Visiting Assistant Professor (Microbiology or related field) - Full TimeBiology

Openings: 1

Description

Position Details: Gustavus Adolphus College invites applications for a full-time one-year position of Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology to begin August 15, 2024. The department anticipates a continued vacancy, and the successful candidate may be considered for continuation into additional years, contingent upon favorable review and the continuing needs of the College.

Employment Type: Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Benefits-Eligible, Exempt (Salaried)

Institution Information: Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the nation’s leading private liberal arts colleges serving 2,000 students, where faculty help equip students to lead purposeful lives and to act on the great challenges of our time. The College aspires to be a community of persons from diverse backgrounds who respect and affirm the dignity of all people. Gustavus is located on a scenic 340-acre hill in St. Peter, Minnesota, and within a short drive to the Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Mankato metro areas. Learn more at https://gustavus.edu/provost/newfaculty/.

Department Information: The Biology Department offers diverse academic experiences to undergraduate students as part of a strong liberal arts education. Both the College and the Department are taking evidence-based actions to enhance diversity and support inclusion in classrooms and among our majors and faculty. Each year, about 45 Biology majors graduate, placing us among the largest majors across the College. Our courses are also integral parts of other majors, such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Nursing. Our majors develop breadth through a required four-course core spanning biochemistry to organismal and systems-level processes before taking elective courses in areas of their interests. Both core and elective courses have embedded research opportunities that emphasize quantitative analyses and scientific communication. Our graduates pursue employment, as well as graduate and professional studies in biotechnology, education, environmental, or health-related fields.

Departmental faculty are active teacher-scholars who value collaborations within and between disciplines. Newly-renovated science facilities include teaching and research tissue culture spaces and confocal and scanning electron microscopes. Our courses are part of a college-wide liberal arts curriculum that develops an understanding of human cultures and the natural world by inquiry, analysis, and communication while also promoting civic engagement and ethical actions. As such, many of our courses emphasize how science intersects with issues of social, cultural, philosophical and environmental value. For more information about the department, its faculty, students, and courses, please see the department website at https://gustavus.edu/biology/.

Prerequisites

What’s required:

  • Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, or a related field; we will consider candidates who have achieved ABD status
  • Ability to teach both introductory and more specialized Biology courses
  • Demonstrated commitment to supporting students from diverse backgrounds and identities

What’s preferred:

  • Evidence of effectiveness in teaching
  • Demonstrated commitment to undergraduate students
  • Experience teaching as instructor of record

Things you will do:

  • Teach 28 contact hours during the academic year. One course with a lab is typically 7 contact hours. Primary teaching responsibilities will include an intermediate, 200-level microbiology course with a lab that will serve both Biology and Nursing majors, lab sections of 200-level cell and molecular biology course, and a special topics elective course in the candidate’s area of expertise. Laboratory portions of both 200-level courses are offered with a predetermined curriculum developed by the department
  • Help cultivate a welcoming community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We strive to foster an environment where people can be themselves, build community, learn, and grow.

Things you can choose to do:

  • Improve your teaching by joining a teaching circle, participating in workshops, applying for an internal teaching development grant, and engaging in conversations about teaching with colleagues across campus.
  • Advance your scholarship by working with undergraduate research assistants, joining a writing retreat, applying for an internal grant, receiving travel funds to present at conferences, receiving help applying for external grants, and making use of our research facilities.
  • Develop professional skills by participating in faculty meetings and committees, attending faculty development days, and taking advantage of the College’s membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).

How to apply:

Visit https://gustavus.edu/jobs/ and complete the online application. The documents that must be uploaded include the following:

  • Letter of application that addresses the required and preferred position qualifications as well as what special topics course(s) you would be interested and qualified to teach
  • Curriculum vitae
  • A brief (1-2 page) statement of teaching philosophy, including commitment to diversity
  • Graduate and undergraduate transcripts (scanned copies acceptable)
  • The names and contact information for three professional references (at least one must be able to address teaching experience and teaching effectiveness; please indicate the teaching reference in your letter of application). Please do not ask references to submit letters of recommendation; the committee will conduct reference checks by phone.

Review of applications will begin August 1, 2024, but we will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. At this time, please only upload the required documents listed above; finalists may be asked to submit additional materials as needed. Incomplete applications will not be considered by the search committee.

Things you might like:

Based on AAUP (American Association of University Professors) and CUPA (College and University Professional Association) data, we offer a starting salary that is competitive with our peer institutions as well as comprehensive benefits that prioritize your personal and financial well-being.

  • Medical insurance (which includes access to Nice Healthcare) as well as dental, vision, and life insurance
  • Workplace accommodations for physical or mental health concerns
  • Access to mental health apps
  • Onsite health services
  • Free parking, exercise classes, and use of library and athletic facilities
  • Paid parental leave
  • Multifaith sabbath
  • Employer contribution to retirement savings plan (after one year of employment)
  • 1-on-1 financial coaching

Gustavus Adolphus College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status in its education or employment programs or activities.

Learn more about Gustavus's campus-wide commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging: https://gustavus.edu/deib/.

Posted 07/24/2024

Contact

Yuta Kawarasaki | ykawaras@gustavus.edu | 507-933-6348

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2024

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