USC Assistant Director of Faculty Development - STEM

The USC Center for Excellence in Teaching is a resource center that supports USC's core values and strategic priorities within its teaching mission; serves as a resource to USC's schools for developing, evaluating, and rewarding teaching excellence; and supports best practices in instruction and course design.

For additional information, check out the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching website.

This is a senior-level faculty development position, specializing in STEM disciplines, requiring extensive professional teaching and faculty development experience in a research university setting, with a focus on supporting best practices in both on ground and online instruction across the university. (Teaching or leading training while still a graduate student does not meet this qualification.) This is a 100% full-time, on-site staff position located on USC's University Park Campus, and may require travel to USC's Health Sciences Campus in East Los Angeles.

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Supports the development, establishment, and evaluation of university-wide and school-based teaching initiatives from an evidence-based teaching perspective. Serves as a centralized resource for faculty-led interdisciplinary teaching development projects. Researches, develops, and provides centralized training and resources that support teaching initiatives, as well as rigorous, criterion-based tools for evaluating teaching, all aligned with the criteria in USC's Definition of Excellence in Teaching. Builds partnerships with other USC support services to collaborate on projects that further enhance teaching excellence.

Serves as a STEM-specific pedagogical specialist, that consults with assigned schools, departments, individual faculty, graduate students, and instructional support staff. Serves as point of contact for deans, vice deans, and chairs of assigned schools for pedagogical support in teaching and curricular development projects. Analyzes academic programs, courses, and student and faculty input to make recommendations for program/course alignment, curriculum/course design, and instructional strategies, as requested by schools within their discipline. Provides actionable strategies, guiding frameworks, and ongoing support for best practices in teaching and curriculum/course design for on ground, online, and blended instruction. Provides recommendations and guidance that is aligned with the priorities of faculty, programs, schools, and the university, and is informed by pedagogical practices that are evidence-based and endorsed by the respective disciplines.

Conducts training needs assessments. Designs and facilitates training sessions for faculty based on individual or group needs (i.e., large-scale university-wide faculty development institutes, school-based seminar series, online modules, workshops, and small group or individual consultations). Researches, develops, distributes, and provides training for customized pedagogical resources that address identified needs. Recommends and implements centralized university support strategies based on trends in school-based needs and pedagogical research. Convenes, leads, and facilitates an advisory group comprising school-based instructional designers from across the university to align school and university pedagogical support efforts, and facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas, research findings, and applications.

Designs, creates, and revises center instructional-support materials using multimedia authoring tools. Develops written resources and learning media for the center website, training events, and newsletters. Plans, creates, and builds training content in the learning management system.

Models and provides basic support for the use of the university-supported learning management systems, video conferencing platforms, and other university-supported e-learning tools as pedagogical tools.

Researches current trends, issues, and developments in instruction, program/course design, and innovative pedagogies. Engages in professional development and conducts research, presents, or publishes on innovative faculty development, instructional, and program/course design practices (with faculty partners whenever possible).

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit:

• Cover letter
• CV/Resume
• A writing sample. (Create a new 1-2 page written resource for USC faculty on incorporating mindfulness activities in a course. Review the website for CET resource format and samples. Please download one of our existing resources, and use our formatting for your document.)

Submission can be made on the USC Careers website. Req # REQ20111815

Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Master's Degree (Terminal)
• Experience: 3 years
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a culturally diverse, inclusive educational environment
• Experience in leading pedagogical training for faculty in a large or research university environment, including group trainings and individual consultations on program/course design and instructional practices (leading training for graduate students, but not faculty, would not meet this criteria)
• Minimum of 6 semesters/9 quarters of teaching experience as a university faculty member (adjunct, part-time, or full-time) (teaching experience as a graduate student would not meet this qualification)
• Graduate degree in pedagogy or instructional design
• Demonstrated competency in creating clear video-based and written pedagogical "how-to" resources
• Demonstrated competency in faculty development strategies, verbal and written communication skills, presentation skills, and client service skills
• Demonstrated expertise in inclusive course design and instructional practices
• High degree of professionalism and confidentiality
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and collegially within a highly competent team
• Demonstrated ability to provide constructive feedback effectively, and respond to feedback productively
• Ability to manage workload of multiple concurrent projects
• Outstanding organizational skills, time management skills, and attention to detail
• Ability to produce high quality work with quick turnaround times
• Competency with LMSs (i.e., Blackboard, Canvas, or D2L), and video conferencing platforms (i.e., Zoom)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite

Preferred Qualifications:

• Education: Doctoral Degree
• Experience: 5 years
• Experience in leading faculty development training within a Center for Teaching and Learning at a large or research university
• 10 semester/15 quarters of teaching experience as a university faculty member (adjunct, part-time, or full-time). TA or graduate student teaching experience would not meet this criteria.
• Expertise in STEM Education
• Demonstrated ability to motivate change in higher education faculty
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team under deadlines
• Ability to problem solve, think critically, and make sound judgments
• Ability to adjust to rapidly changing priorities and environment
• Demonstrated ability to create productive partnerships with other campus service offices to amplify impact of services provided to the campus community
• Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with influential university leaders and faculty champions to create a network of support
• Knowledge of multimedia authoring tools (e.g., Storyline, Camtasia, Adobe Captivate, etc.)
• Knowledge of educational technologies often used in higher education settings

Field of Expertise:

• Pedagogy/Andragogy
• Faculty Development and Training in Higher Education
• Instructional Design in Higher Education
• On ground and Online Instruction in Higher Education
• Multimedia Authoring