty benefit from individual and collaborative grants from private foundations and government agencies to support scholarly, creative, curricular, and pedagogical projects. Considerable assistance in grant application and grant fund management is available from the Office of Government, Foundation, and Corporate Relations.

Individual Professional Activity and Travel (IPAT) accounts

IPAT accounts provide annual professional development support for tenured, tenure-track, special appointment and teaching specialist faculty members.

Leaves

Various types of college-supported leaves are available to faculty at different stages of their careers.

PROGRAMS, EVENTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A variety of professional development opportunities are available throughout the academic year and over the summer, some hosted by St. Olaf and some by other institutions.

  • The St. Olaf Center for Innovation in the Liberal Arts (CILA) coordinates faculty conversations, writing retreats, and longer-term collaborations about learning, teaching and scholarship.
  • The college hosts periodic summer workshops to support faculty members teaching courses that meet selected General Education requirements, including First Year Seminar, Writing & Rhetoric, and Experience in Practice.
  • The Libraries and IT offer learning communities, summer institutes, showcase events, and hands-on workshops that focus on integrating digital technologies with teaching and research.
  • The Associated Colleges of the Midwest and The Council of Independent Colleges provide a range of scholarly, pedagogical and leadership development opportunities.
  • LinkedIn Learning is an online library including 2,500+ courses taught by industry experts in software, creativity, and business skills.
  • Support for the Humanities: St. Olaf is a member of two organizations providing resources and research opportunities for those in the humanities. The National Humanities Center offers grants, fellowships, a summer residency program, and a variety of institutes and professional development programs. The National Humanities Alliance provides resources and information supporting humanities education—including ways to lift up the value of humanities and guidance on grant-seeking.
  • Funding for special lectures, events or speakers is available through Leraas Fund grants.
  • The Faculty Life Committee awards professional development grants from the Nygaard Study in Norway Endowment annually to support faculty travel to Norway for research, course development, or language study. Nygaard grants may be combined with the Oslo International Summer School.
  • The Oslo International Summer School offers an opportunity for a St. Olaf faculty member to participate in the six-week ISS program each summer. Participation in the ISS could lead either to an enrichment of courses faculty already teach, to development of new courses, or to new contacts or research opportunities in their field. It could also mean an opportunity for individuals to take on new intellectual or cultural challenges outside of their own academic fields. The stipend includes all program fees, room & board, (if living on-campus) and one weekend excursion. Recipients are responsible for their own international travel and personal expenses. Contact Michelle Fredrickson for more information.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-RELATED AWARDS
  • Cassling Family Fund for Faculty Innovation Awards
    Faculty Innovation Awards recognize creativity and excellence in teaching. Interested faculty should watch for a call for nominations from CILA in late September.
  • The Melvin George Faculty Recognition Fund provides grants to faculty members “at all ranks who demonstrate superb teaching, sound scholarship, and commitment to the mission and religious nature of the college.”  Established by Vernon Heath to honor former college president Melvin George, this fund is dedicated to supporting professional development and recognition of those individuals whose work and values clearly reflect the mission of St. Olaf College. Interested faculty should watch for a call for nominations from the Provost in early October.
TRAVEL