Organization: Program on the Environment / College of the Environment
Title: Lecturer Part-Time
Search #: NN0160
University of Washington
Program on the Environment Capstone Instructor
Position: Lecturer Part-Time
Appointment: 50% appointment.
Salary: DOQ
Electronic Application: Send cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position, curriculum vitae, and list of three references with contact information by email to: poe@u.washington.edu, Attn: Julia Parrish, Director, Program on the Environment.
First consideration given to applications received by February 17, 2010.
The Program on the Environment (PoE) offers a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Along with a set of core courses focusing on environmental issues (ENVIR 100), writing and communication (ENVIR 200), data types (ENVIR 250), and multi-stakeholder problem solving (ENVIR 300), all students must conduct an individualized senior project (the Capstone) as the culmination of their content and skillet learning. Capstone projects are most often conducted in association with organizations (community partners) external to the University (including government agencies, non-profits, and consulting companies), allowing students to hone real-world skills facilitated by a specific work plan, timeline, and set of project-relevant deliverables. Although most students work individually, teams are a possibility. In addition to a site supervisor from the community partner, who works with the student on a weekly basis, all students are required to have a faculty mentor, to help guide the academic portion of the Capstone experience.
The Capstone Instructor serves as the primary facilitator of the Capstone Experience, advising students and keeping track of and recording their progress through three distinct phases of their culminating year:
ENVIR 490, Pre-Capstone Seminar
ENVIR 491, Capstone Experience
ENVIR 492, Post-Capstone Seminar
In addition to serving as the instructor for the Capstone seminars, the Capstone Instructor is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with community partners. As the nexus of the Capstone experience, the Capstone Instructor works to match students with appropriate community partners and faculty advisors, and organizes Capstone conferences in Autumn and Spring quarters.
ENVIR 490 Pre-Capstone Seminar (2 credits, Offered: Autumn & Spring)
This seminar helps students explore their interests and design their future capstone experience. Students attend panel presentations by community partners, in order to facilitate student-project matching. Work within a University of Washington laboratory, or select study abroad programs are also capstone possibilities. By the end of this seminar, all students must choose an individual or group project, find a faculty mentor, develop a written project proposal in conjunction with the site supervisor, faculty mentor, and Capstone Instructor, and finalize a Learning Contract that details project deliverables, and meeting schedules with the site supervisor and faculty mentor.
ENVIR 491 Capstone Experience (5 -12 credits, Offered: All Quarters)
The experiential part of the capstone series, credit is earned for 150 hours of work on the capstone project, under the direct guidance of the site supervisor, and with feedback from the faculty advisor. Although the capstone instructor does not meet with students during a formalized class session, s/he must be available for individual appointments as needed. In addition, the Capstone Instructor must check in with all students, site supervisors and faculty mentors to insure that students are fulfilling the goals outlined in the Learning Contract.
ENVIR 492 Post-Capstone Seminar (3 credits, Offered: Autumn & Spring)
This is the final seminar in the year-long culminating Capstone Experience, in which the students focus on synthesizing the academic and experiential features of their learning, framing their experience within the broader context of their undergraduate education, and articulating what they have learned in writing and orally in a public forum. The seminar focuses on a written presentation in a journal style selected by the student, and a formal oral presentation (the Capstone Conference). During the Post-Capstone Seminar, all students are also required to attend two career workshops on cover letter and resume writing, and on interviewing, conducted by PoE alumni.
Developing Relationships with Community Partners & UW Faculty Advisors
Throughout the year, the Capstone Instructor maintains an up-to-date database of current and previous community partners, including contact information for site supervisors, lists of current and previous projects, and evaluation notes on project success. In anticipation of each offering of ENVIR 490, the Capstone Instructor is responsible for contacting community partners – including potential new partners – in order to line up particular projects in advance of the quarter. All projects must be summarized in written form, allowing ENVIR 490 students to review potential projects prior to class. Immediately prior to the start of the quarter, the Capstone Instructor is responsible for scheduling project panels during class time, in which invited site supervisors briefly outline potential Capstone projects to students.
The Capstone Instructor will also maintain a database of Faculty Advisors for each project, drawn from previous advisors as well as new advisors suggested by PoE faculty, staff, and Advisory Board members.
Organizing Capstone Experience Presentation Events
The Capstone Instructor is responsible for organizing the Capstone Experience Presentation events twice per year during Autumn and Spring quarters. Typical tasks involve preparing students for a public presentation of their work, including instruction on effective presentation techniques; managing the presentation event logistics, including advertising the event to internal and external audiences; inviting all faculty advisors and site supervisors, and working with PoE staff to secure the appropriate room and equipment.
QUALIFICATIONS
The candidate must have a Ph.D.; at least three years of university-level teaching experience, or equivalent, preferably in Environmental Studies or a related field; strong advising and mentoring skills; knowledge of University of Washington policies and requirements; demonstrated skills in a leadership role; an interdisciplinary background and knowledge of scholarly methods and tools across a range of disciplines; excellent interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and a wide variety of constituencies including students, faculty, and staff at the UW and community based partners in the non-profit, public, and private sectors; knowledge of community-based research and experiential education learning models and resources; excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multi-cultural environment and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans.