Call for Co-Leaders | International Collaborative Writing Groups (ICWGs) Academic Track 2023

Structured as intentional collaborations that bring together ISSOTL members of all ranks and regions in focused inquiry, International Collaborative Writing Groups (ICWGs) embody both the spirit and the work of ISSOTL. The 2023 ISSOTL ICWG-Academic Track will spotlight the multidisciplinary SoTL community’s potential for advocacy within higher education and support the development of collaborative, international scholarship that makes a contribution to the SoTL literature.

ISSOTL invites applications from current ISSOTL members to co-lead the 2023 ICWG initiative. Co-leaders for this effort will facilitate a collegial process that supports international SoTL collaborations and generates new scholarly work for potential publication in Teaching & Learning Inquiry (TLI), ISSOTL’s journal. It is anticipated that two individuals will be selected as co-leaders. This volunteer position is an exciting leadership opportunity for ISSOTL members who are:

• passionate about the field’s potential,
• committed to collaborative SoTL, and eager to work with, support, and/or mentor a diverse range of scholars,
• interested in supporting writers working on collaborative SoTL publications,
• committed to working in and facilitating international partnerships, and
• excited to coordinate a research project across different institutions. 

Details about the ICWG, co-leaders’ roles and responsibilities, timeline, and selection process are below. For further information, see the ICWG pages on the ISSOTL website, and view this collection of video interviews with former ICWG participants.

Aims and Outcomes

The aims of the ISSOTL ICWG-Academic Track are to:

• build the capacity of participants to work and write in international collaborative groups, and
• contribute to the literature on a range of SoTL topics from international perspectives.

Co-Leaders’ Roles and Responsibilities

Co-leaders will organize the ISSOTL ICWG-Academic Track to meet the aims and deadlines of the project. Partnering with the ICWG Working Group, the co-leaders will take the lead in doing the following:

• organizing the separate calls for group facilitators and participants,
• selecting the facilitators and participants for each group,
• helping facilitators and groups to think broadly and creatively about what SoTL might look like,
• identifying needed resources and expertise,
• supporting the group facilitators in their work to prepare their groups for the pre-conference face-to-face working session,
• planning and facilitating all aspects of the pre-conference face-to-face meeting with group facilitators and participants, 
• liaising with local conference organizers in the ISSOTL23 location regarding the venue and resources for the face-to-face meeting prior to the ISSOTL conference,
• working with the group facilitators following the ISSOTL23 conference to support the continued development and completion of projects (including providing feedback on the project), and
• reporting to and consulting with the ISSOTL ICWG Working Group, which represents the ISSOTL Presidential Team, the Chairs of its Advocacy and Outreach and Publication Advisory Committees, and Co-Leaders from previous ICWGs.

Timeline

The co-leaders’ coordination of the ICWG-Academic Track begins in November 2022. In consultation with the ICWG Working Group and the TLI editorial team, co-leaders will immediately begin familiarizing themselves with – and adjusting as needed – the process for guiding the working groups. They will then issue the call for and select group facilitators, and then group participants. 

Co-leaders will guide group facilitators and their groups in the development of their specific ICWG projects, starting in April 2023 and continuing throughout the process until each group has submitted their article for consideration in Teaching & Learning Inquiry, no later than October 2024. This will include organizing and facilitating the in-person working session just prior to the 2023 ISSOTL conference. A more detailed timeline is below.

Formation of the ICWG	Co-leaders: October 2022: Call for applications for co-leaders at ISSOTL23 November 20 (extended from Nov 1): Applications for co-leaders due November 30 (extended from Nov 15): Co-leaders announced, ICWG Working Group and co-leaders to develop process and potential outputs
	Group facilitators: January 23: Call for group facilitators February 6: Applications for group facilitators due February 20: Group facilitators announced
	Participants: February 24: Call for participants March 20: Applications for participants due April 12: Participants announced
ICWGs work at a distance	April 20: Groups start work
	August 15: Potential theme, draft plans, and identified needs from each group due
ICWGs work together	October or November 2023: Face-to-face working session immediately prior to the ISSOTL conference. (Note that all co-leaders, group facilitators, and group participants are expected to be in attendance at ISSOTL23.)
ICWGs work at a distance	Nov 2023–Oct 2024: ICWG cohort and individual groups continue working until completion October 2024: Final products due, recommend presenting at ISSOTL24

Selection Process and Criteria

The selected co-leaders, who will ideally represent different institutions and different countries, should demonstrate that between them they have the necessary experience and skills to lead this initiative to successful completion. Potential co-leaders may apply as individuals or together; applicants do not need to identify a partner in order to apply to be a co-leader.

ICWG co-leaders will be selected based on the following criteria:

• evidence of a sustained or growing interest in SoTL,
• demonstrated ability to effectively coordinate and motivate group efforts, particularly diverse groups (ICWG groups will be made up of faculty, staff, and students from different nations, disciplines, identities/backgrounds),
• competence in organizational skills and time management,
• enthusiasm for leading an ISSOTL initiative, and
• some experience in providing constructive, editorial feedback on SoTL research and/or mentoring support during the writing process. 

Applications outlining fit to the above criteria and expectations in no more than 3 pages should be emailed to Elina Salminen at salminen@ucsb.edu by November 20, 2022 (extended from Nov 1), along with a brief CV (no more than 5 pages) for each applicant. Co-leaders will be recommended by the ICWG Working Group, approved by the ISSOTL Board of Directors, and notified via email no later than November 30, 2022 (extended from Nov 15).