About Stott Fellows

The John Stott Fellows initiative provides small Wheaton faculty cohorts with opportunities for experiential, interdisciplinary learning about themes related to the Human Needs and Global Resources Program mission and outcomes, in cooperation with Program partners. The Stott Fellows initiative cultivates collegial, ongoing faculty relationships and facilitates applied scholarly and creative projects that strengthen the work of Christian professionals engaged in holistic transformation. 

Purpose

The Stott Fellows initiative involves small, multidisciplinary Wheaton College faculty cohorts in networks and priorities of Program host partners. Goals include:

• to develop substantive, sustained engagement for mutual learning and support among faculty and Program partners on topics that are not well understood or widely addressed
• to directly address priority needs of Program partners and integral mission practitioners through accompaniment
• to support Program and partner organization collaborations that catalyze Program and organizational missions through mutual learning
• to offer Stott Fellows opportunities to apply their disciplinary interests and knowledge to creating practical resources in response to partner organization needs and/or in relation to Program strategic commitments

Description

Stott Fellows will consist of a small group of Wheaton faculty (3-5 per cohort) who will learn alongside scholar-practitioners from the Human Needs and Global Resources Program’s partner organizations.  Each Fellows cohort will focus on learning together about the critical, strategic work that Program partner organizations pursue to support human and environmental flourishing around the world. Such resources may include curriculum, workbooks, articles, artistic exhibitions, multimedia projects and training workshops, among others.

Learning Theme  

Each Stott Fellows cohort will have a distinctive theme. The learning theme for each cohort will be developed collaboratively by Program faculty/staff and partner organization leaders. Topics of a cohort’s attention will be multifaceted concerns currently receiving relatively little attention in evangelical church circles of North American and/or partner organization contexts.

Timeline

Each cohort will operate on an 18- to 24-month cycle, depending on the scope of activities created by organizational partners and participating faculty. Fellows should anticipate being available for the duration of the cohort’s involvement.

While each Stott Fellows cohort has a unique experience, a typical timeline for a Stott Fellows cohort may be as follows:

First Summer (Phase 1)

Stott Fellows join Program faculty/staff for a one-week (summer) visit to learn from Christian leaders who are creatively confronting poverty, challenging inequity, transforming conflict, pursuing justice, and seeking fullness of life. This initial visit to the hosting Program partner’s organization location or event forms the foundation and shapes the contours of ongoing interaction of the Fellows cohort with Program partners over the following 18-24 months. The trip could include a range of learning activities such as site visits, workshops, and conference participation.  Stott Fellows will learn from partner organizational leaders who will relate cohort learning themes to the work they carry out in their contexts. Fellows are expected to allocate 7-10 days for the First Summer travel and site visit.

Fall/spring (Phase 2)

HNGR staff will facilitate at least one voluntary in-person meeting/workshop in the fall and spring semesters to support development of collegial relationships and promote learning about the summer learning. Fellows can participate in one two-hour meeting each semester to facilitate cohort relationship development and learning. 

Second Summer (Phase 3)

HNGR will host a 2-3 hour, follow-up meeting (virtual and/or in-person) of Wheaton faculty fellows and partner organizations to: 1.) summarize and archive participant learning and/or 2.) to review progress on the development of initiative resources (e.g., curriculum, workbooks, articles, artistic exhibitions, multimedia projects, training workshops, etc.), if relevant.

All Fellows are expected to (minimally) develop a short, written reflection (500 words) or other audiovisual product (podcast, video, interview, etc.) conveying faculty and partner learning through the project before the start of the fall semester.  Products should convey how cohort participation has influenced their scholarship, vocation, etc, and will be published and archived on the HNGR website.  Fellows will receive a stipend upon completion/submission of this final product. 

Third Summer (Phase 4)

Finalize and deliver/implement initiative resources as needed by the third summer.   

Note: Required Stott Fellows activities occur during the summer months outside of the faculty contract year.

Eligibility

All faculty from any discipline with tenure-track and continuing (Lecturer and Library faculty) appointments anticipated for the following two academic years are eligible to apply to the Stott Fellows Program. Applicants should have completed one year at Wheaton College.

An open invitation for Stott Fellows proposals will be sent via campus email and posted in the Faculty Announcements early in the fall semester of each academic year, with applications due one month after the initial announcement. Apply via the expression of interest here. Program faculty will review submissions and will select 3-5 cohort participants prior to the end of the fall semester. 

Each Wheaton faculty cohort will be formed late fall/early Spring semester in the academic year prior to summer travel. Program staff/faculty will administer program logistics, communications, and travel arrangements in coordination with hosting partner organizations. The hosting partner and faculty participants will together determine the nature and cadence of ongoing involvement over the extent of each project.  

While specific expertise in the Fellows theme is not required or expected, this initiative requires a commitment to sustained engagement and flexibility regarding outcomes, which will be co-developed with host partners.