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Academic Administrator III in Life Sciences Core Curriculum

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Position description

The Department of Life Sciences Core Curriculum (LS Core) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) invites applicants for a position as an Academic Administrator.

Instruction and Curriculum Development

The Academic Administrator will provide instruction and curriculum development in the LS Core as directed by the Chair of the Life Sciences Core Curriculum, a cross-divisional instructional program. Duties include the following:

• Develop course materials for LS7 and LS107 to support the ongoing improvement and implementation of these highly-structured flipped courses. New course materials could include pre-class quizzes, note-taking guides, in-class activities, discussion section activities, and homework assignments. Development of these materials will be guided by the biology education literature, faculty feedback, and evidence-based best practices for promoting learning, diversity, and inclusivity in large enrollment biology courses.
• Collaborate with LS7 faculty to facilitate the transition to highly structured flipped courses. Provide additional support for LS7 faculty, such as: technical support with clickers, CCLE, and video lectures; assistance in creating custom activities for class meetings and discussion sections; discussion of pedagogy and teaching philosophy to promote student success, diversity, and inclusion.
• Solicit feedback from faculty, instructors, and graduate and undergraduate students on the effectiveness of the LS7 curriculum.

Scholarly Activities

The Academic Administrator will participate in scholarly activities to support the educational experiences of undergraduates in the LS Core Curriculum. Research activities will broadly fall into, but not be limited to, these two categories: (1) assessment of the LS7 curriculum and (2) scholarship of teaching and learning to support LS7 curriculum development. Specific activities related to this research include the following:
• Lead the ongoing assessment of the LS7 curriculum. Under guidance of the Chair, collect data that will provide formative feedback for the continual improvement of the LS7 curriculum as well as contribute to the biology education literature.
• Identify and form partnerships with other education researchers on campus (e.g., researchers in the Center for Educational Assessment and the Graduate School of Education) to collaborate on research projects serving the LS Core and the broader campus community.
• Author and serve as Principal Investigator for intramural and extramural funding applications to support research projects described here and divisional initiatives related to biology education reform, retention of students in STEM, and the promotion of diversity and inclusivity in STEM courses.
• Engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning by collecting data to aid in the creation and refinement of course materials. Such data may include the documentation of persistent conceptual or skills-based difficulties not already captured in the biology education research literature, as well as assessment data providing evidence of the successfulness of course activities.
• Disseminate the work of the LS Core and the outcomes of the research activities described here by publishing in respected education research journals, submitting course materials to peer-reviewed lesson plan repositories, and presenting regularly at local and national STEM education conferences.

Academic Service

Under the guidance of the Chair, the Academic Administrator will serve both the campus community and the broader biology education research community. Specific examples of academic service include the following:
• As a member of the Core group, represent the Division to coordinate with other University initiatives regarding the success of Life Science students, the use of active learning strategies, and the promotion of diversity and inclusivity.
• Participate in faculty committees responsible for LS Core oversight and course development.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students, particularly those interested in science education careers and the scholarship of teaching and learning. As appropriate, the Academic Administrator will engage students in education research projects aligned with the research activities outlined above.
• Actively participate in Core and Division efforts to promote best-practices in teaching. This may include presenting workshops about effective pedagogy, participating in weekly CEILS journal clubs, and helping organize CEILS-sponsored events such as the annual Faculty Workshop.
• Provide service to the greater biology education research community by reviewing conference abstract submissions, invite guest speakers, help organize education research meetings, and volunteer to review manuscripts for publication.

Qualifications:

Qualifications include a Ph.D. degree in a life science discipline (Biology, Microbiology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Genetics or other related field); experience in undergraduate teaching at a university level; substantial familiarity with biology concepts, substantial knowledge of pedagogy and evidence-based best practices as related to life science instruction; demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to effectively engage STEM faculty in activities related to teaching highly structured flipped courses; substantial experience in the design, implementation, and analysis of education research projects; familiarity with education research methods including survey design and quantitative analysis of education research data; demonstrated ability to collaborate with both life science and education faculty on biology education research projects; commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in biology classrooms and in STEM majors.

Applicants should submit their materials on-line including curriculum vitae, written statement of teaching interests and background, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references, and 2-3 letters of recommendation to https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF03773.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy (http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct)

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter (Optional)

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service.
    (Optional)

  • Misc / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)

Job location

Los Angeles, CA