Program Overview
Sponsored by the WashU Center for Career Engagement and in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Career Innovation Faculty Fellows program is a selective cohort initiative that supports faculty in embedding career readiness into their courses and creating opportunities for students to understand, reflect on, articulate, and strengthen their career competencies through class projects and other activities.
Faculty selected as Career Innovation Faculty Fellows (“Fellows” or “Faculty Fellows”) will engage in structured group sessions, individualized consultation, and peer review of newly developed career-related course assignments or activities. Student impact will be measured through pre- and post-course surveys in the classes where these assignments are implemented. Fellows will be asked to share their results with their cohort, their academic department or program, members of the Center for Career Engagement (CCE) team, and potentially with a broader faculty audience at a CCE Academic Partnerships signature event in April. The course assignments and/or activities developed will also be added to our Careers in the Classroom digital library.
Program Goals
A Fall 2023 nationwide study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the Society for Experiential Education (SEE) highlights the critical role faculty are playing in the career development and preparation of students across the country and here at WashU. Survey results from WashU faculty showed that two of the top three requested resources were funding to integrate career learning into existing courses and professional development on careers and career preparation.
The goal of this program is to respond to these expressed needs while directly supporting the CCE’s vision to empower a career ecosystem where students maximize their potential for lifelong career success. Specifically, this program seeks to foster the integration of career development and career readiness within undergraduate and graduate academic programs at WashU, where students are already actively engaged.
Program Structure
Commitment & Requirements
Fellows will participate in four 90-minute structured cohort sessions, one 30-minute consultation, as well as some independent or peer development time. Fellows are expected to attend the Academic Partners Brunch on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 and to coordinate a brief presentation of their work as a Fellow with their own academic department or program.
The total expected time commitment is anticipated to be between 10 and 12 hours over the course of one academic year (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026).
Career Innovation Fellows will share their newly developed career-related activity or assignment in the CCE Careers in the Classroom: Content Sharing Library. The work of each fellow will be credited to them and content shared in the library will only be accessible through a WashU login required folder, the purpose of which is to offer ideas and inspiration to faculty colleagues interested in incorporating career concepts into one of their own courses.
Fellowship Stipend
Fellows who participate throughout the cohort meetings, implement their new career assignment or classroom activity, complete student experience surveys and present their findings to the CCE leadership team and faculty colleagues will receive a one-time $750 stipend at the end of their term as Fellows in June of 2026.
Detailed Timeline
Oct 2025: Applications will be received and reviewed with a deadline of Oct 17, 2025. Selections decisions will be communicated in late-October 2025.
Nov – Dec 2025: Three structured cohort sessions will be scheduled with dates and times determined based on availability of participants. During these sessions, Fellows will receive information and support to develop a new assignment or activity with the potential to positively impact students’ career readiness. Fellows will also develop an implementation plan for how this new content will fit within an existing course in the Spring 2026 semester and how the impact of the new content, activity or assignment will be measured. Each Fellow will work with a peer reviewer and a member of the CCE staff with whom they can consult as they develop their ideas and implementation plan.
Jan – Mar 2026: Fellows will implement their career assignment or activity in their identified course and collect student feedback / impact data.
Mar 2026: Fellows will meet as a cohort to present the results of their newly implemented career assignment or activity, including student feedback / impact data as well as their own experience. This meeting will also include opportunities for feedback about the Fellows program overall.
April 2026: Fellows will participate in the annual CCE Academic Partners Brunch, potentially presenting about their own experience integrating career into their course as well as any student feedback received. Fellows will also be asked to coordinate an opportunity to share about their experience with their own academic department or program. Final versions of newly implemented career activity or assignment as well as the collected student impact feedback / data will be submitted by May 1, 2026.
Application and Eligibility
Who is eligible to participate?
All faculty (tenure track, non-tenure track, teaching, and practice faculty) with teaching responsibilities on the Danforth campus during Spring of 2026 and able to commit to the program for the 2025–26 academic year are eligible to apply. Staff members with active teaching responsibilities who can commit to the program are welcome to apply, though preference will be given to those whose primary role is faculty.
How do I apply?
Applications for the 2025/26 cohort are now closed and under review. The selection committee will reach out to applicants with decision updates by 10/31/2025. Thank you to those who have applied!
Applications for the 2026/27 cohort will open in February of 2026. Please check back for an updated program timeline and application link. If you have questions about next year’s cohort in the interim, please feel free to contact us at: careerpartners@wustl.edu.
How many fellows will be selected and how will selection decisions be made?
During this first pilot year, the initiative is currently limited to 5 faculty members. Applications will be reviewed by a committee, which includes members of the CCE leadership team. The review will focus on the applicants’ interest and commitment to enhancing student career readiness at WashU. The selection committee aims to support participants from diverse departments and disciplines, as well as those in various teaching roles, including tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and teaching and practice faculty.
What if I want to participate, but I am not teaching in Spring of 2026?
If you are interested but are not teaching during Spring of 2026, please consider applying for our second cohort of Career Innovation Faculty Fellows. Applications for AY 2026/27 will open in April and Fellows will engage from Summer 2026 – Spring 2027. If this is of interest to you, please feel free to contact careerpartners@wustl.edu.
Who can I contact if I have questions or need more information?
Please contact the CCE Academic Partnerships team at: careerpartners@wustl.edu.