The Offices for Grant Initiatives and Partnerships and Civil Discourse and Engagement enthusiastically announce the call for applications for the inaugural 2026 CIVIC Track of the Summer Faculty Development Institute. This in-person institute will be held May 11-12 (following the final examination period and commencement) in Classroom Building I on the main campus.
CIVIC Track: The CIVIC Track at the Summer Faculty Development Institute will guide faculty through integrating civil discourse practices into curriculum design and classroom facilitation. Participants will explore strategies for creating learning environments where students can engage constructively across ideological, cultural, and experiential differences. Faculty will be selected based on a demonstrated commitment to fostering constructive, respectful dialogue across different perspectives.
The CIVIC Track is a component of UCF’s CIVIC initiative (Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence) funded by a U.S. Department of Education FIPSE grant
Meeting Times and Format: The institute will be held on May 11-12 from 9:00am–3:00pm. Participants will work independently and actively engage with peers during track sessions, in addition to attending institute-wide events.
Location: UCF Main Campus
Compensation: Up to 50 faculty will earn $400 after full participation in the FCTL 2-day institute and submission of a reflection assignment. Compensation is subject to normal tax withholdings.
Deliverable: The summer 2026 deliverable for the Civil Discourse track is a 2-page reflection based on civil discourse integration and pedagogical innovation. Faculty are asked to summarize significant takeaways from their track experience and describe potential strategies for transforming their respective academic courses, departments, or fields, in alignment with civil discourse principles and effective dialogue-integration strategies. Reflection assignments must be completed and emailed to civicgrant@ucf.edu by May 13th at 11:59PM.
Apply: Email civicgrant@ucf.edu for application link. Applications are due February 26, 2026 (acceptances will be sent by March 13, 2026).
Questions? Please contact civicgrant@ucf.edu