Thursday, March 2, 2017

Assistant Director of the Learning Assistant Program, Florida International University

The STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University (FIU) is seeking applications for an Assistant Director of the Learning Assistant (LA) Program. The Learning Assistant (LA) Program is a highly innovative program that fosters implementation of evidence-based classroom practices, engages faculty in course transformation, develops undergraduate students to become facilitators of learning in the classroom and studies the impact of transformations.
The Assistant Director (AD) will be involved in all aspects of the LA Program, working closely with the program leaders, undergraduate students, faculty and university administrators. Primary responsibilities include facilitating adoption of the LA model with new faculty and emergent disciplines, including working with faculty and departments to redesign courses to enable best practices in LA-supported courses. Other responsibilities include coordination with other faculty development initiatives and FIU’s administration and possibly management of staff. Opportunities for teaching/advising/research may exist. This is a full time, 12-month position, starting as soon as the position filled. Position requires limited travel, primarily to disseminate outcomes of the program.

Required background includes:
An earned master or doctorate in science, mathematics, engineering or science/mathematics/engineering education;
Minimum 3-years academic experience in teaching and/or in directing academic support experiences;
Very strong oral and written communication skills.
Additionally, preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate:
Knowledge of recent advances in science, mathematics and/or engineering teaching and learning and/or discipline-based education research (DBER);
Experience in supporting course transformation and faculty development;
Teaching, advising, and/or administration in higher education;
Experience working in collaborative environments.

FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute is dedicated to advancing research and educational change that promotes evidence-based instructional practices, utilizing FIU as a laboratory for the future of STEM, as over 75% of FIU’s 54,000 students come from traditionally underrepresented groups. The Institute currently hosts 11 discipline-based education research faculty in six STEM departments and 14 staff / postdoctoral researchers that carry out multidisciplinary collaborative work across the Colleges of Arts, Sciences & Education and Engineering & Computing. Hallmark programs include a Learning Assistant (LA) program that impacts well over 13,000 student enrollments in 10 STEM disciplines each semester; Modeling Instruction at the high school and college levels; and multiple HHMI- and NSF-funded research projects. For more information on programs and research at the STEM Transformation Institute: stem.fiu.edu; FIULearn.fiu.edu; FIUteach.fiu.edu. FIU is the public research university in Miami, Florida and is the only majority minority Carnegie R1 research university in the nation.

How to Apply: Qualified candidates are encouraged to attach a cover letter, curriculum vitae and list of three references (with contact information) in a single pdf file and send it to stem@fiu.edu. Note that at least three references may be contacted upon review as determined by the search committee. To receive full consideration, applications and required materials should be received by March 20th, 2017.  Applications will be reviewed continually until position is filled. For more information and inquiries email stem@fiu.edu.

FIU is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Equal Opportunity, Equal Access Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.