THE SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE (SIR)
VISITING PROGRAM
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The Role of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence:

NOTICE:  At the bottom of this page, you will see a 2011 requests for a Scholar-in-Residence (SIR) from the following universities:

- Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (Univ. of the Sacred Heart), in Puerto Rico
- State University of New York at Geneseo
- Everett Community College, in Washington.

The Scholar in Residence (SIR) Program sends Jordanian scholars and professionals from Jordan to lecture in U.S. colleges and universities for one semester or one academic year.

Although preference is given to proposals in the humanities or social sciences, other fields focusing on international issues will be considered.

IMPORTANT LINK REF THE SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM:  www.cies.org/sir

The main purpose of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program is to bring scholars and professionals from abroad to U.S. campuses that do not usually have the opportunity to host Visiting Fulbright Scholars and that serve student populations that are underrepresented in international exchange programs.  Institutions that are given priority for the SIR program include: community colleges, regional universities, and minority-serving institutions (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges). While some of the institutions are very selective academically, many have open enrollments and their students may not have strong educational backgrounds. Many institutions that are selected for the SIR program are located in small towns or rural areas.

Public outreach on and off campus is a very important component of the SIR Program.  Fulbright Scholars-in-Residence are lecturers and cross-cultural consultants as well as researchers.  Most importantly, SIRs teach Americans about their country as well as provide a perspective on their particular academic field from the context of their country and culture.  By performing public outreach, SIR scholars, in turn, gain an in-depth view of U.S. culture and society.  Host institutions arrange public speaking opportunities for SIR scholars.

SIR outreach can take place both on campus as well as off campus:

■  On campus, in addition to classroom teaching and/or lecturing, host institutions faculty or staff will ask an SIR to provide consultation to help them develop new courses, programs of study, exchange activities and/or contacts to make connections with institutions in the SIR’s country. 

■  Off campus, an SIR will be asked to give talks to groups of people in the surrounding communities, which may include people who have little or no knowledge about the SIR’s country or culture.  SIRs may encounter occasions that are not always welcoming to what they represent.  However, it is expected that through public speaking events, an SIR scholar can promote dialogue, learning and improved understanding about his or her country among Americans.   

■  SIR Grant benefits are the same as for Fulbright visiting scholars, and include: a monthly stipend, a settling-in-allowance, professional allowance, dependent allowance (where applicable), and round-trip travel for grantee and dependent (where applicable).   In addition, many host institutions offer cost-sharing benefits (a salary supplement and/or other accommodations).

■ Announcements for SIR grants are published on this website as they reach us from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) or your may wish to visit CIES' website at www.cies.org.

■ Applicants for SIR programs will be requested to fill up the same Application Form as that of the: Jordanian Fulbright Visiting Scholars (Post-Doctoral) Program to the United States. Same Eligibility and General Application Guidelines applies, as follows:

Eligibility:

• Doctoral degree or equivalent professional training or experience at the time of application. For professionals and artists outside academe, recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishment is expected.

• Proficiency in English appropriate to the proposed lecturing or research project to be carried out in the United States. Applicants may be required to take an English proficiency examination at the Fulbright Commission. The applicant must be currently engaged in teaching or significant research at a Jordanian university or research institution.
    
  Note: In some cases, a TOEFL Score Report may be requested. The minimum requirement on the TOEFL Score is 575 or 90-91 on the new iBT - Internet-Based Test. If requested, please contact the AMIDEAST office (Tel . No. 586-2950) immediately to register for the next TOEFL exam or contact AMIDEAST to sit for the Institutional TOEFL Program (ITP) and submit this score with your application. 

• The applicant must secure an approved leave of absence from his/her institution. Generally this requirement is worked-out in favor of those on sabbatical leaves. However, grants are not limited to those on sabbatical.
   
  Note: Grantees are not allowed to take a paying job during the term of their award. The U.S. host institution provides access to its research facilities, equipment, office space, secretarial help, and other assistance. No financial support is expected of the host U.S. institution. 

• Applicants must hold the Jordanian Citizenship (Nationality), a valid Jordanian Passport and must have a permanent residence status in Jordan at the time of application. Persons applying for or holding permanent residence in the United States are not eligible. Persons who are citizens of both Jordan and the United States are also not eligible.
   
  Note: Fulbright Scholars enter the United States on an Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa under a Department of State program and are subject to the two-year home-country residence requirement associated with the J-1 visa.

• Sound physical and mental health: Those selected for a Fulbright grant are required to submit a Medical History and Examination Report before their grants can be finalized.

• The applicant must not be approaching retirement age.

• Applicants should be representative and responsible citizens who can contribute to a full and fair picture of the culture of their own countries and thereby contribute to understanding between the people of the United States and Jordan.

• They should also demonstrate the cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility needed to adjust successfully to life in the United States.

• Preference may be given to those without recent experience in the United States.

• Applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, gender and/or physical impairment.

General Application Guidelines :

• Fill in the information requested in the FUBRIGHT Application form as completely and in as much accurate detail as possible.
   
  Note: The entire application must be typed or computer-generated. Use Black 10-point or larger type on all parts of the application. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.   

• Responses to questions on the four-page application must fit on the pages on which the questions originally appear.

• You may wish to attach additional pages to answer these questions.

• Treat the application as a unitary whole, with all parts reinforcing the project statement. The flow should be orderly: the candidates' capabilities are listed in the application, further documented in the curriculum vitae and confirmed in the references.

• Use the project statement to make the parts interact by referring to items in the curriculum vitae or research bibliography. Without being redundant or simplistic, you should make it easier for the reviewer to find the key pieces of information you wish to convey.

• A detailed statement of proposed activity for research or lecturing at a US institution. The proposed project should contribute to the development of knowledge in your field and must be effectively investigated within a period of four (4) to nine (9) months in the United States.

• Applicants must indicate and list in the Application or C.V. the number of publications, titles and/or co-authorship in academic and professional journals related to your field of specialization or discipline.

• Attach official, translated and certified undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. transcripts, as applicable. All transcripts must be in English.

• Include a well thought-out biographical essay, in English with the application.

• Include three (3) letters of recommendation (in English) from persons familiar with your academic achievements. 
   
  Note: All items must be in English.

• Letter of invitation, if you have one (this is not a requirement).

• Proofread the entire application before submitting it to the Fulbright Commission. The application should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.

• Attach four (4) recent photographs.

• Attach a valid, official TOEFL, when needed. (please refer to the minimum requirements above).

• Your Application Form and all requested supporting documents mentioned above should be submitted with a 25 JD fee to the Fulbright office in Shmeisani (Tel.568- 4760).  

• When using an electronic version of the application, do not change the format of the forms, the pagination, the fonts or the type size.
  
  Note: Contact the Binational Fulbright Commission at info@fulbright.org.jo for a hard copy or an electronic version of the application once it is available in 2011.

For more about the SIR program, please contact us at the Fulbright Commission in Jordan (in Shmeisani) via Email at info@fulbright.org.jo or :

The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program
Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)
3007 Tilden Street, NW, Suite 5-L
Washington, D.C. 20008-3009

Tel : (202) 686-8664 or 686-7877
Fax: (202) 363-3442

URL: www.cies.org

2011 REQUESTS FOR A JORDANIAN SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE:

1.  From the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (the University of the Scared Heart) in Puerto Rico:

Program Summary:

-- Region/Country of requested scholar:  Jordan
-- Name of the Scholar:    To be recruited
-- Program Dates:            August 1, 2010 through 31 May 2011
-- Area of Study:             Arabic Language, Middle East Studies
 
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (USC) is a co-educational institution in San Juan, Puerto Rico which is home to over 4,500 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students, 99% of whom are Hispanic. The objectives of the university are:

     (1) to be able to establish an academic program in International Studies and a Center for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, beginning with scholars from China and Middle East. 
     (2) Recruit interdisciplinary faculty to strengthen program offerings and 
     (3) Develop introductory foreign language offerings in high demand.

With this proposal, USC is seeking the appointment of a Jordanian scholar within the area of Middle Eastern or International Studies from Jordan or Egypt. Preferably the Jordanian scholar should have a Ph.D. level and 10 years of relevant experience.

The purpose of the SIR’s visit will be to develop and teach two new elective courses. The main focus will be placed on the Arabic language class: “Basic Modern Arabic I and II “. These courses aim at providing students with the necessary understanding of the language form commonly used for daily communications and the reality of the region under discussion.

In addition to that, another course will be tailored to the scholar’s expertise to cover topics about: Middle East Culture, Religion and Politics and society. .. The anticipated number of students for these courses is in the mid 20s. Host institution expects an impact upon the students of the Business, Communications and Education as well, who might show interest in joining these classes.

The SIR, in coordination with the USC International Studies Academic Committee, will organize a lecture series on different topics related to Arabic culture, society, arts, history and religion.

The SIR will be encouraged to attend on-campus activities and special events, such as: Arab Cuisine Festival, Arab Film Festival; and will be invited as the honored speaker in a 30 minute Radio/TV talk show several times during his/her tenure at the USC reaching to all regions of Puerto Rico, close to 100,000 cable subscribers.  A number of community outreach activities are planned for the visiting scholar to lecture and make presentations at events which will be organized in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Puerto Rico Manufactures Association. The SIR will have the opportunity to meet with members of the Association of Private Schools; be the guest speaker at meetings with the Academy of the Spanish Language where s/he will discuss the Arabic influence on the Spanish language.

2.  From State University of New York at Genesceo:

Program Summary:

Region/Country of requested scholar: Jordan or Lebanon
Name of the Scholar: To be recruited
Program Dates:         8/1/11- 5/15/12
Area of Study:          Political Science; Languages and Literatures

The State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo is a primarily undergraduate institution with approximately 5,000 students, located south of Rochester in the rural village of Geneseo. Geneseo is one of 13 four‐year colleges in the SUNY system and offers 54 degree programs in liberal arts disciplines as well as a limited number of professional programs. Ninety five percent (95%) of Geneseo students are from New York State, although the number of international students has grown in recent years as the university has initiated programs to diversify its student body.

SUNY Geneseo seeks a Jordanian Scholar-in-Residence from Lebanon or Jordan to enhance its International Relations and its Languages and Literatures programs as well as to help internationalize its campus. Geneseo is committed to providing transformational educational experiences for this century’s global citizens. To do so, a group of faculty has worked diligently to create a minor in Middle East/Islamic Studies, a program critical to contemporary issues, and one that would benefit greatly and permanently from input from an Arabic-speaking SIR.

The SIR will reside with the Department of Political Science and International Relations (PLSC/IR) and participate in regular department meetings where curricula issues and other matters relevant to the governance of the Political Science and International Relations will be discussed. Specifically, the Scholar in Residence would teach two courses per semester which include: “Politics of the Middle East”; “Enduring Issues in Comparative and International Politics”; “International Politics” and “Arabic Civilization” (content would focus on the SIR’s areas of interest.)

Many local organizations are eager to create opportunities for the SIR to meet the public and contribute to the vibrant intellectual life of Western New York.  There is commitment from the Geneseo Rotary Club to sponsor at least one talk for the SIR and a wide variety of other groups in Geneseo would also be interested in hosting events involving the SIR. These include the Ecumenical Book Club, the Interfaith Center, and the Monday Evening Class (a group of retired faculty who meet to discuss world events or hear from guest speakers).

3.  From Everett Community College in the State of Washington:

Program Summary:

-- Region/Country of requested scholar: Jordan or Lebanon
-- Name of the Scholar: To be recruited
-- Program Dates:         9/1/11 - 6/30/12
-- Area of Study:          History, Humanities, Arabic Language and Culture

Everett Community College (ECC) is located at the northern edge of Washington State’s major metropolitan region (greater Seattle). Its service district is bordered on the east by the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains and on the west by the heavily populated Puget Sound region. With a mission “to create life-changing educational opportunities where students become active learners who strengthen the diverse local and global communities,” EvCC strives to develop programs of distinction that “provide equal access to educational opportunities.”

Everett Community College is applying to the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program to bring an Islamic and Arabic scholar from Jordan or Lebanon to strengthen the World Languages program with Arabic and broaden and deepen students’ understanding of Islamic history, religion and culture through humanities courses leading to an Associate of Arts and Sciences and a four year university degree.

The Fulbright Jordanian Scholar will teach in the Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters of the 2011-12 academic year the following classes:

A. Arabic Language in the World Languages program.
B. A Humanities  course (160D) on Arabic History and Culture of the Middle East
C. Depending on the Scholar’s interest in accommodating collaborative teaching and learning approaches that the third quarter course offering will be taught as a learning community or linked course matched with an English 101 or Philosophy Instructor, teaching a companion course. The anticipated enrollment for these classes is 15 to 30 students.

Faculty seminars will be organized throughout the year open to all faculty and staff. The University Center faculty from eight area universities will be invited to take part. The topics will be related to increasing understanding of Islamic and Arabic History and Culture. The College offers a unique opportunity for the Scholar to connect with eight regional universities through the University Center of the North Puget Sound (UC). The college has ties with the 14 high schools in Snohomish County and the scholar will have special invitations extended as a guest lecturer. The Rotary clubs of the area are eager to invite the Scholar present a program and/or participate in discussions of Middle East issues. The College offers classes at the two tribal communities (Tulalip and Stillaguamish) and it will be possible for the Scholar to visit and offer cross-cultural conversations with native people of the Pacific Northwest. Local interfaith community associations will also be interested in presentations from and conversations with the Scholar.