Educational Developer / Faculty Developer in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) Discipline - WVU Teaching and learning Center

West Virginia University is seeking an Educational / Faculty Development professional from one of the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) to serve in the WVU Teaching and Learning Center. Educational Developers are leaders in scholarly teaching and work closely with faculty, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants. The salary for this appointment is budgeted at $75,000. This is a 12-month Faculty Equivalent / Academic Professional appointment on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Located approximately 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, we are the R1 flagship university for the state of West Virginia.

About the opportunity

Reporting to the Administrative Director of the WVU Teaching and Learning Center, Educational Developers plan and facilitate programming such as workshops, faculty learning communities, signature programs, and orientations. The WVU Teaching and Learning Center provides a range of support services, including one-on-one consultations with instructors, small groups and learning communities, and support in the peer review of teaching. (You can learn more about our services on our website: https://tlc.wvu.edu.) The Educational Developer will directly support these services and will also work with instructors - including faculty, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students - to provide support in the development and dissemination of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and/or Discipline-Based Educational Research (DBER) projects.

The ideal candidate will be well prepared to share evidence-based teaching strategies with instructors across WVU, such as: strategies to improve student learning outcomes in STEM disciplines; strategies that engage STEM-reluctant and low self-efficacy students; and strategies that create scaffolds for underprepared students.

Responsibilities of Educational Developers include: 10% Teaching (3 credit hours in-load per year); 10% Scholarship (peer reviewed publications and/or conference presentations); and 80% Service (internal service to the WVU Teaching and Learning Center and WVU community; external service to the profession).

What You'll Do

• Impact teaching across West Virginia University by fostering relationships with those who teach, sharing research-based practices on effective teaching, and amplifying recognition of effective teaching practices happening at WVU.
• Develop seminars, workshops, signature programs, and support services for WVU faculty, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants.
• Teach 3 credit hours in-load per year.
• Maintain an active research agenda in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and/or Discipline-Based Educational Research (DBER), support faculty in the production and dissemination of SoTL and/or DBER, and model effective SoTL and/or DBER practices for the WVU community.
• Regularly collaborate with WVU Teaching and Learning Center associates and colleagues across all WVU campuses, including those in Keyser and Beckley.
• Occasionally collaborate with other units at WVU, including Instructional Designers, LMS Support, and Academic Technology. (Note that the WVU Teaching and Learning Center does not provide instructional design, LMS, or technology support.)
• Host large events including the annual teaching conference and orientations for new faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
• Provide external service to professional associations and consortia related to educational development and effective teaching.
• Serve on committees and working groups related to teaching across WVU as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

About the Center

The WVU Teaching and Learning Center opened in 2024 to serve those who teach across all career stages, from graduate teaching assistants to late-career faculty. Services include workshops, signature programs, support in the peer review of teaching, and one-on-one consultations.

The WVU Teaching and Learning Center aims to have broad reach, with representation and support across WVU campuses in Morgantown, on the campus of WVU Tech, and on the campus of WVU Potomac State College. Those who teach full time, part time, or on a contract basis are welcome to access the Center's services and resources. Learn more about the WVU Teaching and Learning Center on our website: https://tlc.wvu.edu.

About the Position

• This is a 12-month Faculty Equivalent / Academic Professional (FE/AP) appointment with an in-load teaching expectation of 3 credit hours per year.
• The salary for this appointment is budgeted at $75,000.
• As funding allows, candidates selected to join the WVU Teaching and Learning Center:
  
  
  
  
  • receive funds to cover the cost of your professional association dues in the POD Network.
  • receive funds to cover the cost of conference registration for your own professional development in teaching and educational development.
  
  
  
  

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

We are seeking to attract a strong candidate with prior experience, including those who are considering a career transition into the field of educational development. Below we describe the minimum qualifications for candidates who wish to be considered.

Minimum qualifications to be met at the time of the appointment are as follows:

• Ph.D. or equivalent with teaching experience in one of the STEM disciplines, including the natural sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics, or closely related fields such as STEM Education.
• Ability to demonstrate an emerging research agenda within SoTL and/or DBER
• Four years of teaching experience at the university level
• Two or more years' experience as the instructor of record at the university level
• Expertise in supporting those who teach through the facilitation of workshops, orientations, one-on-one consultations, or communities of inquiry on teaching.
• Demonstrated expertise of the candidate's effective teaching practices through a record of peer reviewed journals and/or peer reviewed conference presentations.

Expectations of candidate finalists

• Finalists invited for a campus visit will be asked to prepare a research talk and a teaching demonstration. Information on the expectations for each appears below.
• 45-minute research talk: Candidates are asked to share their selected works within SoTL and/or DBER and facilitate audience Q&A. Selected works may be published, previously presented, or works in progress.
• 60-minute teaching demonstration: Candidates are asked to teach an educational development workshop, on a topic of the candidate's choice, suitable for one of the audiences served by the WVU Teaching and Learning Center. Workshops should showcase the candidate's skills in conducting active, participant-focused educational development programming.

How to apply

Applicants are to submit a C.V. (outlining their Teaching, Scholarship, and Service), a list of three references who can speak to the candidate's preparedness to serve those who teach through the WVU Teaching and Learning Center (reference letters are not solicited at this time), and the applicant's cover letter.

Due to the large volume of applications from "click to apply" job aggregation websites, the WVU Teaching and Learning Center requires a cover letter specifically outlining the following three aspects of the position:

1) Area(s) of Specialization: The candidate clearly articulates their area(s) of pedagogical specialization - in which the candidate is familiar with the depth and breadth of literature - and how their area of specialization will contribute to the WVU Teaching and Learning Center.

2) List of Workshops: The candidate provides a list of workshops the candidate is prepared to facilitate during their first academic year in the WVU Teaching and Learning Center.

3) Scholarship: The candidate clearly articulates a research agenda (or an emerging research agenda) within SoTL and/or DBER, the status of SoTL / DBER projects, and future plans for SoTL/DBER.

Candidates who do not submit the requested materials in their entirety will not be considered. We will gladly accept cover letters up to five pages in our effort to provide candidates with plenty of space to demonstrate their fit for a position within the WVU Teaching and Learning Center.

Position will remain open until filled. Application materials should be submitted directly to the WVU Careers portal. Search for requisition number 26804.

https://careers.wvu.edu/internal-and-external-portal

Questions about the WVU Teaching and Learning Center may be directed to: tlc@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.