Searle Fellows Program
The Searle Fellows Program helps early career faculty develop expertise and knowledge about learning and teaching.
Since the program's inception in 1999, our Searle Fellows have exemplified what it means to think critically, reflectively and inclusively about one’s own teaching—and the learning of one’s students—across a wide variety of disciplines and fields. To date, more than 300 early career faculty members, drawing from nine schools and representing a broad range of disciplines have passed through the program, making their mark not only in the classrooms, but also on the greater Northwestern community and beyond.
Fostering a deep sense of inquiry into student learning has long been an underlying principle of the Searle Fellows Program. Rather than focusing simply on providing strategies, techniques and tips, the Searle Fellows program seeks to foster critical inquiry and professional reflection on teaching, drawing on the University’s strategic assessment framework and Principles of Inclusive Teaching.
The program is designed to: (1) integrate with existing faculty teaching demands, (2) draw on the academic experience of faculty in their current research/scholarship, (3) provide academic rigor and stimulation at a high intellectual level, and (4) create a professional experience which will be rich and rewarding for faculty over the course of their careers.
The program's main goals are to: (1) strengthen the participants’ knowledge, understanding, and expertise in learning and teaching; and (2) help faculty develop a teaching innovative project that will foster and assess deep student learning.
For more information about the Searle Fellows Program and fellow projects, including application guidelines, please visit the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching website.