Term Faculty (Non-Tenure Track) - Environmental Science and Studies (23-24)

Term Faculty (Non-Tenure Track) - Environmental Science and Studies (23-24)

Full-time Faculty Positions

Full-time faculty positions will be posted on a per-opening basis. Postings are organized by college/school and department. Applicants will be evaluated at the college/school level for the position which they are submitting an application.  Unless noted by a close date, positions will remain open until they are filled. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Part-time Faculty Positions

DePaul University invites expressions of interest for a pool of qualified Part Time Faculty to teach courses in a variety of disciplines across all 10 colleges and schools. Individuals may enter expressions of interest by submitting their credentials to any posting for which they are qualified to teach. Postings are organized by college/school and department.  Screening of individuals in the pool is ongoing, depending on curricular need and funding.  Individuals will be contacted by the department if they reach the finalist stage for teaching a particular course or set of courses. The pool will remain in place until the closing date specified in the posting details; those interested in remaining in the pool beyond that time must resubmit.  All individuals in the pool will be notified by email when the posting is closed.

Below you will find the details for the posting including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening or submitting your interest in teaching.  To apply for the position, please click the Apply for this Job link/button.

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Posting Details

Job ID: 127170

Rank: Instructor/Professional Lecturer

College/School: Chicago, IL - College of Science and Health

Responsibilities:

DePaul University invites applications for a field-based ecologist/naturalist to join us as a full-time instructor beginning in April 2024. This position has an initial contract that runs until the end of the 2024-25 academic year (June 2025) with the potential for renewal. This is an opportunity to join DePaul’s vibrant Department of Environmental Science and Studies (ENV) (https://env.depaul.edu ) as teaching faculty.

The ENV is especially interested in applicants whose teaching interests are in field-based botany, ecological restoration, vegetation management, and other areas related to urban biodiversity conservation and management. The candidate should ideally be familiar with Midwestern flora but may also have field-based skills with other organismal groups. Understanding regional conservation strategies and the social and community context in which they are employed would be a plus. Candidates with interests in urban agriculture and horticulture may have opportunities to teach courses related to this topic.

The successful candidate will teach 9 teaching equivalents (TE) a year (each lecture section counts for 1 TE and each lab section for 0.5 TE). Note that DePaul uses a quarter system, and these teaching equivalents typically occur over the autumn, winter, and spring quarters. These courses will include plant identification, conservation biology, and introductory classes in environmental science and studies. There is also a possibility of developing courses around other areas of expertise.

This contract position is an exciting opportunity for an individual with a commitment to undergraduate education. Additionally, community partnerships can be developed using Chicago as a classroom for social justice and equity-based learning. We have long-standing collaborations in teaching and research with the Field Museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Morton Arboretum, and the Urban Wildlife Institute at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrably strong record of teaching and will be committed to helping a diverse population of students succeed in learning, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and STEM preparation. The ENV particularly values inclusive and active pedagogical approaches in the classroom.

The ENV currently serves over 120 undergraduate students in two majors: Environmental Science (BS) and Environmental Studies (BA). The department also offers a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science that serves approximately 20 students. The ENV currently has eight core faculty and a laboratorian. ENV faculty are actively engaged in research and teach a diverse student population.

Although our ENV department prides itself on its small-community feel, the College of Science and Health (CSH) and DePaul University offer big-university resources and amenities. CSH facilities include greenhouses, vans for field work and field trips, laboratory spaces, a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FL-AAS), ion chromatograph, a STEM center, and internal funding opportunities for faculty and student projects. DePaul’s Steans Center supports faculty in developing research and educational partnerships with Chicago communities and provides funds for students engaged in community-based research.

About the College
The College of Science and Health is the third largest college at DePaul, enrolling over 3,000 students. The college includes programs in mathematics, psychology, physics and astrophysics, environmental science and studies, chemistry and biochemistry, biology, neuroscience, health sciences, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, and nursing. The College of Science and Health provides high quality, personalized, accessible science and health education to a diverse student body, grounded in the values of St. Vincent de Paul. Our teaching and research advance knowledge and service to society. The College is located on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus.
About the University
With an overall enrollment of over 22,000 students, DePaul is the nation’s twelfth largest private non-profit university. While the university is large, the class size in the department typically does not exceed 40 students. We seek candidates with a demonstrated record of effectiveness or potential as an instructor for a variety of courses or teaching environments, ability to teach graduate-level courses, and commitment to continued development as an educator.
DePaul University seeks applicants that reflect the diversity of its student body and the city of Chicago. Applicants who have experience working with a diverse range of faculty, staff, and students, and who can contribute to an inclusive climate are encouraged to identify their experiences in these areas. Members of historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• A graduate degree in an environmental discipline with experience in field-based botany and other skills as a naturalist.
• Ability to teach courses in plant identification and conservation science at the undergraduate and graduate level.
• Demonstrated accomplishments in a collaborative environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• A PhD is preferred, but a Master's degree with extensive experiences in an environmental field is acceptable.
• Plant survey design experience.
• Commitment to developing innovative curriculum.
• Interest in opportunities to incorporate service-learning in teaching.
• Experience using standard conservation management techniques including prescribed fire and herbicide use.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

A complete application should contain the following: 

A letter of application indicating interest in and qualifications for the position;

A curriculum vitae;

A one-page statement of teaching philosophy;

Evidence of teaching effectiveness: for example, syllabi, teaching evaluations, assignments;

Contact information for three professional references who will be contacted by the Interfolio application system for direct recommendation letter uploads.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Only completed applications will be considered. Applications submitted by January 14, 2024 will receive priority consideration.

For further questions about this position, please contact Dr. Liam Heneghan, search committee chair, at [email protected] .

Applicant Documents
Cover Letter(1)
C.V.(1)
Teaching Statement(1)
Other Document(1)
Confidential Letter of Recommendation or Evaluation(3)