In 2001, the faculty at Williams identified the tutorial program as a curricular initiative and set out to roughly double the number of tutorials offered each year. Some academic departments and programs were already accustomed to teaching tutorials, but not all.
So, to promote the development of new tutorials across the curriculum and at all levels, faculty were offered summer stipends of $4,000. This practice continues. A request for new tutorial course proposals is issued each year in the fall semester, and approximately a dozen are funded. All non-visiting faculty members are encouraged to apply.
The stipends are paid in lump sums in July to recognize the extraordinary effort required to convert existing courses or develop entirely new tutorial offerings during the summer. The expectation is that each new tutorial will be offered during the first academic year after the stipend is paid and will be offered again at least once more. Faculty members should not apply for more than one tutorial development stipend in a year. Preference is given to those who have never taught a tutorial or received a tutorial development stipend.
If you have questions, please contact Justin Crowe, the current Director of the Tutorial Program and Kennedy Professor of Leadership Studies and Political Science.