Apply Now to Serve as the 2026 Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion

Application deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026

Overview

Elon School of Law, in collaboration with Elon University’s Division of Inclusive Excellence, will select a full-time faculty member of any rank for a leadership role in diversity, equity and inclusion. The Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion will complete a one-year experience on at least one of the following objectives: infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion into the curriculum, improving culturally relevant teaching, or creating scholarly knowledge that supports equity, access, and inclusion. Program outcomes will support the commitment to the “Boldly Elon” Strategic Plan, the recommendations of the Law School Ad-Hoc Inclusive Excellence Strategic Planning Committee, and the newly developed Advancing Equity Requirement. Elon University is committed to institutional change, and this fellows program aims to provide additional concrete ways of engaging in deep, meaningful equity and inclusion work at Elon.

Selection Process

Selection of the faculty fellow will be made by the Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion Review Committee. The committee shall consist of the dean of Elon Law, the associate dean of academic affairs, the director of inclusive excellence for graduate and professional education, and one additional law school faculty member.

The selected fellow will be invited to participate in a one-on-one meeting to discuss their needs and expectations as a participant after selection.

Description of Fellowship

The fellowship will be for a term of one academic year, include active participation in Elon Law inclusive excellence programming, and result in publication or presentation based on the work completed.

The fellow will receive a stipend of up to $6,000 to be used to support this initiative. The funding must be used during the fiscal year in which it is awarded and may not roll over to the subsequent year. An additional $1,000 may be available for informal mentorship to future fellows for an academic year following the fellowship, as available.

Faculty Fellow Expectations

  • Attend relevant Inclusive Excellence, DEI, Faculty Development or CATL workshops/meetings during the 2026 calendar year.
  • Implement the newly developed diversity initiative in the Winter, Spring or Fall trimester of 2026.
  • Showcase project/research at a designated law school faculty meeting, the Elon Teaching and Learning Conference, the Black Solidarity Conference or other approved conference(s) in 2026.
  • Assess and evaluate the project, including a year-end summary that includes a review of goals and objectives and an assessment of the extent to which those goals and objectives were accomplished.
  • Publish or present results of the implemented initiative.
  • Participate in Inclusive Excellence networking gatherings and provide informal mentorship to future Fellows for an academic year following fellowship, as available.
  • Act as a resource for the Division of Inclusive Excellence as available.
  • Serve as a model for infusing DEI in the curriculum (commitment to infusing content in at least one course).

Areas of Focus

All full-time Elon Law faculty are eligible to apply for this program. Proposals must be for pedagogy, service, research, and/or innovative collaborations between scholarship and practice as noted below:

I. Develop Curricular Practices to Support Inclusive and Diverse Classroom Environments

Examples include developing assignments, methods of universal design, and other techniques in the classroom that guide students toward adopting an analytical framework for understanding and valuing difference and inclusion.

II. Develop and/or Redesign Courses for Doctrinal Curriculum

Examples include developing or redesigning doctrinal courses that add to students’ understanding of the experiences of others. These courses might be added to expand current curricular offerings, adding opportunities to study issues of structural bias in the legal system.

III. Develop Scholar-Practitioner Collaborations

Examples include partnering with other faculty (of any rank), staff, or students on diversity and inclusion research, and faculty and on-campus practitioners partnering to study, observe and apply programs that serve diverse populations.

IV. Create Opportunities for On-Going Mentorship

Examples include projects that sustain long-term relationships related to diversity and inclusion. Mentoring might be related to student and faculty retention, curriculum development supporting inclusive and diverse classroom, the tenure process, and other opportunities.

V. Identify Areas of Potential Collaboration to Enhance Diversity and Inclusion

Examples include collaborations and initiatives across departments and across campus and/or proposing and organizing conferences or speakers.

Timeline

  • Applications due Monday, January 5, 2026
  • Submissions will be reviewed by the Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion Review Committee
  • Applicants may be asked to participate in a short interview.
  • Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion appointment will be finalized by Monday, January 19, 2026
  • Faculty Fellow will submit a preliminary proposal by Friday, January 30, 2026
  • Faculty Fellow will complete Design Phase by Friday, February 6, 2026
    • Faculty Fellow is expected to consult with relevant campus resources including the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL), Division of Inclusive Excellence or other campus departments. Details and resources will be shared with the accepted Fellow.
    • Design Phase report due Friday, March 6, 2026
  • Faculty Fellow will complete the Implementation Phase.
    • Faculty Fellow is expected to teach their class and collect data during Winter/Spring Trimesters 2026 and/or Fall Trimester 2026. CATL will offer sessions, workshops, and small group meetings to support research and data collection.
    • Implementation Phase report due Friday, June 12, 2026
  • Faculty Fellow will complete Findings Phase Friday, June 12, 2026, or mid-Fall trimester based on implementation phase/semester
  • Findings Phase report due by Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Application Process

To apply, please submit the following by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026

  1. A letter of interest:
    1. Highlight the initiative of interest
    2. Introduce the qualifications and/or experiences that make the applicant a strong candidate for the initiative of interest
  2. Two-page curriculum vitae

Email application materials and any questions to Laké Laosebikan-Buggs, Director of Inclusive Excellence for Graduate and Professional Education, at lbuggs@elon.edu. Applications are due by 5 p.m., Monday, January 5, 2026. Please include “Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion Application” in the subject line.