THE OCCASIONAL LECTURER PROGRAM (OLP)
The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) in Washington, D.C. provides travel awards through the Occasional Lecturer Program (OLP), which enable Fulbright Visiting Scholars to accept guest lecturing invitations at colleges and universities.
OLP Awards are granted at three different levels, depending upon the distance traveled.
CIES will determine the award amounts. Financial assistance is also available for Visiting Scholars to present papers at scholarly and professional conferences.
Background: Each fall, colleges and universities receive a copy of the Directory of Fulbright Visiting Scholars listing all visiting scholars in the United States for the current academic year. Institutions use the directory to invite scholars to lecture on their campuses. Scholars are also encouraged to contact institutions themselves to obtain invitations which can include more than one lecturing activity on a single OLP trip. Scholars are especially encouraged to visit community colleges, liberal arts colleges and regional universities.
The program enables JordanianVisiting Scholars to
- Share their specific research interests, Speak on the history and culture of their countries, Exchange ideas with U.S. students, faculty and community organizations, Become better acquainted with U.S. higher education.
- Create linkages between their home and host institutions.
Occasional Lecturer Awards are provided directly to the participating scholar.
To apply for an award, the Visiting Scholar must submit to CIES a formal letter of invitation from the host institution or organization, along with dates of travel, at least one month before the visit is to take place. (If possible, scholars are asked to submit their requests even further in advance.) Within one week of receiving the application, CIES will inform the scholar whether the award has been approved. The scholar is responsible for purchasing an airline ticket or arranging some other means of transportation, such as a train, bus or rental car.
After the visit, the Fulbrighter will receive the award.
Due to limited funding, each scholar is eligible for only one trip; however, requests to visit more than one institution on a single trip will be considered. An exception to the one-trip rule may be made if the scholar is invited to guest lecture at minority-serving colleges and universities.
Additional monies are available to scholars visiting these institutions.
Scholars invited to professional meetings as presenters may also receive travel funds through the Occasional Lecturer Program. Conference coordinators are encouraged to arrange participation by contacting Visiting Scholars directly.
Institutions wishing to host a Fulbright Scholar should develop a comprehensive plan of activities and arrangements to share with the scholar well in advance of the proposed visit.
Host institutions are asked to provide Occasional Lecturers with local transportation, accommodations and meals.
It is important to inform the scholar, prior to arrival, about the support the host institution or organization will provide.
Institutions should also provide the scholar with a formal letter of invitation as early as possible.
The scholar will need this letter to formally request travel funds from CIES.
The length of the lecturer's stay at the institution will depend upon the particular interests of the academic community or organization and the facilities available.
The period, however, should allow an opportunity for the scholar to become acquainted with the host institution or organization.
An OLP program of two to three days is suggested; a longer period may be advisable if visits to several institutions are planned.
Visiting Lecturers have engaged in the following activities in the past:
- Department- or school-wide lectures to students or faculty or both.
- Lectures in classrooms where the scholar can make a contribution to the discipline.
- Faculty meetings that allow for an exchange of ideas.
- Informal gatherings of students and faculty.
- Home hospitality offered by faculty.
- Meetings with community organizations or religious groups that have a special interest in international relations and panel participation at professional conferences.
Occasional Lecturer Experiences:
The following are examples of the many ways campuses, communities and Visiting Scholars have benefited from the Occasional Lecturer Program :
Dr. Rachida El-Diwani, professor of comparative literature in the Department of French Language and Literature at Alexandria University in Cairo, Egypt, was affiliated for nine months with Chatham College in Pittsburgh working on her project "Understanding the Islamic World: Art, Ethnicity, Gender, Mythology and Philosophy.
"I want and need the people of America to understand that Islam is peace and not violence. It is my duty as a Muslim to build bridges of understanding and love for all human beings," states Dr. El-Diwani.
As a Fulbright Scholar she took the opportunity provided by the Occasional Lecturer Program to lecture at five other institutions, including minority-serving institutions.
Dr. El-Diwani spoke about the Western misconceptions of Islam while visiting Howard University in Washington, DC. At Lee College in Baytown, Texas and at the University of Houston-Downtown, she discussed the global perspective in international education with students and faculty.
She shared her extensive knowledge of Islam, women's roles in Islam, and the conflicts between modern and traditional cultures with audiences at Morgan State University in Maryland and San Diego Mesa College.
There she challenged listeners with the concept of the Islamic dress as both a sign of modesty for women and as a "form of emancipation, freeing women from the madness of fashion-oriented society."
In his final report to CIES, Dr. Ismal, assistant vice president for international programs at Chatham College and El-Diwani's faculty associate, summarizes: "She made an enormous contribution to our community and the greater Pittsburgh community and in places around the United States. She was an inspiration in offering wisdom from her background and experience in the Middle East. She also visited many homes, churches, synagogues, and high schools in her zeal to educate."
Note: If a Jordanian Visiting Scholar has secured a letter of invitation to guest lecture at a campus, an online OLP Travel Award application must be completed by visiting www.cies.org/vsgrantees (the Username and Password = vsgrantees)
Note: You must have a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number to receive your travel award check.
For complete details, application materials and instructions on the Occasional Lecturer Program (OLP), please contact:
Occasional Lecturer Program
Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)
3007 Tilden Street, NW, Suite 5L, Washington, DC 20008-3009
E-mail: olp@cies.iie.org • Telephone: 202.686.6235 • Fax: 202.362.3442
www.cies.org