Assistant Director
University of California San Diego Colleges
United States

Recruitment Period

The Synthesis Program invites students to engage in an anti-racist curriculum that challenges them to look at large-scale global issues such as the climate crisis from an interdisciplinary and critical perspective. The curriculum asks students to deconstruct the tools of academic and public discourse to form strategies for addressing the planet’s intersecting local and global ecological, socioeconomic, and political changes. The Synthesis Program is a three-course sequence. Students take the writing-intensive courses SYN 1 and 2 during their first two years and SYN 100, a project-based course as an upper division requirement. Collectively these courses satisfy the University of California writing requirements for undergraduates and ensure that Seventh
College students learn the skills needed to be engaged citizens on a changing planet.

The Academic Coordinator (AC) for the Synthesis Program is a new position. The AC will work with the Director of the Program to create a new project-based course related to the climate crisis or an intersecting challenge. The AC serves as an Assistant Director in the program and is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and administration of Synthesis 100. The AC will assist
with recruitment and collaboration with faculty teaching the course and foster partnerships with campus and community partners who will serve as sites for course projects. The AC hires teaching assistants, observes their teaching and supervises and evaluates their work. In addition, the AC works closely with college administrators and related college and university programs, such as the Writing Hub, the Engaged Teaching Hub, OASIS, and the office of Academic Integrity, to ensure that students have the necessary resources for succeeding in
SYN 100. The AC would also serve as Instructor of Record, teaching 1-2 sections of SYN 1, 2 or 100 in each academic quarter. Finally, the AC is responsible for increasing the visibility and understanding of the Synthesis program on campus as well as within their professional field. This is a fiscal-year (12-month) appointment with eligibility of continued appointment per UC guidelines. The AC appointment is eligible for reappointment and merit every 2 years. The AC is appointed by the Dean of Undergraduate Education and reports to the Director of The Synthesis
Program. The College Provost is the Department Chair.

Functions:

Program Administration, Development, and Assessment

●Collaborates with the Director of the Synthesis Program to create the structure andlearning goals for SYN 100
● Assists with the recruitment and collaboration with faculty teaching SYN 100
● Fosters partnerships with campus and community partners to locate sites for course projects
● Oversees the logistics of 30-50 projects per quarter making sure they meet the
Synthesis Program goals for accessibility and anti-racism
● Develops, runs and analyzes tools for program assessment, including surveys, review of materials, and writing assessment
● Manages the collaborations between the students, faculty, TAs, and community partners
● Assists in securing funding for future assessment and research projects
● Teaches three courses in the Synthesis Program per academic year
● Liaisons with relevant academic and student services and departments related to undergraduate instruction, such as the Teaching & Learning Commons, the Engaged Teaching Hub, OASIS and others as needed
● Mediate strategies for identifying and supporting the academic progress of students of concern between the students and TAs

TA/Instructional Assistant Employment, Training and Supervision

● Recruits candidates, interviews and evaluates applicants, proposes new hires, and coordinates hiring with the Director and the Program Coordinator
● Co-designs, co-administers and co-facilitates the TA pedagogical program
● Advises and support TAs in best pedagogical practices and the preparation of course projects
● Monitors TA grading and commenting on major and minor course projects
● Mentors TAs in cultivating an inclusive and accessible learning environment
● Visits and observes TA performance in sections, followed by debriefing meeting and review of quarterly teaching evaluations and comments made on student projects
● Holds office hour consultations for TAs University Service
● Serves on academic peer review committees as needed
● Represents the Synthesis Program on College and University Committees
● Participates in college-related events as needed

University Service

● Serves on academic peer review committees as needed
● Represents the Synthesis Program on College and University Committees
● Participates in college-related events as needed

A Ph.D. or terminal degree in Writing Studies, Educational Studies, or a field related to climate education, and must meet the following qualifications:

● Demonstrated ability and/or intellectual interest in teaching about the climate crisis or intersecting challenges
● Experience in curricular planning and development of project-based courses
● Knowledge of best-practices, theories and pedagogies in the field of project-based or engaged learning
● Experience serving in a leadership capacity in an educational or related
environment
● Excellent organizational ability, including the ability to pursue and complete numerous projects at the same time
● Outstanding interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work well in a team-oriented academic environment with colleagues representing many backgrounds and interests
● Work effectively with students representing diverse backgrounds, interests, and levels of preparation
● Demonstrated experience and commitment in areas contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a desire to play a leadership role in advancing UC San Diego’s commitment to achieving excellence and diversity in an academic setting. UCSD is committed to building an excellent and diverse faculty, staff, and student body and invites applications from candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment.

Preferred:

● Experience teaching in a composition or writing program or teaching a writing across the curriculum-focused course at the college level
● Familiarity with methods for program assessment
● Knowledge of research on how students learn in higher education

Hiring Salary Range: $69,917-$73,342 (Salary commensurate with experience)

This is a fiscal‐year (12‐month) appointment with eligibility of continued appointment per UC guidelines. The AC appointment is eligible for reappointment and merit every 2 years. The AC is appointed by the Dean of Undergraduate Education and reports to the Director of The Seventh College Synthesis Program. The College Provost is the Department Chair.

Applications should be submitted to the UCSD on-line application collection system, AP-On-Line Recruit, at: [https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF02615]

In order to be considered, applicants are to submit a cover letter, CV, teaching statement, writing sample, the names and contact information of three references, and a separate statement describing past experience in activities that promote diversity and inclusion and/or plans to make future contributions (For further information about contributions to diversity statements, see [http://facultydiversity.ucsd.edu/recruitment/contributions-to-diversity.html]

*Teaching evaluations may be requested if the candidate is selected for an interview

Seventh College is the newest of the seven undergraduate colleges at the University of California, San Diego. Building on the College’s theme, “A Changing Planet”, its academic mission is to introduce students to inter-disciplinary inquiry, foster critical thinking and invite multifaceted solutions to the challenges posed by our changing planet.

Deatils about the Seventh College Synthesis Program may be found at: [https://seventh.ucsd.edu/synthesis-program/index.html]

The UCSD Standards for Principles of Community, Diversity, Health and Safety, and Customer Service are applicable to this position and will be used in assessing the director’s effectiveness in the position and as a leader of Sixth College and member of the UCSD community.

Seventh College is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body.

UCSD is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer with a strong institutional commitment to excellence and diversity. 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.

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter (Optional)
• Statement of Teaching (Optional)
• Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Applicants should summarize their past or potential contributions to diversity. See our Faculty Equity site for more information.
• Teaching Evaluations
• Misc / Additional (Optional)

• 3-5 letters of reference required