The FCTL is now accepting proposals for Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) for the fall semester! FLCs are faculty-led groups that offer community and professional development through interdepartmental learning and teaching. Each FLC invites interested faculty to explore a stated topic in-depth through discussion and study with a group of like-minded peers, and provides excellent opportunities to expand horizons, develop and improve educational practices, and build connections across departments and areas of study. This spring, our offered FLCs have included topics such as AI in college writing, experiential learning, supporting student mental health and wellbeing, and writing groups and retreats for faculty.

FLCs are conceptualized and led by faculty members. If you have a topic that you are interested in building a group off of, the FCTL invites you to submit a proposal to form an FLC for the fall 2025 semester.

While the application process is simple and straightforward, proposal drafting usually isn’t. It can be tiresome and labor intensive to dig through information and search for what exactly is needed, or what should or shouldn’t be included. This post is here to make the process as smooth as possible through our step-by-step guide to proposing an FLC. This guide will help you flesh out your FLC ideas, walk you through the application process, answer a few questions you may have about FLCs, and point you to more information for answers to questions that aren’t covered here.

Planning an FLC

While FLCs provide great opportunities to create community and build relationships, they are most defined by their academic purpose. This purpose can look different from group to group; one group’s purpose may primarily be discussion, while another’s may be writing or networking, and yet another may aim to focus on a specific practice or initiative. Before proposing an FLC, this purpose must be defined—along with a few other things that will help you conceptualize the group. Once you’ve gotten a clear idea of what the purpose of your group will be, think through the following factors to build a structure for the group.

Define Goals

What goals can you use to measure the community’s success in the pursuit of its purpose? How will you know when the group is successful and has met its goal(s)? Within FLCs, individual goal-setting is encouraged, but the facilitator for each FLC should set a broad goal for the group as a whole. The goal(s) you identify here will be listed in the formal proposal.

Consider the Guiding Principles

There are three guiding principles for FLC development—learning, collaboration, and results. An FLC should be influenced by and shaped after these principles. To read more about each of the guiding principles and how an FLC may be influenced by them, visit the Forming an FLC page on the website.

Identify the Type of FLC Being Created

There are two types of FLC that a group can fall under; topic-based or cohort-based. Topic-based FLCs focus on faculty meeting to learn or discuss specific topics or issues impacting teaching and learning. Cohort-based FLCs involve a group of faculty who are committed to learning together for an extended period of time. They focus on teaching, learning, and professional development topics. Identify which type of FLC your proposed group falls under.

Proposing an FLC

Once you’ve fleshed out the idea for your FLC, it’s time to tell us about it. All FLC proposals must be formatted as specified below, submitted through the form linked at the bottom of this section, and contain the information that is listed here. There are only brief descriptions of what should be contained in each section included in this post. To find a more in-depth guide to drafting your proposal, visit the Forming an FLC page and scroll to the FLC Proposal Requirements section.

Proposal Requirements

• FLC Name
• Facilitator(s) Name(s)
• FLC Duration
  • You may propose an FLC for one semester or a full year.
• Abstract
  • Draft a brief description of the community. This description should be suitable for marketing the group.
• Goal(s)
  • Describe what participation in the community should result in. What is the broad goal(s) of the group as a whole?
• Meeting Plan
  • List dates, times, and session topics/outcomes. There should be a minimum of four to five sessions per semester, and a minimum of ten contact hours total.
• Resources & Materials
  • Include any known information about books, supplies, or materials needed for the group.
• Evaluation
  • Provide a plan for assessing the progress of the community towards the goal(s) of the group.

Once the proposal is drafted, it can be submitted through the link below. Make sure to check the Forming an FLC page to ensure your proposal meets all the requirements.

Proposals for fall 2025 FLCs are due March 15, 2025. 

Submit an FLC Proposal

How We’ll Help

If your idea for an FLC is accepted by the FCTL, you can expect support for your group in a variety of areas. Here’s some of the potential ways your group may be supported by us:

1. Funds Management– The FCTL will help with some costs associated with running the FLC, such as books, supplies, conference fees, and more. The center will also manage group funds and grant the primary facilitator of the FLC a stipend of $750 per semester for leading the FLC.
2. Logistics Support– The FCTL will assist in the organization of the group. This includes support with marketing, registration, and space acquisition for the group, as well as support with any catering orders.
3. Evaluation Services– The FCTL conducts a program evaluation on supported FLCs to obtain data about the success of the program. The center will also assist in the creation and management of group-specific strategies to evaluate group progress.

What Comes Next?

If your idea for an FLC is accepted, the FCTL will schedule a planning meeting to provide support and more information to facilitators. The deadline for proposals for fall FLCs for 2025 is March 15, 2025. Applicants can expect to be notified about the status of their proposal on April 1, 2025.

Applicants can contact the FCTL with any questions about the FLC creation process at the email below. To learn more about FLCs, visit our FLC page, or to get inspired with a look into one of the current FLCs for the spring 2025 semester, check out our FLC Spotlight- Wednesday Writing Circle post.

Email the FCTL