Excelsior College is looking for qualified teaching faculty for the college’s new Cornerstone initiative, beginning in January 2020. The mission of the Cornerstone project is to provide students a successful start to their Excelsior College experience by posing essential and enduring interdisciplinary questions, encouraging robust and thoughtful peer discussion, and honing the foundational skills to prepare students for future academic and career success.
As students’ first instructors at the college, the Cornerstone faculty will set the tone for the college’s commitment to high-quality student support, frequent and substantive engagement, and individualized, constructive feedback on student work. As such they are expected to be the most distinguished, premier instructors at the college.
Cornerstone instructors should be committed to Excelsior College’s mission and CARES Credo and be familiar with the support services available at the college. They will create a welcoming, supportive, and academically rigorous environment to foster a sense of community, challenge students’ thinking, and hone their sense of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Cornerstone instructors will also be expected to provide substantive, constructive, and individualized feedback on all student work, including research and writing assignments.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Adhere to all College and School of Undergraduate Studies policies as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.
Demonstrate a commitment to student success by supporting college engagement
and retention initiatives.
Be familiar with the Canvas learning management system, SOOMO publisher webtext, and the support services available to students.
Manage the online course, including course related communication, timely submission of grades, and office hours.
Create an effective, engaged and vibrant online learning community by maintaining a meaningful active and supportive presence in the course and webtext environments.
Provide prompt and substantive responses to student needs, offer timely formative feedback on student work and demonstrate their professional and disciplinary expertise through constructive involvement with student discussions and learning activities.
Attend periodic instructional faculty trainings and webinars
Complete a faculty course evaluation within one week of completion of the course term.
Encourage students to complete the Excelsior College online course evaluation.
Notify the Faculty Program Director if the participation requirements cannot be met due to illness or an emergency.
Other duties as outlined in the Instructional Faculty Agreement.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
Prior work/teaching experience with first-time course-takers
Minimum of 1 year of higher education teaching experience
Demonstrated advanced research and writing skills
Strongly Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher in a social science or humanities discipline
Prior experience teaching online
Familiarity with and commitment to Excelsior College’s mission, support resources, and CARES Credo