Launching in Summer 2026 - May 18-Jun 4, 2026
Going into its 49th year in 2026, the Summer Faculty Institute enters a new stage in its storied history of faculty development and transformative experience at Baylor University.
Objectives
- Improved Accessibility
- Increased Faculty Engagement
- Broader Impact
- Economic Stewardship
To achieve these objectives, our flagship program is transitioning from a single five-week Summer I program to two shorter offerings each year. Beginning in 2026, Faculty Institutes will be offered in a three-week summer minimester (May/Jun) and a three-week winter minimester (Dec/Jan). The two Faculty Institute minimesters will mirror the calendar scheduling of the "Summer Minimester" and "Wintermester" in the official Undergraduate Academic Calendar.
The ATL, in collaboration with Learning Design, also offers an Online Teaching Institute over a full academic year designed to support effective online instruction and foster belonging and connectedness for remote faculty.
Two Alternating Tracks
These two shorter, more agile Institutes will alternate focus, maximizing flexibility with faculty schedules. Both tracks will address aspects of career development and promotion as appropriate for the track focus and session topic within that track.
Gold Track - Teaching Focus
Green Track - Scholarship and Service Focus
| Minimester | Dates | Track | Call for Applications | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | May 18-Jun 4, 2026 | Gold Track - Teaching Focus | Sep 18, 2025 | Nov 1, 2025 |
| Winter | Dec 28, 2026-Jan 15, 2027 | Green Track - Scholarship and Service Focus | Jun 15, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Summer | May 17-Jun 4, 2027 | Green Track - Scholarship and Service Focus | Aug 15, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Winter | Dec/Jan 2027/28 | Gold Track - Teaching Focus | Jun 15, 2027 | Jul 15, 2027 |
| Summer | May/Jun 2028 | Gold Track - Teaching Focus | Aug 15, 2027 | Sep 15, 2027 |
| Winter | Dec/Jan 2028/29 | Green Track - Scholarship and Service Focus | Jun 15, 2028 | Jul 15, 2028 |
Overview
The combined faculty institutes, each track with its particular focus, address topics across the many facets of faculty life.
- Course design and syllabus construction.
- Managing teaching preparation.
- Practices for scholarly productivity.
- Five-year plans.
- Team teaching, interdisciplinary teaching, technology and teaching.
- Collegiality at Baylor and beyond.
- Service: to department, to school, to university, to profession, and to the larger community.
- Mentoring students and mentoring between colleagues.
- Career development and promotion.
Details
- Eligibility: Faculty Institutes are available to permanent, full-time faculty members with an appointment for the following academic year and the expectation of continued employment beyond the upcoming academic year. There are some circumstances that may preclude participation or compensation for Faculty Institutes.
- Funding: Eligible participants receive a $4000 stipend per minimester/track. Eligibility for participation and eligibility for funding are determined for each SFI applicant in collaboration with University administrators and college/school Business Officers.
- Number of Fellowships: 25 per Institute
- Applications: A single, flexible application form is used for all Faculty Institute applications. Please pay careful attention to the instructions and fill out the form according to the track to which you are applying and the next minimester in which that track will occur.
- Submission: Faculty Institute applications should be submitted to atl@baylor.edu. Supervisory endorsements (signatures) should be scanned and emailed or may be provided to atl@baylor.edu via direct email from the endorser(s).
Faculty Institutes FAQ
No, absolutely not. It is evolving to the new realities of a large, diverse Baylor faculty. We can't continue using the name Summer Faculty Institute as an umbrella term because the program is relocating to the minimesters - summer and winter. Everything that defined the spirit and substance of SFI remains fully present in these Faculty Institutes.
Although successful in many ways, the five-week summer model created scheduling conflicts and limited participation. The SFI and WFI model increases flexibility, broadens reach, enhances opportunities for financial incentives, and allows faculty to apply their learning more immediately. For example, compensation for SFI or WFI will not curtail faculty opportunity and pay for summer teaching.
Eligibility requirements will not change.
Eligibility: Faculty Institutes are available to permanent, full-time faculty members with an appointment for the following academic year and the expectation of continued employment beyond the upcoming academic year. There are some circumstances that may preclude participation or compensation for Faculty Institutes.
The new twice-per-year minimester model will launch with Gold Track - Teaching Focus in the summer minimester 2026 (May 18-June 4, 2026).
Yes. Faculty facilitators remain central to the program. Facilitators will be selected through an application and appointment process by the ATL Director, with consideration for disciplinary diversity, prior SFI experience, and financial considerations.
Yes. Each SFI and WFI cohort will be capped at not more than 25 participants to foster a sense of collegial connection and allow for meaningful collaboration.
Calls for applications will be distributed via the ATL website, Provost’s Newsletter, and direct email in advance of each minimester opportunity as described in the table above.