Course Committee
What is the Course Committee?
Courses are a central part of the National Havurah Committee (NHC) Summer Institute experience. Each year, a “Course Committee” of six volunteers of diverse backgrounds and interests reviews and discusses the proposals and selects those that will be offered. After selecting courses, the Course Committee then communicates with teachers to verify their commitment to teach, guides them in preparing course descriptions, and makes scheduling and formatting decisions. The Course Committee also reviews teacher evaluations from prior Institutes and arranges for mentorship and feedback for new teachers and applicants whose proposals are not accepted. Finally, the Course Committee helps to select teachers for a “Course Sampler” evening program.
What kind of commitment is required?
Subject to revision, the planned schedule for the coming year is as follows:
September-November– The Committee is selected by the incoming Course Committee Chair and then begins scheduling conference calls or meetings to evaluate course proposals and divide administrative roles on the Committee. The Committee actively recruits course proposals to ensure that potential teachers are aware of the opportunity to apply and able to complete the process by the deadline for submissions.
December– The Committee reviews course proposals. Everyone reads all 40-80 proposals and relevant prior teaching evaluations and then spends between 6-10 hours discussing them via phone or in person and substantial additional time emailing regarding the proposals. After finalizing the course selection, Committee members then communicate with all teaching applicants. Those teachers who have been selected are asked to confirm their commitment to teach and those who are not selected are offered the opportunity to receive feedback on their proposals and encouraged to attend and offer workshops. This period involves the most significant requirements for Committee members’ time.
January– Committee members work with teachers to finalize course descriptions and submit them to the NHC website. Committee members also prepare and relay feedback for applicants who request it. Finally, Committee members select teachers to invite to teach in the “Course Sampler” evening program and coordinate Teacher Orientation and mentorship assignments for teachers who are teaching NHC courses for the first time.
February-July – Committee members evaluate the year and propose changes to the process as a whole and to the course proposal application form for the following year. Committee members also suggest changes to the course evaluation forms distributed to NHC Summer Institute participants.
August– Committee members attend the Summer Institute and get to take a small fraction of the wonderful courses they helped select!
Who Is Eligible to Serve on the Course Committee?
You! Anyone who has attended the NHC Summer Institute and is willing to make the time commitment is eligible to be selected for the Course Committee. Please fill out this form if you are interested. By telling us a little about yourself, you will enable us to ensure a committee that has a diversity of views and experiences. Please email your responses to courses@havurah.org.
Name: Address:
Email:
Phone:
Are you potentially interested in chairing Course Committee in a future year? ______________
During how many years, if any, have you:
Attended Institute? ____ Offered a workshop? ____ Offered a course? ____
Taught/Worked at Kids Camp? ____ Served on Course Committee? ____
Done something else for NHC? ____
Please specify:
What are your favorite types of courses to take? What are some of the things you would look for in deciding whether to accept a course proposal?
What other skills or unique perspectives would you help bring to the Course Committee’s work and discussions? What other information about you should we know?
