Complementing Your Classroom
Higher-education Opportunities in Washington, D.C.Academic Seminars are an ideal way for institutions to use the resources of Washington, D.C., for academic purposes. These programs are especially attractive to students:
- Who wish to explore the resources, both academically and professionally, that Washington, D.C., offers.
- Who are otherwise unable to arrange a semester or summer in Washington for an internship.
- Who are at any academic level, even those who have just graduated, who are seeking new, expanding opportunities to network and meet professionals in their field of interest.
- Who do not necessarily need academic credit, but want to be exposed to academic programming in a specific policy area to enhance their credentials.
Institutions often encourage their faculty to promote these seminars or even accompany their students as faculty leaders or faculty fellows in order to:
- Offer the academic seminar as a course (such as a January or May term or summer school offering) or as part of a course.
- Enhance the institution’s presence in Washington, D.C., and ensure its students have a wide range of experiential and civic engagement opportunities off campus, often at a more affordable cost than study abroad.
- Provide freshmen and sophomores with a taste of off-campus programming provided by the institution, resulting in greater retention and a more focused academic and professional career path.
- Provide enhanced faculty development opportunities, especially for faculty involved in various forms of engaged learning on or off campus.
Bring a Class or Group
It is common for faculty to organize a group of their own students to attend an academic seminar at The Washington Center. Teachers find many incentives for organizing their own group seminar;
- TWC’s Academic Seminars are an ideal professional development opportunity for faculty.
- Leading a group is an easy way for your institution to ensure that the work completed is sufficient for the number of credits being awarded for students’ participation.
- Cohorts are a way for you to help fully integrate what students learn with a particular course or curriculum offered on their campus.
- A full scholarship is awarded by TWC for every 10 fully paid students who accompany the faculty leader. This amount can be given to an 11th student or distributed among the 10 paid students to reduce the overall cost per student.
There are several options available to faculty [2] who accompany a group of their own students to TWC:
- You can serve as their faculty leader.
- Your students can be distributed among other groups.
- You can participate as a faculty fellow, becoming a paid participant.
If you are interested in serving as a faculty leader or would like to recommend someone, please fill in a faculty leader response form, indicating which seminar you are interested in. For ideas about how to promote the academic seminar on campus or to request additional seminar brochures, please contact us at seminars@twc.edu [3].
Costs & Scholarships
Many schools encourage student participation by collecting the tuition for three credits and pay The Washington Center for the seminar from the tuition collected, keeping the difference. In that way, students are not “double-billed” and the program becomes quite affordable. Some institutions have waived tuition or forwarded the tuition to The Washington Center with the students paying the difference if necessary. Most students are granted between one and two credits for one week and additional credit for independent study work if arranged separately.
Scholarships are available to help recruit students. For every 10 students participating, their institution receives one full scholarship that might either be used for an 11th student or can be distributed among the other 10 students to lower their overall costs.
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Faculty Opportunities: Come as a teacher or a student
Faculty can get involved with The Washington Center’s Academic Seminars in a number of ways:
- Promote TWC programs on your campus to students who are particularly interested in the topics covered by our seminars or to students just looking for a short, in-depth experience in Washington, D.C.
- Include The Washington Center seminars in the curriculum of one of your classes and bring that class to Washington, D.C., for one or two weeks (or in a customized program through Washington Connection [5]).
- Apply to act as a Faculty Leader [6]. As a Faculty Leader you will be assigned to work with a group of about 15 students during the seminar. The students can be either your own students or students from other institutions.
- Apply to participate in the seminars as a Faculty Fellow, taking advantage of the programming with the freedom to choose sites among the arranged site visits Faculty fellows receive a discount on the cost of the program.
Faculty LeadersFaculty leaders are chosen for their exceptional teaching skills. They are assigned to work with 10-15 students for the duration of the seminar. Responsibilities include:
- Facilitating small group discussions.
- Serving as advisors and mentors for seminar participants.
- Recommending a grade for each student.
- Work with their own students if they bring a minimum of 10 students from their school.
Leaders receive a stipend for their work during the seminars. Additional information is available here. [6]
Faculty FellowsCollege faculty and secondary education teachers are eligible to be involved in program activities as a participant, without the responsibilities associated with being a faculty leader.
Faculty DirectorFor each seminar, a faculty director oversees the academic component the seminar. Faculty Directors select readings, advise on speakers and present lectures on relevant topics. Faculty directors are selected for their unique expertise and experience and provide analysis and insights into the various topics presented.
Recent faculty directors have included:
- Ross K. Baker, Ph.D. professor of political science, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Presidential Inauguration 2009; Inside Washington 2002-2010; Congress and the Obama Presidency)
- Steve Bell, professor emeritus of telecommunications, Ball State University, former news anchors on Good Morning America (Presidential Inauguration 2009, Politics and the Media1998-2010: Politics and the Media)
- Thomas E. Cronin, Ph.D. McHugh Professor of American Institutions and Leadership, Colorado College (2008 Democratic National Convention)
- Hon. Mickey Edwards, J.D., Former Member of Congress (R-OK), Executive Director, Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Service (2004, 2008 Republican National Convention)
- Juan Zarate, J.D., Senior Adviser, Transnational Threats Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies, former Deputy National Security Advisor (2005-2009) (2010: Top Secret: Challenges to National Security in a Global Environment)
Scholars-in-ResidenceScholars-in-Residence are national or international experts on topics related to a particular seminar who are invited to give periodic lectures and presentations during a seminar program. Often Scholars-in-Residence are chosen to be a part of the national political convention seminars. Among those recently involved were:
- Meena Bose, Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies, Hofstra University (Republican National Convention 2008)
- Michael A. Genovese, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Loyola Chair of Leadership Studies, Loyola Marymount University (Democratic National Conventions 2000-2008)
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Become a Faculty Leader
Faculty leaders at TWC are chosen for their exceptional teaching skills. Each of them is assigned to work with a group of 10 to 15 students for the duration of the seminar.
Faculty leaders:
- Lead small group discussions.
- Serve as advisors and mentors for seminar participants.
- Recommend a grade for each student at the end of the program.
- Work with their own students if they bring a minimum of ten students from their school.
- Attend all program sessions.
- Meet with students at least once during each weekday for 1-2 hours of group discussion and instruction.
- Accompany the students on site visits to embassies, think-tanks, and other organizations in D.C.
- Advise students on a variety of academic and professional matters related to the program.
- Read the students’ written work and provides a written evaluation of their academic and professional performance.
Faculty leaders receive a stipend. Housing is provided as well as a weekly, seven-day Fast Pass Metrorail pass. Participation in all program events is included. Meals, transportation and other personal expenses are not included.
Requirements & Eligibility
Faculty leaders are chosen on the basis of a variety of criteria. They must have a graduate degree (Ph.D. strongly preferred) and experience teaching at the college level. Since programming and other arrangements are of a very flexible nature, often subject to last minute changes and even some cancellations, they must not only be energetic and enthusiastic, but also have a mature, positive approach in dealing with students.
Faculty leaders who come with a pre-formed group of at least 10 students are automatically hired to be in charge of their own students. Priority is then given to faculty who recruit less than 10 students from their own institution. In that case, they may be assigned additional students coming without a faculty member from their school. In addition, we are seeking faculty to add to the diversity of backgrounds and interests of the staff as well as the majors of the students who enroll in the program.
Faculty Leader Response Form
Customized Programs
You can bring a student group to Washington, D.C., over spring break for a customized program through the Washington Connection [5] opportunity. TWC will help you create and design an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that your students and you will always remember, leveraging 35 years worth of Washington-based experience and connections on your behalf. Build a program to suit your course material, degree program or special events. Get an insider’s look at:
- Policy think tanks
- Congress in action
- Embassies
- Communications centers
- Historic sites
- Government agencies
Just let us know what you most want your students to see and experience. Our staff will work to make your ideal Washington, D.C., visit a reality. We can plan a full curriculum, including speakers, panels, readings and discussions to suit your group’s needs and interests.
