Program Application

Eligibility Requirements
Selection Process and Criteria
General Instructions
Application Instructions

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for this one-semester residential faculty exchange at Fairfield University (Fairfield, Connecticut, USA) an applicant must:

• be a citizen of Russia
• be a faculty member at one of the following universities: Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (St. Petersburg, Russia); Cherepovets State University (Cherepovets, Russia); Kaliningrad State University (Kaliningrad, Russia), Pomor State University (Arkangel'sk, Russia)
• have at least two years of teaching experience on the university level
• be proficient in written and oral English
• be able to receive and maintain a U.S. J-1 visa
• return to Russia and to the home university following the exchange, for the duration of the grant;
• have prior permission to teach the newly-created course during the academic year immediately following the exchange semester.

Selection Process and Criteria

Participants in the faculty exchange will be selected through a targeted open merit-based competition. Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Clarity of thought and presentation
• Knowledge of the field for curriculum development
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching
• Interest in upgrading course content and in exploring new approaches to teaching.
• Potential for leadership at home institution.

General Instructions

All parts of this application are to be written entirely in English (with the exception of names, degrees, positions, etc., which are to be transliterated into Latin letters).

A complete application consists of the following:

1. Completed application form
2. Statement of Purpose (No more than 3 pages)
3. Curriculum Vitae (No more than 4 pages)
4. Two (2) letters of recommendation, including one from a Dean or Chair which includes verification that proposed new course will be taught on return.
5. TOEFL score report or comparable English language proficiency Evaluation
6. List of courses taught in last five years

Applicants may convey their applications to Fairfield University via e-mail, fax, or air mail.

• E-mail. The e-mail address is niscuppfairfield@yahoo.com. Send your application form (download the form, fill it out on a computer, and rename it), Statement of Purpose, and Curriculum Vitae as an attachment (Microsoft Word if possible) to a short note which provides your name, return e-mail address, and the contents of the attachment. The name of the attachment should consist of the first six (6) letters of your last name followed by "FacExApp." For example, an application attachment sent by Elena Iurievna Zakharova should be named "ZakharFacExApp." You will be sent a confirmation of receipt by e-mail.
• Fax. The fax number is (203) 254-4119. On your cover sheet, please indicate the total number of pages that are being transmitted, your name, and a return FAX number. You will be sent a confirmation of receipt by FAX.
• Air Mail. The address is:
  Dr. David McFadden, Director, Russian and East European Studies Program, Fairfield University,
  1073 N. Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824, USA.
  Please attach a short note indicating an e-mail address, fax number, or telephone number that we can use to confirm the receipt of your application.

Application Instructions

1. Application Form
The application form should be downloaded and, depending on how you plan to transmit the application, should be completed either on a computer or printed and filled out using a typewriter or, if handwritten, printed legibly in black or blue ink. If you need additional space to answer a question you may either insert lines into the document (if you are responding on a computer) or attach additional pages (if you are responding on a printed page).

• Item 1. Name. Your complete last name, first name and patronymic must be written in Latin letters, EXACTLY as it appears in your foreign passport.
• Item 4. Please provide the date in the format indicated (day/month/year).
• Item 5. Place of Birth. Please state the city and country where you were born. Do not write USSR.
• Item 8. Place of Employment. Write the complete street address of your institution e.g. Prospekt Lenina, d. 15, korp. A, kom. 43. Indicate a phone number where you can be reached at work.
• Item 9 & 10. Department and Position. Please write your position in Latin letters, e.g. dotsent, nauchnyi sotrudnik, etc.
• Item 11. Choose only one (1) of the eligible disciplines. If you choose a field that is different from the one that you teach please explain why.
• Item 12. Please indicate the name of your degree, i.e. diplom, kandidatskaia, doktorskaia, etc.
• Item 14. Please list the institutes of higher education that you have attended and the degrees that you have received using Latin letters, i.e. diplom, kandidatskaia, doktorskaia, etc.
• Item 15. Please list all the requested information.
• Item 18. Please refer to the information given below concerning letters of recommendation.

2. Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose should be two (2) to three (3) pages long. In it, you should discuss-with as much specificity as possible-how you would utilize a semester at Fairfield University to further your professional development as a teacher and why you would like to do it. Please answer he following questions: (1) What issues and questions in American Studies you would like to learn more about for teaching to your students; (2) What specific course you would like to develop and why; (3) What new pedagogies or techniques you would like to learn. There are a variety of subjects and approaches that are suitable to the Statement of Purpose. For example,

• You might want to discuss a particular topic, problem, or theme that you would like to study, and how you expect your new expertise would benefit your students.
• You might want to discuss the methods that you currently use to teach your courses, and how you think the exchange would help you to improve or diversify your teaching techniques.
• You might want to discuss how your participation in this exchange would affect the study and teaching of American Studies in your department or university.
• Discuss in some detail the course (or courses) that you would like to develop while in residence at Fairfield University.

3. Curriculum Vitae
The top of the first page of the curriculum vitae should indicate your last name, first name and patronymic. You should outline your educational background. Give the history of your employment, describing your current position first. List any professional awards, honors and grants that you have received. Describe any relevantprofessional work, conferences attended, membership in any professional societies. Include the titles and dates of any professional articles, books or other publications that you have authored or edited. Personal information such as hobbies or interests is not required.

4. Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required, one of which must be from a Chair or Dean and must include verification that your proposed new course will be taught at your university on your return.
Other eligible recommenders include colleagues, advisers, former students, supervisors and other professionals who are familiar with you and your professional abilities, and who can evaluate your professional accomplishments. Family members or relatives are not eligible to write letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be sent by their authors directly to Fairfield University using one of three transmission methods: e-mail attachment, fax, or air mail. Please note that your application is not complete until both letters of recommendation have arrived. Notice of receipt of letters of recommendation will be sent to you by e-mail or fax.