Current

Call for Self-Nominations for Core

The POD Network invites self-nominations from members to serve a three-year term on its governing board, the Core Committee (known as “Core”).

Serving as a member of Core is a great opportunity to help the POD Network advance our strategic priorities, including equity and evidence-based practice, by leveraging your unique perspective and professional experience. Past Core members have described their experience serving as a member of Core as a valuable leadership and professional development opportunity. Serving on Core affords the opportunity to self-nominate for the POD Network President position within the five (5) years after the three-year term as a Core member.

The committee, eligibility, support, responsibilities, and the self-nomination process are described below. Email your self-nomination to the POD Network office at [email protected] with “Core Self-Nomination” in the subject line by Monday, March 11, 2024, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Former Core members and members at large are encouraged to share this opportunity with fellow POD Network members.

If you have any questions about the Core Committee or about what it means to be a member of Core after reviewing the details below, please reach out to the POD Office at [email protected].

What is Core?

The Core Committee is responsible for carrying out the mission of the organization by overseeing the activities, affairs, and finances of the POD Network. The committee is guided by the POD Network Governance Manual, and a commitment to decision-making through consensus.

The Core Committee was recently expanded to accommodate the workload demanded by POD’s growing membership. The committee now includes up to 18 elected POD Network members, plus the three presidents (current, elect, past), the chair of the Finance Committee (voting, ex officio, if not an elected Core member), the editor of To Improve the Academy (non-voting, ex officio, if not an elected Core member), and the Executive Director (non-voting, ex officio).

Six new members will be elected every year for a three-year term by a vote of the POD Network membership.

Who is eligible to self-nominate?

Candidates must have been a POD Network member for a minimum of three years (consecutive or nonconsecutive). Previous Core Committee members must wait at least one year before self-nominating for another term.

The POD Network is a member-driven organization, and our strength lies in the diversity and creativity of our members. We especially encourage colleagues with diverse identities and demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity to self-nominate. In addition, we seek candidates from two-year and technical colleges, HBCUs and HSIs, and tribal colleges. We are eager to include people who may not yet see themselves in a senior leadership role, but who are committed to furthering the work of this organization and helping us interrogate and enact our values – collaboration, equity, and evidence.

What financial support is available?

POD Network offers full, need-based financial support for Core Committee members to attend twice-yearly business meetings when held in person. This support is intended to ensure that service on Core is not determined by access to home institution financial support. Core members may request support for travel, conference registration, and/or lodging. Requests are sent directly to the POD office and are confidential. Virtual attendance via Zoom is also available.

What are Core member responsibilities?

The official work of the Core Committee is largely accomplished at two business meetings held in June and November, each scheduled over two days. Business meetings can be attended in person or remotely. In addition, members can expect to address emerging concerns over email or at shorter virtual meetings throughout the year. Additional professional development activities are held during Core meetings and/or online.

Core Committee members are expected to attend all six semi-annual business meetings during their three-year term plus the business meeting preceding their official term, which is being held virtually via Zoom this year on Monday, June 3, and Tuesday, June 4. Newly elected members become official Core members at the conclusion of this meeting. The November 2024 Core Business Meeting will occur during the annual POD Conference in Chicago, Illinois this November.

In addition to meetings and online participation, Core Committee members are guided by the mission, purpose, and values of the POD Network. Core Committee members are expected to:

  • Read the Governance Manual thoroughly and be aware of roles and responsibilities.

  • Attend the entirety of June and November Core business meetings — as well as any interim meetings held over Zoom — and remain present the entire time unless prevented by unavoidable circumstances.

  • Contribute to any discussion either electronically or in person requiring consensus, and vote on all measures submitted for a vote either electronically or in person.

  • Authorize budgets in ways that are the most fiscally responsible to the POD Network.

  • Participate in the election process for the incoming President-Elect.

  • Encourage POD Network members to self-nominate for the Core Committee.

  • Serve in leadership roles on standing committees or SIGs, as a Core liaison to a committee or SIG.

  • Engage in regular communications with those committees and/or SIGs that they represent.

  • Represent those committees and/or SIGs by presenting their key proposals and concerns and answering questions on behalf of those committees and/or SIGs during Core Committee meetings.

  • Proactively communicate with those committees and/or SIGs on behalf of the Core Committee, including discussions, questions, and decisions resulting from Core Committee meetings that are both specific to the committees and/or SIGs and broadly relevant to all POD Network members.

  • Engage in shaping, carrying out, and assessing POD Network strategic plans, broadly and with respect to those committees and/or SIGs that the Core Committee member serves on or chairs.

  • Serve on and/or chair ad-hoc committees formed by the Core and/or Executive Committees.

  • Serve as a mentor for the new POD Network members at the annual conference and to new Core Members.

  • Participate in professional development activities for the Core Committee when they are made available

This is a partial list; for the complete list of responsibilities, refer to the Governance Manual. New members are assigned a Core mentor for their first year to help them learn their new role.

What’s the process for self-nominating?

To nominate yourself, please submit a PDF with the following elements to the POD Network office at [email protected] with “Core Self-Nomination” in the subject line no later than Monday, March 11, 2024, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Your nomination should include:

  • Name, title, and institution/organization(s);

  • Background in educational development;

  • A statement about how your participation on Core would enhance its efforts to foster POD’s values of collaboration, equity and inclusion, and evidence-based practice; and

  • Current CV (five pages or less).

Excluding your CV, the nomination should not exceed 750 words.

Nomination documents will be posted on the members-only area of the POD Network website. A members-only election will be held online beginning March 18 and concluding March 29.

Please contact the POD Network Office with any questions ([email protected]).

Expired

Announcing Needs-Based Finance Assistance to Attend the 2023 POD Network Conference

We are excited to announce that, as part of our efforts to lower barriers to participation in the 2023 POD Conference, the POD Network is piloting a needs-based financial aid program to support attendance at either the online or Pittsburgh venue. POD’s Core Committee has approved $25,000 to fund conference registration and membership fees, as well as travel and lodging costs for the Pittsburgh venue. Approximately 40% of awards will be given to individuals choosing to attend the online venue and 60% will be given to those choosing to attend the Pittsburgh venue.

Financial need will be determined based on applicants’ self-reports of having access to employer-provided funds and/or other financial support provided through the POD Network. Applications will be awarded on a random basis to those who qualify.

This Call for Applications timeframe is September 8 – October 4, 2023. Those interested in applyingmust complete the applicationno later than 11:59 PM PDT on Wednesday, October 4. The application has two sections: Section 1 information will be used to determine eligibility; Section 2 information is optional and will have no bearing on determinations of need. The data gathered in Section 2 will further our understanding of the factors limiting members’ ability to participate in the conference.

Only POD Office staff will have access to the personally identifiable information shared in the application. Summaries of information gathered (with no identifying information) will be shared with POD’s volunteer leadership.

Successful applicants will be notified by October 11 and will be asked to confirm acceptance of the funds, which will be made available within 15 days of the applicant’s acceptance.

We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions, please contact the POD Office: [email protected]

– POD Network Staff, Executive Committee, and Core Committee

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Invitation to Apply to Serve as Faculty for the 2024 Institute for New Educational Developers (INED) Online

Are you an experienced professional and leader in the field of educational development? If so, the POD Network and Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT) invite you to apply to serve as faculty for one or more synchronous online sessions at the July 2024 Institute for New Educational Developers (INED) Online and/or to create asynchronous materials that will be made available to participants before the conference. This is a great way to help new educational developers find success in supporting faculty. INED faculty volunteer their time; they do not receive an honorarium.

INED Online 2024 DATES: Monday, July 29 – Thursday, August 1, 2024 

MODALITY: Synchronous online during the institute dates with additional asynchronous materials available starting July 1, 2024. Each synchronous session will be 75 minutes long.

The theme of the institute is A Taxonomy of Evidence-Based and Equitable Educational Development Goals. To meet the INED Online Learning Objectives, we will apply the six domains of L. Dee Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning Goals to educational development, and enhance his model by holistically integrating principles of equitable and inclusive teaching. Participants will engage with evidence-based principles and best practices that are foundational to educational development, strategize how to apply and integrate that knowledge in their practice, make a plan for continuing to learn and keep current in the field, and reflect on the human dimension and significance of the work.

If you are interested, please complete this form to indicate the topics for which you are willing to contribute your expertise. We kindly ask that you submit the form by September 29. You will receive a response to your submission by late October via email.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cliff Rouder, Pedagogy & Design Specialist at Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

2023 Call For Applications for Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowship 

The application deadline has been EXTENDED to 11:59 p.m. PDT, Friday, August 25, 2023. Apply here!

Fellowship Description

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education enthusiastically invites applications for the 2023 Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowships. These fellowships provide financial and mentoring support (see below) designed to increase and support sustained participation of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the field of educational development.

Underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as racial and/or ethnic minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered individuals; and individuals with disabilities. These fellowships are also intended to support individuals working at institutions that are currently underrepresented in the POD network. These institutions include, but are not limited to: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Native American Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions or Hispanic Area Colleges and Institutions, Minority-Serving Institutions (or those aspiring to become MSIs), and Community Colleges. The fellowship is named to honor the memory of the former POD President, Donald H. Wulff, who was an early supporter of the POD Diversity Committee. This initiative highlights the alignment of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s mission with POD’s strategic priorities.

We encourage applicants with all levels of experience in educational development to apply, from graduate students and other early career or pre-career applicants to senior educational developers. 

Past Wulff Fellows are encouraged to apply and serve as mentors to new awardees. Wulff Fellow Mentors will take the lead in facilitating community-building experiences for new fellows throughout the conference and going forward through the year.


The POD Network Conference is an opportunity for educators, administrators, consultants, and innovators to come together and participate in interactive sessions and networking events focused on current issues and trends in educational development. This year’s conference will offer two paths: an online conference experience and an on-ground conference in Pittsburgh. Both conference paths feature programs specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion. New Wulff Fellows will share their work or perspectives through a roundtable discussion and have the opportunity to connect with one another. Wulff Fellow Mentors will provide guidance and support to new Fellows.

Fellowship Details

The Fellowship provides: 

  1. A one-year POD membership; 

  2. Registration fee for the POD Conference (online or in-person); 

  3. For awardees opting for the in-person conference venue in need of travel support, financial support for travel costs to Pittsburgh, PA;

  4. Mentoring and other experiences before, during, and after the conference, designed to connect awardees with colleagues and support their participation in educational development

Fellows are expected to:

  • Attend the 2023 POD Conference (online experience or in-person);

  • Attend the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s Annual Business Meeting; 

  • Participate in a roundtable discussion sharing work, insights, perspectives, and/or experiences 

  • Participate in Wulff Fellow cohort networking opportunities during the 2023–2024 fellowship year to connect and build community around their work;

  • Submit a post-conference report and a 6-month check-in survey at the midpoint of their fellowship year. This post-conference report and the 6-month check-in survey will help us assess the effectiveness of the program to better the experience of Wulff Fellows.

Criteria, Timeline, and Resources

A successful application should clearly articulate: 

  1. Your identification as someone from a historically underrepresented group or someone serving at an institution that is currently underrepresented in POD membership. Please see the fellowship description above for more information; 

  2. Your interest and/or experience in educational development; 

  3. How you would benefit from attending the conference; 

  4. A clear and explicit explanation of how sustained engagement with the DEI Committee and POD network aligns with your goals in the field of educational development (for example, if you are a grad student, how this opportunity will help you explore career and other professional interests; if you are more advanced in your career, how this opportunity will help you towards your professional goals).

  5. The work, insights, perspectives, and/or experiences that you will contribute to the POD conference roundtable; or (for past Wulff Fellows applying as Wulff Fellow Mentors) the insights, perspectives, and/or experiences you will bring to your role mentoring new awardees through the conference and beyond.

  6. If you are planning to attend the in-person conference, a brief description of your travel needs, such as geographical travel distance, planned travel arrangements, hotel costs, etc., and how this travel fund would help you overcome financial barriers (including extraneous factors such as child care, elder care expenses, etc.) to attending the POD conference.

Application Timeline and Resources

  • Deadline for submission EXTENDED TO August 25, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PDT to be considered for this award. 

  • Application can be found here: Wulff Application Form. As a resource, see examples of successful applications here.

  • Successful applicants will be notified by e-mail in mid-September.

  • Attend the POD Conference this year in November!

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact POD DEI Fellowship Coordinators Shihua Brazill and David Goldman at [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your application!

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The GPPD Equity and Outreach working group is pleased to announce the 2023 GPPD Career Development Award!

The GPPD will award up to 30 grants to graduate students, professional
students, and postdocs to support their attendance at the annual POD
conference, held November 14-17th online or November 16-19th in-person in
Pittsburgh. The grant covers all conference registration fees for either
online or in-person attendance as well as one year of POD membership dues.

Awardees are expected to attend 2-3 GPPD hosted or related events or
sessions at the conference. Those from institutions not historically
represented at POD (e.g., HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, HSIs, MSIs) and/or from
underrepresented identities are highly encouraged to apply!

Application & instructions available at https://tinyurl.com/GPPD23.
*Applications are due Friday, September 1, at 11:59 pm PDT *

Please forward to any who might be interested!

Katherine, Kate, and Shed
GPPD Equity & Outreach Committee

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Getting Started Online Pre-Conference Workshop Call for Facilitators

The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is now accepting applications for facilitators for the Getting Started Pre-Conference Workshop for New Educational Developers for the online annual POD Network Conference. This popular interactive workshop orients new educational developers to the field. We hope to recruit facilitators willing to adapt the current in-person conference to the online conference. We are hoping to add up to 6 facilitators to the panel.

We encourage any educational developer, regardless of background or experience level, to consider sharing their experience with colleagues by acting as a facilitator. If you are interested in applying to serve as a facilitator, please review the following information:

  • Facilitators volunteer their time; they do not receive an honorarium. Funding may be available to assist with the cost of attending the conference for those demonstrating need.

  • If you choose to volunteer, this opportunity is for the online conference

  • Facilitators have the opportunity to participate for up to three years, with facilitators working as a team of 6. Ideally, each year, two new facilitators will join the team with those completing their third year rolling off.

  • The team commits to a number of virtual planning meetings, starting in the spring, in preparation for the conference (the team will negotiate frequency, but facilitators should expect no more than 1 meeting per month, with likely more frequency in the month leading up to the conference)

  • While there is an existing curriculum from previous in-person sessions (see an example agenda here), the team can choose to draw from content used in previous versions of this session, or update the material. Current in-person facilitators will work with, and assist the team in adapting materials to an online format.

Please take a look at the proposed topics below and identify at least two (2) for which you have expertise and experience. If there is a topic not listed that you would like to propose, you are welcome to do so.

  • Understanding the field of educational development

  • Consultation and coaching as foundational skills

  • Designing effective educational development programs

  • Facilitation skills

  • Creating and maintaining networks in the field of educational development

  • Assessing educational development work (for yourself, for your center/unit, etc.)

  • Being a reflective educational developer

Please complete and submit this Google form by Monday, May 29, 2023. Facilitators will be selected by June 16, 2023.

Getting Started Online Pre-Conference Workshop Facilitator Nomination Form

If you have any questions about the application process, feel free to contact Kristi Verbeke at [email protected].

POD Academic Writing Scholars – Deadline: May 2, 2023

TIA is committed to diversifying the pool of writers who contribute to educational development scholarship to include new educational developers, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) authors, and members of groups historically underrepresented in educational development scholarship (e.g., educational developers at community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)). We know that scholarly writing takes time, cultural capital, and financial resources, and that institutions vary on available resources. Therefore, the POD Academic Writing Scholars pilot will support up to eight writers from identity groups and/or institutions that are historically underrepresented in educational development scholarship. 

From June- November 2023, up to eight participants with writing projects at any stage of development (e.g., an idea, data collected; a full draft, etc.) will meet twice per month to receive feedback from peers and former TIA editors, and receive support and guidance on the writing, review, and publication process. 

Please see more details on this website. For full consideration, apply by May 1, 2023, 11:59pm ET.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or reach out to any member of the TIA editorial team. 

Kind regards,

Lindsay, Michael, Marina and Derisa — TIA Editorial Team

POD Annual Conference Call for Proposals – Deadline: May 1, 2023

This year’s Call for Proposals (CFP) for the 48th annual POD Network conference – with two venues: in Pittsburgh, November 16-19 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and virtual (online), November 14-17, with some overlap of major events. This year’s theme is Envisioning the Future: Developing Equitable Opportunities for Success.

For the full Call for Proposals, please visit: https://podnetwork.org/48th-annual-conference-cfp/

Timeline for Submissions:

  • March 29, 2023: Call For Proposals sent to POD Network members
  • April 10, 2023: Submission system opens to accept proposals
  • May 1, 2023: Proposals due
  • By end of June 2023: Notifications of acceptance

We look forward to your submissions and creating a conference experience to reflect our shared vision of educational development.

Please email the conference team with any questions you may have: [email protected]

Kristen English and Heeyoung Kim, Conference Co-Chairs

Carol Hernandez and Mandy McGrew, Pittsburgh Program CoChair

Janet Cape and Tonya Whitehead, Online Program CoChair

Getting Started Pre-Conference Workshop Call for Facilitators – Deadline: April 23, 2023
The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is now accepting applications for facilitators for the Getting Started Pre-Conference Workshop for New Educational Developers offered annually at the POD Network Conference. This popular interactive workshop orients new educational developers to the field, with typical attendance of approximately 100 participants. We are hoping to add two additional facilitators to the current panel.

We encourage any educational developer, regardless of background or experience level, to consider sharing their experience with colleagues by acting as a facilitator. If you are interested in applying to serve as a facilitator, please review the following information:

  • Facilitators volunteer their time; they do not receive an honorarium. Funding may be available to assist with the cost of attending the conference for those demonstrating need.
  • Facilitators will arrive at the conference a day early (usually Tuesday), in order to prepare for the session.
  • Facilitators have the opportunity to participate for up to three years, with facilitators working as a team of 6. Ideally, each year, two new facilitators will join the team with those completing their third year rolling off.
  • The team commits to a number of virtual planning meetings, starting in the spring, in preparation for the conference (the team will negotiate frequency, but facilitators should expect no more than 1 meeting per month, with likely more frequency in the month leading up to the conference)
  • While there is an existing curriculum from previous sessions (see an example agenda here), the team can choose to draw from content used in previous versions of this session, or update the material.

Please take a look at the proposed topics below and identify at least two (2) for which you have expertise and experience. If there is a topic not listed that you would like to propose, you are welcome to do so.

  • Understanding the field of educational development
  • Consultation and coaching as foundational skills
  • Designing effective educational development programs
  • Facilitation skills
  • Creating and maintaining networks in the field of educational development
  • Assessing educational development work (for yourself, for your center/unit, etc.)
  • Being a reflective educational developer

Please complete and submit this Google form by Sunday, April 23, 2023. Facilitators will be selected by May 22, 2023.
Getting Started Pre-Conference Workshop Facilitator Nomination Form

If you have any questions about the application process, feel free to contact Kristi Verbeke at [email protected]

Call for Intent to Submit Proposal to Host the 2024 POD Network Institute for Educational Developers – Deadine: April 14, 2023

Review details here.

Call for POD Network Core Committee (Board of Directors) Self-Nominations (deadline: Monday, February 27, 2023 11:59 p.m. EST)

2022 Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowship Call For Applications (deadline: Friday, July 15, 2022 11:59 p.m. EST)