Duke Globally Taught Courses

The Duke Globally Taught Course program supports faculty wishing to collaborate with peers at institutions abroad to co-create graduate courses or course modules delivered virtually via online technology.

Applications are due April 1st, 2024.

What are Globally Taught Courses?

Globally Taught Courses (GTCs), allow graduate students to participate in interactive learning, provide vehicles for international project and problem-based activities and foster a context for cross-cultural interaction to enhance global competency. GTCs contribute to Duke University’s aim to integrate global perspectives and introduce new teaching practices into the curriculum, as well as address global racial inequities.

GTCs should foster partnerships with institutions located outside of the United States. Preference will be given to collaborations with institutions located in the Global South where Duke already has an existing footprint. Proposed partnerships with institutions in other countries will still be considered.

Eligibility

Tenure-track and regular rank faculty who are members of the Graduate Faculty, with a minimum of a half-time appointment at the time of application, are eligible to apply.

Collaboration between faculty and graduate students is allowable if the eligible faculty member is the principal applicant and the instructor of record.

Funding and Activities

Supported grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded. Allowable costs include faculty stipend/honorarium, technology (such as webcams, audio equipment or software), graduate assistant support and educational resources.

Grant Period

Spring semester 2024 – Fall semester 2025

General Information

Duke Globally Taught Course grants are applicable to new graduate courses. They can be applied to an entire semester course or modules within a semester course. Students earn credit and receive grades from their home university.

GTCs must be credit-bearing, include eight synchronous sessions and have a minimum enrollment of 10 students.

 Additionally, Globally Taught Courses must include the following:

  • Collaboration with one (or more) colleagues at one or more institutions of higher education abroad;
  • Duke courses must be led by a Duke faculty member who is responsible for evaluation and giving a grade;
  • Duke courses must be delivered in a hybrid model (Duke students must have at least one in-person discussion section). 

Preference will be given to course proposals that aim to:

  • Engage students from diverse backgrounds to critically analyze and address complex global issues;
  • Improve students’ knowledge of the relationships between local and global issues;
  • Enhance students’ ability to draw on multiple perspectives when analyzing complex global issues;
  • Include activities demonstrably selected in alignment with course learning objectives;
  • Involve project or problem-based learning;
  • Actively engage all students during all course activities using inclusive teaching practices
  • Include innovative teaching practices, such as: virtual field trips, labs, or performances, collaborative group work across institutions, class chat or discussion boards, community-building activities, student projects, and student-led group discussions.

Application Process and Materials

Proposal Narrative (2-5 pages)

  1. Project abstract: Identify the course, your international partner and explain why it makes sense to teach the course as a globally taught course.  
  2. Intellectual rationale: Explain how the proposed course and collaborative online international learning experience will enhance students’ understanding of the subject matter and expand global competencies at both institutions. Share examples of activities that you consider particularly well-suited for this learning environment. What do you expect to gain from this collaborative transnational teaching experience?
  3. Detail the student-to-student exchange, including how you and your peer collaborator(s) will facilitate the proposed project-based learning and any additional learning activities. Indicate how you will incorporate at least eight synchronous sessions throughout the semester.
  4. Identify your peer collaborator abroad and explain why this partnership will yield a successful Global course. If you do not have a peer collaborator but you have identified a partner institution, provide evidence that you have established contact with the institution, and there is interest in matching you with a faculty member at that institution.
  5. Outline your sustainability plan for how the proposed virtual exchange will continue or expand beyond the grant period. Explain the potential impact of the virtual exchange for your students, your partner, their institution and their students, your department and/or your school.

Required Documents – Course Content

  1. Submit a proposed timeline of course development.
  2. Include a preliminary course syllabus and highlight the planned virtual exchange activities, including the project-based learning.

Letters of Support

  1. Letter of support from the international partner expressing commitment to co-develop and teach the GTC for both iterations during the grant period.
  2. Letter of support from Duke University department chair confirming a two-semester commitment for the proposed course to be taught. Ideally, the goal should be to continue teaching this course after the grant period has ended.

Submission Instructions

Submit a complete application along with all required documents via the application portal below, or email to eve.duffy@duke.edu.

Award Responsibilities

Grant recipients will join a collaborative cohort of Duke GTC faculty to share ideas, discuss best practices and reflect on their experiences in teaching GTCs. Grant recipients commit to:

  • Teach the proposed course once during the grant period.
  • Collaborate with Office of Global Affairs staff to help promote GTCs and share best practices through Duke communications channels; and
  • Complete assessment requirements including a final impact report.

Review Criteria

The following criteria will be used in evaluating each proposal:

  • Clarity about how inclusion of virtual exchange enlivens teaching methods and course design.
  • Extent to which course addresses global issues and incorporates multiple perspectives into the proposed subject matter.
  • Specificity and viability of plans for student interaction.
  • Degree to which plan integrates interdisciplinary project-based learning or team-based projects that require substantial collaborative research, communication, or creative output.
  • Complementarity of faculty partners’ research/teaching strengths.
  • Degree to which proposal will mutually benefit students of both universities
  • Strength of letters of endorsement and institutional commitment to global virtual exchange.
  • Impact on Duke University community. For example, course will advance campus internationalization in broader curricula, co-curricular activities or in directly increasing future international opportunities for students (such as language acquisition, study away or international internships).

Additional Information

For additional information about the GTC program, contact Eve Duffy, AVP for Global Affairs, eve.duffy@duke.edu.