STEM Educational Development Specialist - Vanderbilt University

Job Description



Vanderbilt University is a seeking an expert in STEM pedagogy or practice to serve as the STEM Education Specialist in the AdvancED Office of Education Design and Development (OEDD) in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE). It is an exciting time at Vanderbilt as the University officially welcomed C. Cybele Raver as its new Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs on July 1, 2021. Under the leadership of Provost Raver, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education is leading bold new initiatives and strengthening existing programs. The STEM Education Specialist reports directly to the Manager of Teaching Development and Initiatives.







The STEM Education Specialist is responsible for contributing to the day-to-day efforts of AdvancED to support teaching effectiveness at Vanderbilt University, including design, coordination and assessment of cohort-based seminars, stand-alone workshops, institutes, conferences, trainings, faculty learning communities, consultations and asynchronous resources. The STEM Education Specialist will maintain a particular focus on the unique needs of STEM educators and classrooms. The STEM Education Specialist may serve in a number of roles, including as a content creator, collaborator, facilitator, learning consultant or instructional designer, ensuring that Vanderbilt faculty, graduate students and other instructors have the necessary educational development resources to advance excellence in teaching and learning at Vanderbilt.





The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE) in the Office of the Provost is led by the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (VP). OFAPE exists to support and champion Vanderbilt faculty at every stage of their career and to promote and advise professional academic programs. Vanderbilt University has over 4,000 full-time faculty across ten schools and colleges. Five schools are primarily professional schools, and multiple professional programs reside in four additional schools.





OFAPE includes the Office of Faculty Appointments, the Office of Faculty Development, The Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education (AdvancED), which includes both the Office of Learning Innovation and the OEDD, and lastly, the Office of Academic Program Review, Assessment, and Accreditation (OAPRAA). The OFAPE leadership team includes six directors (one for each of those offices as well as the director for strategy and communications) and two associate provosts (faculty affairs and faculty development).







Duties and Responsibilities

The STEM Education Specialist will work with faculty, graduate teaching assistants and other instructors across the university to advance excellence in teaching and learning at Vanderbilt. This work will take a variety of forms, including the following:







+ Designs, coordinates, and assesses teaching programs and educational development offerings for Vanderbilt faculty, instructors and graduate students, including seminars, institutes, workshops, trainings, faculty learning communities and events, including STEM-specific programming.



+ Develops strong rapport and working relationships with a wide range of university stakeholders.



+ Collaborates with staff across AdvancED projects to infuse best practices of teaching into new and existing programs and initiatives.



+ Contributes to strategic planning and implementation of AdvancED goals related to educational development and teaching initiatives.



+ Consults with individuals about evidence-based practices for advancing teaching and learning.



+ Creates print and web-based materials on a broad range of issues related to teaching and learning.



+ Creates content in Brightspace or other learning management system/instructional design platforms to support educational development.



+ Aids in preparation of budgets, plans and reports.



+ Other duties as assigned.





Qualifications









+ A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.



+ A Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field is required.



+ An advanced degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or other terminal degree) from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.



+ A degree in a STEM-related field is required.



+ At least 4 years of relevant experience is required.



+ University teaching experience is required.



+ A proven record of involvement with educational development programs is required.



+ In-depth knowledge of equitable pedagogical practices and scholarly literature on teaching and learning in higher education, with a proven track record of implementing or supporting a range of instructional approaches that promote belonging and inclusivity is required.



+ Superior verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to articulate and present information to various and diverse audiences is required.



+ Evidence of exceptional judgment and decision-making skills is required.



+ Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information is required.



+ Commitment to increasing belongingness of both Vanderbilt students and colleagues is required.



+ Analytical thinking, problem solving and attention to detail is required.



+ Experience across modes (face-to-face and online) of university teaching, including lab teaching is preferred.



+ Experience as a PI or Co-PI on a STEM-related grant or research project is preferred.



+ Proficiency in quantitative statistical analysis (STATA, R, SPSS, etc.) is preferred.



+ Proficiency in survey design is preferred.



+ Experience building courses in Brightspace or another LMS/instructional design tool is preferred.



+ Experience as a PI or Co-PI authoring human subjects IRB research protocols is preferred.



+ Peer-reviewed SoTL research publications or presentations is preferred.





Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion



At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.







Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.





Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.




Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.