2023 Cohort Application

General Information

Thank you for your interest in applying for the 2023 Institute on Interfaith Excellence!

This application contains the following sections:

Team Member Information
President Support
Application Questions

Before you get started on the application, you can view all the questions here.

Applications are due by May 19, 2023.

Team Member Information

Team Lead Information

The questions below should be completed for the primary contact person/designated team leader for the Institute on Interfaith Excellence (IIE).

Prefix

(Dr., Ms., Mx., Mrs., Mr., Rev.)

First Name

Last Name

Institution/College

Email

Role/Title

For Example: Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Assistant Director, School of Communication; Professor, Chemistry; Communications Director

Department Name

Phone Number

For Example- Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Assistant Director, School of Communication; Professor, Chemistry; Communications Director, etc.

Which of the following best describes your role on campus?

For Example: Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Assistant Director, School of Communication; Professor, Chemistry; Communications Director

Other:

Race/Ethnicity

IFYC began asking for racial identity during ILI registration in 2019. This was in an effort to better learn about the racial make-up of our network in a voluntary and opt-in way. IFYC is seeking to grow the racial diversity of our network in order to better reflect higher education and the nation, strengthen programming and a sense of belonging for Black, Indigenous, People of Color/Culture (BIPOC) members of our network, and seek trends and patterns in our network in relation to our offered programming.

Race/Ethnicity Write-In

Religious/Philosophical Identity

Religious/Philosophical Identity Write-In

Pronouns

Pronouns Write-In

Zip Code

This information is used to send location-specific resources, opportunities, and information.

Tell us about any prior involvement or experience you have leading interfaith efforts on campus.

Please include a short bio (4 to 8 sentences) that we can share with other IIE teams, should your team be accepted to the Institute.

I understand that as team leader for the IIE, I will be expected to: convene meetings with my teammates before, during, and after the Institute; submit all required paperwork, including but not limited to MOAs, project updates, and reports; manage and report on any changes to the project team; serve as a liaison to AAC&U and Interfaith America staff overseeing the IIE.

Yes, I understand

Team Member Information

To participate in the IIE, you must assemble a project team that includes at least one faculty member and one senior academic officer whose role is relevant to the campus project you plan to pursue. Please keep in mind that involvement and buy-in from institutional leaders is essential for achieving and sustaining campus-wide change. To this end, we encourage you to consider including provosts, deans, or student affairs administrators on your team.

Please list the names, email addresses, and campus roles of four additional colleagues who will serve on your project team. We will use this information to send them a brief team member application.

Team Member Information

Prefix

(Dr., Ms., Mx., Mrs., Mr., Rev.)

First Name

Last Name

Email

Role/Title

For Example: Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Assistant Director, School of Communication; Professor, Chemistry; Communications Director

Which of the following best describes their role on campus?

Other:

I have discussed the IIE with the individuals listed above. They understand that project team members are expected to attend all Summer 2023 Institute events and actively engage with the team throughout the year to execute our institution’s interfaith action plan.

Yes, this is correct

Describe your rationale for choosing the team members listed above, including: 1) what steps you have taken to ensure the team reflects diverse perspectives and identities; 2) what distinct skills or experiences these individuals bring to your team; 3) how this group of individuals is positioned to effect campus-wide change; and 4) how members of this team have worked together in the past.

If you'd like to invite additional team members beyond those listed above, list the names, email addresses, and campus roles of those individuals and explain why you would like to include them.

President Support

President's Authorization

The president of our institution has agreed to the terms of participation for the 2023 Institute on Teaching and Learning for Campus-wide Interfaith Excellence and will send a project team to the Institute should our application be accepted.

Yes, this is correct

President's Full Name

President's Email Address

Application Questions

Applicant Responses

The Institute on Interfaith Excellence (IIE) prepares college and university leaders to transform their campuses into model environments for interfaith cooperation, which is achieved through respect for diverse identities, mutually inspiring relationships across lines of difference, and a shared commitment to the common good. During the IIE (July 13 & 18-21), participating teams receive guidance from faculty mentors and other experts in the field as they formulate context-specific action plans for interfaith cooperation across the institution. Campus teams are expected to implement their action plans in the year following the IIE with ongoing support from AAC&U and Interfaith America.

What has motivated you to strengthen your campus-wide commitment to interfaith cooperation (e.g., assessment results, faculty or staff interest, student demographics)?

What is your institution’s current level of investment in interfaith cooperation (e.g., holding initial conversations, implementing or scaling up initiatives, assessing outcomes)?

The IIE focuses on four themes: 1) interfaith studies in the curriculum, 2) religious identity and diversity priorities, 3) staff and faculty competencies, and 4) strategic planning for interfaith cooperation.

Which of these will be priorities for your institution? What type of assistance are you seeking in these areas?

What key challenges do you anticipate as you move toward a campus-wide commitment to interfaith cooperation (e.g., resource constraints, lack of religious diversity on campus, institutional identity or culture)?

Describe 1-3 specific strategies you have for addressing these challenges.

In the application review process, priority will be given to proposals that: 1) articulate how interfaith efforts will align with existing priorities, including other diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice priorities; 2) build on existing religious diversity and inclusion efforts or bridgebuilding initiatives; 3) demonstrate buy-in from senior leaders, faculty, and other key stakeholders; and 4) include a strong curricular emphasis.

With these priorities in mind, please describe why your institution is well suited for the IIE.

Which AAC&U Institutes have members of your institution attended before? For example: Institute on Integrated Learning and Signature Work (ILSW), Institute on General Education and Assessment (IGEA), Institute on High Impact Practices and Student Success (HIPs).

Requested Feedback

To help us improve our recruitment efforts in the future, please share how you learned about the IIE.