Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Teaching – Department of Zoology in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
The expected starting salary range for this position is $105,000 to $130,000 per year.
Position description
The Department of Zoology at The University of British Columbia seeks candidates for an Assistant Professor of Teaching position in the tenure-track Educational Leadership stream, focused on Biostatistics and Data Science in the Biology undergraduate program.
The UBC Biology Program, which is administered by the Zoology and Botany departments, places a premium on excellent teaching. The successful candidate would join 15 other tenure-track or tenured faculty in the Educational Leadership stream. Our program consists of courses ranging from large multi-section courses to small specialty courses. We expect a successful candidate to implement state-of-the-art approaches to teaching and learning and to demonstrate innovation in pedagogy. The position is based at UBC’s Vancouver campus. UBC’s campuses are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Syilx (Okanagan) Peoples and of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xwm?θkw?y??m (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Stó:l? and S?l?ílw?ta?/Selilwitulh (Tsleil Waututh) Nations.
Applicants must have a background in biology or biomedical science and a strong foundation in statistics relevant for the biological sciences. A PhD and teaching experience in biostatistics are valued but not required. Candidates must demonstrate the ability or strong potential to teach large enrollment courses in biostatistics and biology (appropriate to their background) at various levels of undergraduate instruction. Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of outstanding teaching ability and the potential to contribute to ongoing curriculum and course development. Candidates must be committed to improving biology teaching, engaging with discipline-based educational research, and leading collaborative teaching teams. They will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, to create a welcoming community for all, particularly for those who are historically, persistently or systemically marginalized.
Initial duties of the position will include: teaching biostatistics (specifically, BIOL 300 Fundamentals of Biostatistics); the coordination of the teaching team for multiple sections of biostatistics lectures and tutorials using R (including supervision and training of graduate teaching assistants); and teaching in other biology courses appropriate to the candidate’s expertise.
As the successful candidate moves towards promotion and tenure, they will take on Educational Leadership roles which fit their skills and interests and the needs of the biology program. These roles may include the development of tutorials to incorporate basic statistics and data science principles into first and second-year biology courses, course development, pedagogical research and innovation, and curriculum development. As a member of the UBC Educational Leadership stream, the candidate is expected to demonstrate promise of strong educational leadership, and is expected to meet the requirements for promotion and tenure within the prescribed time frame (as described here: https://science.ubc.ca/sites/science.ubc.ca/files/FacultyofScience_EL_DP.pdf andhttps://hr.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Educational_Leadership_Stream_Criteria.pdf). To facilitate educational leadership roles, there will be opportunities to work in collaboration with Science Education Specialists (https://skylight.science.ubc.ca/contact) in the Biology program on course or curriculum development, or projects to assess pedagogy. In addition to the duties outlined above, the candidate is expected to participate actively in departmental activities, service, events, and initiatives.
(1) Cover letter (up to 2 pages) describing interest and overall fit to the position as described above, addressed to the search committee chair, Prof. Michael Whitlock
(2) Curriculum vitae, including teaching experience and evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., course evaluation summaries, teaching recognition/awards, etc.)
(3) Teaching statement (up to 2 pages) outlining your teaching interests and philosophy
(4) Diversity statement (up to 1 page) describing your lived background experience (if comfortable), and your past experience and future plans regarding working with a diverse student body, and contributing to a culture of equity and inclusion.
(5) Contact information for three or more people willing to serve as references
The closing date for applications is December 13, 2024 at 5:00pm PST with the appointment anticipated to begin on or after July 1, 2025.
UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. Inclusion is built by individual and institutional responsibility through continuous engagement with diversity to inspire people, ideas, and actions for a better world. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuk, or Indigenous person. UBC acknowledges that certain circumstances may cause career interruptions that legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research or educational leadership achievement. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like consideration given to the impact of any circumstances, such as those due to health or family reasons, in order to allow for a fair assessment of their research productivity.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority, and members of historically marginalized groups will be given special consideration.
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible work environment for all members of its workforce. Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an accessible process for all candidates (including but not limited to disabled people). Confidential accommodations are available on request by contacting the Zoology Manager of HR Services (zoology.hr@ubc.ca).
The Department of Zoology is housed on the main campus of The University of British Columbia and is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam) People.
The Department of Zoology was established in 1924 and has expanded over the years to become one of the strongest and most broadly-based life science departments in the country. We have over 40 active research faculty, 10 educational leadership faculty, 8 lecturers, 25 staff, 140 graduate students, 34 postdoctoral fellows/research associates, and countless undergraduates. Our dynamic, highly collaborative and collegial department is internationally recognized for strength in ecology, evolution, cell and developmental biology, and comparative physiology. Our faculty are among the best in the world, our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are making novel scientific discoveries, and our alumni are changing the world. In partnership with the Department of Botany we offer our undergraduates a comprehensive and enriched educational experience in the biological sciences. At the core of the department is an excellent group of staff who provide unwavering support for the department’s... mission of excellence in research, teaching, and training.
As a community, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that embraces diversity. It is clear to all of us that strength and innovation comes from a variety of backgrounds, characteristics, voices, and perspectives. We strive to ensure that the diversity of all students, staff, and faculty is welcome and supported in the Department of Zoology.
