position description: Instructional Development Consultant for the Humanities |
In conjunction with the Humanities Departments of Classics, Communication, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, and Religion, the General Summary of Responsibilities: Position works directly with Furman faculty and the leadership and staff of the Center for Teaching and Engaged Learning (CTEL) to provide professional-level leadership, collaborative support, and consultation to faculty for the development of innovative, engaging, and technology-enhanced courses and instructional materials. Works with other members of the CTEL, the Libraries, and the Computing & Information Services (C&IS) Department as appropriate to support campus-wide curricular initiatives and/or related academic projects promoting effective teaching and learning at Furman. Provides direct consultative support to faculty in their development as facilitators of engaged learning, scholars, and researchers. Assists in periodic assessment of needs of faculty in their designated academic division and develops and provides training to faculty, CTEL team members, students, and academic staff in new instructional technologies and active and innovative pedagogies. Where appropriate, recommends software and hardware acquisitions, liaising with the Academic Computing Specialists and C&IS to ensure their effective integration. Creates and disseminates related online and hardcopy reference materials in support of training and faculty development. Contributes to the monitoring and reporting of CTEL accomplishments, faculty and student participation, and outcomes and impact of training and support. According to interests and expertise, may assume responsibility for coordinating key CTEL initiatives and/or assume either periodic course- or team-teaching responsibilities within their discipline. Through collaboration with CTEL team members, assists in facilitating and developing the communications function of the CTEL through website(s), blogs, and other digital media. Works to identify, share, and promote innovative examples of effective teaching and curricula within the Furman community and through other professional and public fora. The IDC – Humanities will research and share knowledge of new instructional approaches, software, and hardware that promote the development of new and effective course curricula within the Humanities. Works with faculty to support students and promote interactive learning, presentation, team collaboration, and critical/interactive writing skills development. Provides expertise and support for specialized software relevant to the Humanities and related academic divisions and coordinates with the Academic Computing Specialists in delivery of standard software suite training for academic departments within the Humanities, as appropriate. Education and Experience Required: Doctorate in a Humanities discipline (Classics, Communications, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, or Religion) with 2-5 years higher education teaching experience in the Humanities: a Masters degree, coursework, and/or experience is preferred in some combination of the following areas: Instructional Design/Instructional Technology, Adult Education, or other related educational degree(s). In addition, the following are preferred; experience working with faculty development, instructional consultation, and/or the promotion of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL); demonstrated experience and skill in designing and implementing creative, effective, active, and technology-enhanced instruction in the Humanities; enthusiasm for working collaboratively with faculty to explore and to realize their pedagogical goals; and broad and current knowledge of concepts, issues, and literature informing innovative instructional practices and the use of technology to enhance learning. Facility with both PC and Macintosh operating platforms is highly desirable. Understanding of and appreciation for interdisciplinary interactions is a plus. Expertise in the analysis and effective visualization of information is desirable, as is knowledge of specific software, programming, and/or scripting languages relevant to applications used in the Humanities (e.g., collaboration tools, synchronous and asynchronous virtual environments, social networks, blogs and wikis, podcasting, etc.); facility with open source systems and software, image management, learning management systems (e.g., Blackboard or Moodle). Basic database design, advanced web design and interactivity, multimedia production and presentation, pedagogical applications of wireless technologies, and knowledge of or experience working with related concepts, policies, and concerns in higher education (e.g., intellectual property, fair use, information fluency and visual literacy, open source/open content, digital portfolios, collaborative and integrative learning, composition and/or writing center theory, etc.) are also highly desirable. Salary competitive and commensurate with experience, expertise and designated responsibilities. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Interested individuals should submit a cover letter, CV/resume, statement of teaching philosophy, and the names and phone numbers of three current references to: Human Resources via email: human.resources@furman.edu (preferred) or via mail: Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC 29613. Reporting Relationship: This position reports directly to the Assistant Academic Dean for the Center for Teaching and Engaged Learning. Given the importance of effective divisional support and faculty relations to the success of this position, informal and formal mechanisms will tie divisional/departmental input to the selection and periodic evaluation of the IDC. Principal Contacts (Internal/External): Internal (90%): Members of the faculty, academic staff, and students in the humanities; members of the CTEL, C&IS and Libraries and other Furman constituencies. External (10%): Attendance at conferences and workshops and other off-campus fora to stay abreast of current trends and to report on innovations and experiences at Supervisory Responsibilities: May coordinate student workers, CTEL and Academic Computing Support personnel and resources for specific instructional and curricular development and technology-based projects. Essential functions of the position: Administrative/Technical (75%-85%):
Teaching/Scholarship (15% - 25%):
Marginal Functions of the Position:
Equipment/Materials Used: Books, journals and other scholarly and reference publications, computers, scanners, printers, wireless devices, and other digital production and presentation equipment; equipment specific to the Humanities; telephones, photocopier and facsimile machines, and calculators. Software Programs Used: Various operating systems, programming and scripting languages, database packages, statistical packages, collaboration tools, various learning management systems, professional web design tools and standards, multimedia authoring software, scanning and graphics software, network software, office productivity tools. Physical Requirements: Occasional lifting and/or moving of computer equipment; keyboarding; some classroom instruction. Confidential Statement: Safeguards the confidentiality of faculty and departmental/office administration by exercising discretion in communicating information to faculty, students, administrators, and staff, and handling departmental records and files, personnel actions, performance evaluations, grade reports, merit, promotion and tenure decisions, and similar confidential materials. |