CFP FOR SIGNATURE J-TERM COURSES

Guidelines for proposed topics. The signature courses will not require prerequisites, and the proposed topics should have broad appeal to undergraduates across schools at UVA. We are especially interested in proposals for interdisciplinary courses, and for courses that address topics that are both timely and of enduring significance. Proposals for teaching courses on the topics listed in the June 17^th message—(i) the science of pandemics, (ii) racial justice, (iii) analyzing the 2020 election—as well as others, are welcome.

Additional details. The courses will be delivered online. Each course will have one or two primary instructors who serve as the instructors of record and are responsible for the syllabus and course administration. Many of these courses will also include guest lecturers. Although it is difficult to predict how many students will take advantage of this offer, instructors should be prepared for enrollments of over 300 students and perhaps as many as 1000. To allow for small-group interactions, teaching assistants will be assigned to each course (roughly one TA for every 30 students).

The instructional time for a J-term class is four hours per day, M-F, for 10 days: Monday, January 4 – Friday, January 15, 2021. The four hours of instructional time can include a range of activities such as lectures, small-group work, and discussion sections. In proposing a course, please consider how you would maintain reasonable expectations of the students and TAs in this compressed schedule without compromising academic rigor.

Compensation and additional funds. Faculty will be compensated directly for teaching these courses; compensation will take the form of faculty wages. The courses do not carry standard school-level teaching credit. For courses with a single primary instructor, the instructor compensation will be $12,000. For courses with two primary instructors, each instructor will earn $10,000. Each course will also be allotted up to $3,000 for other expenses, such as honoraria for guest lecturers.

• UVA employees who make substantial contributions to course design or instruction can receive compensation. The amount of compensation should be guided by the hours they spend and the contribution they make to the course and will be capped at $1,000.  UVA employees should not be compensated for delivering only a single guest lecture.
• Guest lecturers from outside UVA may receive honoraria, but ordinarily no more than $500 for a single lecture. Higher honoraria require approval.

Selection Process. A committee led by Professors Maïté Brandt-Pearce and Brie Gertler and comprising faculty representatives from the undergraduate schools will review the proposals. Where multiple faculty have proposed similar or related topics, the committee may contact the faculty to see whether the proposals might be merged. The first stage of the selection process will focus on identifying courses that meet the guidelines and, where appropriate, merging related proposals. Faculty may then be asked to provide more detailed course plans. Faculty and staff who are experienced with J-term courses will be available for consultation.

The committee will send its recommendations to the provost, who will make the final determination.  Please submit your proposal web form by Monday, Sept 21^st. Direct any questions to vpaa@virginia.edu.