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Ursula K. Williams Fellowship

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The Ursula Williams Faculty Fellowship is a one-semester fellowship for teaching professors and professors of the practice in the College of Arts & Letters that focuses on applying technology, instructional design, and second language acquisition study to pedagogical practices. The fellowship entails:

  • A course release for the semester of the fellowship. This course-release time (approximately eight to 10 hours per week) should be devoted to working on fellowship-related material.
  • Working closely with CSLC and Kaneb Center staff over one semester to assist the fellow in executing and implementing the proposed project.

Components of the Fellowship

The following activities will be supported by the CSLC and Kaneb Center for one semester and must be completed (unless otherwise specified) in the fall semester:

  • Fellows will propose a scholarly project to enhance knowledge on topics related to the proposed project over the semester. To provide flexibility in the pursuit of projects, fellows can choose one of the following options:
    • Producing an eportfolio containing at least 10 artifacts, reflections, or observations related to the teaching project proposal to illustrate the knowledge gained
    • Developing and completing a research project or a scholarship of teaching and learning study focused on an aspect of the fellow's own teaching practice
    • Another project or idea of the fellow’s choosing, in consultation with the director of the CSLC
  • In addition to completion of a project or research study, fellows must share their knowledge with the wider learning community. In order to accomplish this, fellows should submit a proposal to present at a relevant local/regional teaching and learning conference with approval from their CSLC partner. The Ursula K. Williams Fellowship will fund up to $1,000 of conference and travel fees for the Fellow.

Annual Timeline

  • Applications should be emailed to the CSLC Director on or before May 1 each year.
  • Applicants will receive an acceptance letter by May 20 if they have been selected for the fellowship.
  • Within two weeks of acceptance notification, the fellow should meet with the CSLC director to develop a tentative timeline for their project, including:
    • Start and end dates of the fellowship
    • Due date for completion of electronic portfolio or research project
    • Due date for conference proposal
    • Selection of workshops, trainings, and consultations that the fellow will attend for research support

How to Apply

Applications should be sent as email attachments or shared Google Drive links to Eun-Young ‘Julia’ Kim (ekim27@nd.edu), the CSLC director, by May 1 each year. Be sure to include:

  • One-page explanation of how the fellowship will enhance the applicant’s teaching
  • A brief statement of the applicant's teaching philosophy
  • Current curriculum vitae of the applicant
  • A letter of support from the applicant's department Chair agreeing to a course release if the application is successful

Remembering Ursula Williams

Ursula Williams was the director of the Language Resource Center at the University of Notre Dame, where she began working in 1984, first as a German instructor and then as a specialist in using technology to teach foreign languages. Ursula was also associate director of the Center for Creative Computing at Notre Dame and was the president-elect for the International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT), where she was an active member and participant in conferences and committees. She was also active in university committees and even found time to host a radio show, "The World of Operetta," for WSND radio and serve as a classical music announcer for both WSND and public radio station WVPE.

Ursula was a graduate of SUNY-Oswego and earned her master's degree in German literature from Ohio University.

Past UKW Fellows