An Invitation to Teach IHUM
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Since 1997, when the Faculty Senate established IHUM, over 100 members of the Academic Council faculty have taught IHUM courses. The current program continues the distinguished tradition of required freshman liberal arts programs at Stanford, which began with “Problems of Citizenship” and “Western Civilization” in the first half of the 20th century. IHUM is distinctive for fostering extensive faculty collaboration both within and across departments and schools.
Each year faculty initiate new courses with the help and encouragement of the IHUM professional staff. After meeting IHUM Governance Board approval, courses are taught for three consecutive years. The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) provides generous resources to support faculty in IHUM course development and ongoing teaching through honoraria, salary for course development assistants (CDAs), academic technology consultation, and enhancement funds for special events.
Faculty collaborate in teaching with post-doctoral fellows selected in a competitive national search on the basis of teaching excellence, successful experience in working with freshmen, and scholarly background appropriate to the course for which they are selected. Faculty participate actively in the annual post-doctoral fellow selection process and interview all fellows before they are appointed.