Visiting Scholars

As part of the College of Education’s ongoing commitment to international dialogue with colleagues from around the world who share common interests, we welcome visiting scholars who wish to study and pursue research appropriate to our teaching and research scope.
We receive many requests for visiting scholar appointments and can only accommodate a limited number of visitors at a given time.

Visiting scholars can expect that their affiliation with our College will entitle them to library access privileges, and that they will be welcome at all College activities, colloquia, lectures, etc., and to visit appropriate classes at the discretion of the individual instructors.

Prospective visitors should note that the College does not provide any kind of financial support, telephone or computer facilities, mail box or office space to Visiting Scholars. Visitors are required to cover their own expenses in all respects.

For professors from other institutions interested in coming to UW

Prospective visiting scholars should inquire well in advance of the time of their anticipated visit and adhere to the following requirements.

Professorial appointment at home institution

University of Washington policy requires that all visiting scholars have regular professorial faculty appointments in established academic departments at their home institutions of higher learning to which they will return when their University of Washington visit ends. Requirements pertaining to financial and insurance matters can be found at these two UW websites:

Faculty sponsor

Before the College can extend an invitation, and in order to ensure that our visiting scholars have a point-of-connection during their stay, we require that a member of our faculty agree to act as a sponsor for the duration of the visiting scholar’s time with us. When we receive a request without an identified faculty sponsor, we usually contact the members of our faculty whose interests represent the closest match to those of the visitor.

Application

Visiting scholar requests must include:

Letter from the prospective visitor giving a brief sketch of the visitor’s teaching and research background, explaining what the visitor proposes to work on while here and why this College is a desirable or appropriate place to carry out that work
A curriculum vita, including publications
Specific dates (year[s] and months) of the proposed visit.

These documents must be received either in “hard copies” or electronically as pdf attachments.

If the prospective visitor does not identify a faculty sponsor, the Associate Dean for Research will circulate requests to appropriate faculty members for review and recommendation.

If one or more faculty members express interest in hosting a visiting scholar, and when there is no expressed opinion to the contrary, the faculty sponsor, in conjunction with the Human Resources Manager, will send a formal letter of invitation.

For UW professors interested in hosting a visiting scholar

In order to be a host, UW faculty members must follow the the Visiting Scholar policy.

The UW requires Visiting Scholars to be professors (including research professors) in established departments at their home institution, to which they will return.
Visiting Scholars must be sponsored by at least one COE faculty member, who must be willing to spend a little time and effort in hosting the visitor. This need not go beyond such things as a welcoming meeting, answering questions, introducing the visitor to the library, etc., though assisting the scholar in making preliminary contacts with local schools, districts, state agencies, etc. would be encouraged.
Applicants must submit a letter of application, CV, and description of the work to be done while visiting and the time period requested.
All Visiting Scholars are responsible for their own expenses and are not guaranteed office space, phone, or computer facilities.
Having agreed to sponsor a Visiting Scholar, the faculty member, in conjunction with the Human Resources Manager, will send a formal letter of invitation.

Read the full visiting scholar policy

Download a PDF of the policy

We receive many requests for visiting scholar appointments and can only accommodate a limited number of visitors at a given time. Therefore, prospective visiting scholars should inquire well in advance of the time of their anticipated visit. The following statement of College policy is intended to give prospective visitors an indication of what the College is able to provide to visitors and what our expectations and application requirements are.

Please note at the outset these two points:

Before the College can extend an invitation, and in order to ensure that our visiting scholars have a point-of-connection during their stay, we require that a member of our faculty agree to act as a sponsor for the duration of the visiting scholar’s time with us. When we receive a request without an identified faculty sponsor, we usually contact the members of our faculty whose interests represent the closest match to those of the visitor’s. In most cases, offers to visiting scholars are extended on the basis of prior contact with one of our faculty members or under the auspices of an existing link between universities. While we will circulate your request to the relevant members of our faculty, you should also realize that, if a member of our faculty is unable to sponsor your visit here, that will indicate that we are unable to extend an invitation at this time.
University of Washington policy requires that all visiting scholars have regular professorial faculty appointments in established academic departments at their home institutions of higher learning to which they will return when their University of Washington visit ends.
- Funding Requirements
- Insurance Requirements
Visiting scholar requests must include (a) a letter from the prospective visitor giving a brief sketch of the visitor’s teaching and research background, explaining what the visitor proposes to work on while here and why this College is a desirable or appropriate place to carry out that work; (b) a c.v. and bibliography and (c) specific dates (year[s] and months) of the proposed visit. These documents must be received either in “hard copies” or electronically as pdf attachments.
If the prospective visitor does not identify a faculty sponsor, the Associate Dean for Research will circulate requests to appropriate faculty members for review and recommendation. In assessing the suitability of requests faculty will take into consideration the appropriateness and compatibility of the prospective visitor’s research to that of our College overall. Faculty will also consider how the prospective visitor might interact with the College, through such things as colloquia, brown bag lunch talks, informal work with faculty and students, etc. Under normal circumstances visiting scholars will be expected to have some tangible, visible interaction with the College, though the extent of such interaction may vary according to individual circumstances.
At least one faculty member must be interested enough in having the visitor here to be willing to spend a little time and effort in hosting the visitor. This need not go beyond such things as a welcoming meeting, answering questions, introducing the visitor to the library, etc., though assisting the scholar in making preliminary contacts with local schools, districts, state agencies, etc. would be encouraged.
When one or more faculty members have expressed interest in having a visitor invited, including a willingness to assume the “hosting” responsibility described in number 3 above, and when there is no expressed opinion to the contrary, the faculty sponsor, in conjunction with the Human Resources Manager, will send a formal letter of invitation.

Visiting scholars can expect that their affiliation with our College will entitle them to library access privileges, and that they will be welcome at all College activities, colloquia, lectures, &c., and to visit appropriate classes at the discretion of the individual instructors.

Prospective visitors should note that the College, unfortunately, does not have any means to provide any kind of financial support, telephone or computer facilities, mail box or office space to visitors. Visitors will be required to cover their own expenses in all respects, including visa costs when applicable.

General Information from the University of Washington

The Visiting Scholar title is an honorary title awarded to persons visiting the University of Washington (University) who hold professorial (including research titles) positions at other institutions. Visiting Scholars are not employed by the University during their stay. Status as a Visiting Scholar enables you to participate generally in the scholarly and scientific life of the University community, and specifically affords you the following privileges:

Library borrowing privileges as provided by Library regulations.
Computing privileges, including email, which may require payment of a fee.
Access to University study and non-classified research facilities.
Access to recreational and other facilities, which may require payment of a fee.
Participation in the activities of the University of Washington Club, which may require payment of a fee.
U-Pass and parking on University campus for a fee.

The extension of these courtesies is evidenced by the issuance of a Visiting Scholar Identification card. This card can be obtained by going to the Husky Card Office located in the basement of Odegaard Library. Please understand that there may be fees associated with some of these courtesies and that you may be asked to pay those fees. Details regarding these courtesies will be provided with your Visiting Scholar Identification card.