2026-2027 Workshops
For Early-Career Faculty at Small Liberal Arts Colleges
The Nielsen Center for the Liberal Arts at Eckerd College supports liberal arts college faculty in exploring the vocation of liberal arts teaching over the course of a career arc; considers best pedagogical and faculty support practices at liberal arts colleges; and provides a forum for liberal arts advocacy through empowering liberal arts college faculty.
Nielsen Center workshops invite early-career faculty at liberal arts colleges to join a supportive learning community and national network. Nielsen Fellows participate in a seminar-style workshop throughout a year-long program that includes three in-person gatherings at Eckerd College on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
During their workshop, Nielsen Fellows will:
- Explore the history and purpose of liberal arts education, the vocation of liberal arts educators, and the arc of the liberal arts college student experience
- Enhance faculty self-understanding, pedagogical innovation, and interdisciplinary connection in small liberal arts college contexts
- Deepen capacity for life-long learning and liberal arts advocacy with colleagues from across the country in a retreat-style setting at Eckerd College on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Travel, Accommodation, Stipend
Accommodations and travel are paid. Nielsen Fellows also receive an honorarium of $1200 for their participation in all three in-person gatherings.
Questions?
Email NCLA@eckerd.edu
Eligibility
We invite applications from faculty in their first few years of teaching undergraduates at a small liberal arts college (4,000 or fewer students).
Apply
Each workshop is comprised of three face-to-face sessions on the Eckerd College campus. Nielsen Fellows are expected to attend their full workshop program. Read our Statement on Full Participation.
Workshop for Pre-Tenure Faculty
- June 15-18, 2026
- January 8-10, 2027
- June 7-10, 2027
Workshop Applications are DUE December 19, 2025
You’ll be prompted to attach three documents:
1. A current CV (4 pages maximum). Please label this document “lastname-cv.pdf”;
2. A single document with responses to the following four writing prompts. Be sure your name appears on the document and please label this document “lastname-text.pdf”.
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- Describe your teaching experience, your teaching context, and your current position in your school’s faculty review process (150 words maximum).
- Describe the discourse about liberal arts education on your campus (150 words maximum).
- Describe and analyze a specific challenge you have experienced in your teaching (150 words maximum).
- Considering your answers to the three previous prompts, describe how you would contribute to this faculty learning community (250 words maximum).
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3. A letter of support from your department head, division chair, dean, or a person in an analogous position (signed on institutional letterhead, and attached as a .pdf file. Please label this document “lastname-letter.pdf”). Please ask the letter writer to address the following points:
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- Please describe your relationship to the candidate.
- Please explain where the candidate is in the faculty review process.
- Please describe the promise the candidate has demonstrated for teaching excellence and future leadership in campus conversations about teaching, the college’s curriculum, and liberal arts education.
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