The Division of Student Affairs — in collaboration with the Center for Digital Innovation in Learning (CDIL), the University Council on Teaching (UCT), and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) — is pleased to accept applications for the 2026-2027 Integrative Learning Faculty Award, an initiative designed to recognize and support faculty members who are interested in fostering integrative learning in their classrooms.

Please review the information below to learn more about the award and how to apply.

For questions or further information, please contact:

• Rachel Greenberg, Director, Career Center, r.greenberg@bc.edu 
• John FitzGibbon, Director, Digital Learning Innovation & AI, fitzgijc@bc.edu

This award recognizes and supports faculty who want to create space for student formation in their courses. Faculty recipients will receive hands-on consultation to support designing classroom experiences that integrate learning with reflection, inviting students to examine how course content intersects with their personal values and their lives—both now and in the future.

What is Integrative Learning?

What is Integrative Learning?

Students bring their whole selves to the classroom. As such, an integrative pedagogical approach to learning supports the intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of a student’s development. 

Integrative learning is the process of building meaningful connections across a student’s academic journey. This process may start with synthesizing knowledge from different classes, but it extends beyond the university walls as students bridge the gap between their current academic experiences and their present and future lives outside the classroom. Ultimately, this approach empowers students to align their personal values with their sense of purpose. Examples include:

• Creating space within the syllabus for students to regularly reflect on how course material intersects with their own lives.
• Mapping the skills gained in today’s lab work or in-class discussion onto those that will be needed in their future roles as citizens and professionals. 
• Moving beyond theory to engage with real-world complexities by engaging with hands-on learning or outside speakers.

In the BC tradition, integrative learning brings “the three questions” of Ignatian discernment into students’ academic lives: What brings me joy? What am I good at? Who does the world need me to be?

By integrating these questions into the curriculum, students move from asking “What do I want to do?” to “Who am I called to be?”

Award Overview & Support

As this award aims to inspire innovative approaches to integrative learning in a wide range of academic fields, the Integrative Learning Faculty Award is open to faculty members across all disciplines, particularly those whose courses may not traditionally focus on career readiness and student formation. 

With dedicated support from the Career Center and the Center for Digital Innovation in Learning (CDIL), award recipients will engage in a development period to advance their project from initial idea to implementation. The Career Center will assist in aligning course content with career readiness objectives, while CDIL will provide guidance on incorporating digital tools and innovative teaching methods. 

Payment Options

Recipients can choose from the following three payment options:

Split payment between stipend and grant: You will receive $1,000 as supplemental pay upon completion of the planning period and up to $1,000 can be used to cover costs related to your project during the semester you are teaching the course.  

Paid as stipend: You will receive $2,000 as supplemental pay (to be divided in two installments). This payment gets added to your regular paycheck. 

Paid as a grant: You will be able to disburse the funds (up to $2,000) to cover costs related to your project. If you choose this option, you cannot use the money to pay yourself. 

Eligibility

• The award recipient’s primary role must be teaching at Boston College. Staff members are not eligible to apply. 
• Award recipients must be teaching the course in which they plan to implement their project during the academic year immediately following receipt of the award. For Summer 2026 recipients, the project should be implemented in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027.
• We encourage collaborative projects among multiple faculty members, either within the same discipline or across disciplines. Please note that, in this instance, the collaborators will need to select one payment option for their project and will share the $2,000.

Award Criteria

Applications should demonstrate a thoughtful and innovative approach to integrating the following elements into one or more courses. 

1. Integrative Learning: We seek proposals that clearly articulate how integrative learning will be incorporated into the course. This includes making interdisciplinary connections and applying course concepts to real-world situations. The Career Center – CDIL Integrative Learning faculty working group has many examples of what this can look like in practice at BC.
2. Career Readiness: Proposals should identify how the course will equip students with the core career readiness competencies and knowledge necessary for their future lives and careers. We are looking for specific learning activities or assignments that foster career readiness through integrative learning.
3. Reflection: Applicants should outline how reflective activities or assignments will be used in the course to help students internalize and apply what they have learned. 
4. Effective Learning Design:  Proposals should demonstrate a cohesive approach to course development. The overall learning design should seamlessly integrate the elements of integrative learning, career readiness, and reflection.

You can read more about the 2025-2026 award recipients’ projects here. 

Meetings & Deliverables

• Recipients will receive hands-on support from CDIL and the Career Center in applying integrative learning elements to their teaching practice. You can expect that these consultation meetings will take place every 2-3 weeks throughout the semester prior to your course.
• Recipients will attend 2-3 group meetings with all recipients throughout the year to share ideas and learning and to provide feedback to CDIL and the Career Center.

Recipients will be asked to provide the following deliverables:

• Feedback on the award process and ideas for improvement
• Written testimonial on their experience with this award
• Copy of their updated syllabus to show what changes have been made to the course
• Administration of pre- and post-surveys to assess student learning
• Presentation to peers as part of the Career Center’s Faculty Chats series

Application Process & Timeline 

Interested faculty members are invited to apply for the award by application form. Applications will be reviewed by the University Council on Teaching (UCT), which is made up of faculty members from across the university. A representative from the Career Center and CDIL will be present for the application reviews to ensure alignment with the award criteria.

Timeline:

• April 1, 2026: Application Opens
• May 10, 2026: Application Deadline
• May 29, 2026: Recipients are notified
  • June 2026: All recipients attend an in-person kickoff meeting with CDIL and the Career Center 
  • June – August 2026: Recipients work with CDIL and the Career Center for Fall 2026 courses 
  • September – December 2026: Recipients work with CDIL and the Career Center for Spring 2026 courses
• Fall 2026 or Spring 2027: Recipients implement their project in one or more courses