The Pennsylvania Consortium for the Liberal Arts (PCLA) is excited to announce that the fall period for submitting PCLA/Arthur Vining Davis Teaching and Learning Award proposals is open. We will be accepting proposal submissions through 4:30pm on Monday, November 19th 2018. Proposal drafts may be submitted for feedback until Monday, November 5th 2018.

The Teaching and Learning Award is an internal PCLA funding opportunity that is generously funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Teaching and Learning Award funding may only directly benefit PCLA member institutions. These funds are intended to be an avenue for PCLA faculty and staff to explore innovative pedagogy in close concert with the students of their institution. Student involvement in every aspect of the proposal is the hallmark of the Teaching and Learning Award. A single institution may submit a proposal for up to $5,000, but proposals with at least two institutions can submit proposals for up to $15,000. A successful application should include the following:

  • A research based approach to solving a teaching and learning problem.

  • Student input and involvement in all aspects of the project.

  • If including PCLA partners, full participation and collaboration by two or more PCLA member institutions.

  • A plan for generative sustainability that provides the opportunity to gain from what is learned.

  • An assessment/evaluation plan that provides meaningful feedback on the project.

  • A clear, balanced budget that is focused on outcomes with a narrative description.

Previous awards have endeavored to amplify inclusion efforts within the classroom, enhance the visibility of digital humanities/learning within the liberal arts context, and explore how elements of online learning can enhance the learning undertaken within the brick and mortar walls of our institutions...to name a few.

Those interested in attending the culminating "Showcase of Teaching and Learning Award 2017 Awardees", where previous awardees will present their work for feedback and discussion, are welcome to join us at Franklin & Marshall College on Saturday, September 29th between 9am - 4:30pm for $15/person ($25/person for folks outside the PCLA membership) plus applicable fees. Tickets can be found on Eventbrite here.

For more information about, and application instructions for, the Teaching and Learning Award click here or copy and paste www.pcla.info/avd-award into your web browser. Please don’t hesitate to email the consortium implementation manager, Robert Diggs, with any questions. 

The Pennsylvania Consortium for the Liberal Arts (PCLA), founded in 2014, is a consortium of eleven small liberal arts colleges across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Bryn Mawr, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Haverford, Juniata, Lafayette, Muhlenberg, Swarthmore, Ursinus, and Washington & Jefferson Colleges) serving ~20,000 undergraduate students.

The PCLA is governed by the eleven member Board of Presidents, which is in turn led by a four person Executive Committee. The daily administration of PCLA activities is guided by the implementation manager. The PCLA office is hosted by Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA with employment and financial services provided by Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA.