What you need to know

MacVicar Faculty Fellows are selected on the basis of merit through a nomination process each fall. An advisory committee, comprised of the Vice Chancellor, faculty from each of the five schools, and two current undergraduate students, review the nominations and make recommendations to the Provost. Fellows are appointed by the Provost for a 10-year term and receive $10,000 per year of discretionary funds for educational activities, research, travel, and other scholarly expenses.

Some key points to remember:

  • Nominations are typically made by a faculty member’s colleagues, home department, or department head.
  • All tenured, full-time members of the regular faculty are eligible regardless of rank or any concurrently held position, such as an endowed chair.
  • Junior faculty members are eligible for an initial three-year term. The appointment can be converted to a 10-year fellowship if tenure is granted, with the total duration not to exceed ten years.
  • New Fellows are contacted after the Provost approves the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee. Appointments begin on February 1 each year.
  • The selection process is highly competitive and nominations that are not successful are eligible for reconsideration the following year.

What you need to do

  • Nominations are made to the Provost and should include:
    • a primary letter detailing the nominee’s contributions to undergraduate education.
    • 3-6 supporting letters from faculty colleagues including one from the nominee’s department head (unless the primary letter is from the department head).
    • 3-6 supporting letters from present or former undergraduate students with specific comments about the nominee's undergraduate teaching.
    • the nominee's curriculum vitae.
    • a list of undergraduate subjects taught, including the number of students for each.
    • a summary form of available student evaluation results for the nominee (excluding Spring 2020).
  • Digital submissions should consist of a single PDF emailed to macvicarprogram@mit.edu by Friday, November 17, 2023.
  • Email or call (617) 253-9763 with questions about the required documents.

Supporting letters

Supporting letters from colleagues and students are of vital importance to the advisory committee’s deliberations. Strong letters present a vivid portrait of the nominee’s contributions and how he or she meets the definition of a MacVicar Fellow.

The primary letter, often several pages in length, should summarize the nominee's undergraduate teaching record, contributions to undergraduate curricula, and impact on his or her students.

Successful letters from faculty colleagues are a minimum of one to two pages in length; include personal observations of the nominee's teaching; cite examples of innovation and improvements to curricula and/or pedagogy; and contain references to the nominee's contributions to education at MIT outside the classroom, including course development, serving as an advisor and mentor, or similar activities.

Successful letters from undergraduate students or alumni are typically one page and describe the nominee's classroom teaching and effectiveness, impact on students, and interactions and availability outside of class times.