Assistant Professor of Practice

Assistant Professor of Practice

Job Class Code: 10015
FLSA: Exempt
Posting Number: FRGV1057
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position: 3 years
Tenure Status: Non Tenure Track
FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:
The College of Education and P-16 Integration is accepting applications for an Assistant Professor in Practice in Reading/Literacy position in the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is in the middle of one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, the southern tip of Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. With a total enrollment exceeding 32,000, UTRGV is one of the largest institutions of higher education in Texas and the second largest Hispanic-serving institution in the nation, with an emphasis on educating 21st century leaders and professionals who are culturally fluent and have a deep understanding of the perspectives, languages, and values of different cultures.

The College of Education and P-16 Integration is a catalyst for educational success for individuals, families, communities, the region, and our society at large. We do this through thoughtful, culturally sustaining partnerships with our schools and communities, demonstrating responsiveness to a growing bilingual and biliterate population. As such, we are committed to excellence and innovation in teaching, research, and service. We:

• Provide rigorous programs of study founded on the belief that scholarship and life experience are strengthened when integrated, that diversity in all its manifestations is a fundamental component of excellence in education, and that partnerships that foster authentic social and community engagement are vital;
  
• Engage in continuous improvement through curricular and technological innovation in order to remain responsive to the changing educational and global reality;
  
• Develop highly effective, multiculturally responsive and sustaining innovative scholars, learning leaders, and education professionals who challenge the status quo and serve as change agents, making a difference by promoting social justice, embracing diversity in its broadest definition, inspiring thought leadership, and pursuing life-long learning; and
  
• Lead through evidence-based decision making and data literacy in order to share our story with the academic and broader research communities, as well as our public school partners, families, and policy makers.
  
  The College of Education and P-16 Integration offers initial teacher certification programs at the elementary level in bilingual education, ESL education, special education, and early childhood, as well as programs in various secondary disciplines. We also have master's programs in Bilingual Education, Reading and Literacy, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, School Psychology, and Counseling. The College of Education and P-16 Integration is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and is pursuing national accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
  
  The Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies offers programs designed to support the education of diverse students in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual settings. Our faculty and students are committed to understanding the linguistic and literacy strengths of traditionally underserved populations, examining the educational needs of children in these communities, and designing and implementing curriculum, instruction, and policy that will support their language and literacy achievement. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate reading/literacy courses across a range of initial teacher certification programs. In addition, they will supervise field experiences and/or clinical teaching and collaborate with local school partnerships. Other responsibilities include participating in college performance assessment activities and providing service and outreach to the university and the profession.
  
  
  Minimum Qualifications:
  • Candidates must hold an earned master’s degree from an accredited institution in literacy, reading, or a strongly related field with at least 18 hours of graduate work in literacy/reading. If transcripts do not reveal this focus, candidates may explain in their cover letters how the courses taken address these fields.
  
  • Candidates must be certified teachers and have at least three years of teaching experience in public schools
  
  • Candidates must be capable of teaching undergraduate courses in person and online.
  
  
  Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:
  
  
  Preferred Qualification:
  Preference will be given to candidates who:
  • Have strong backgrounds in multiculturalism, diversity, equity, and/or working with culturally and linguistically diverse students;
  
  • Have experience in teacher preparation and/or supervision/mentoring of teacher candidates
  
  • Demonstrate a commitment to school partnerships and community initiatives.
  
  
  Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
  License or Certification Required?:
  Number of Vacancies: 1.0
  Desired Start Date: 09/01/2021
  
  EEO Statement:
  EEO Statement
  UTRGV is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to hire without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or veteran status. UTRGV takes affirmative action to hire and advance women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
  
  Diversity Statement
  UTRGV is a Hispanic-serving Institution dedicated to student success and building a diverse faculty committed to working in a multicultural environment. UTRGV has an NSF ADVANCE grant to increase the representation of women in STEM fields and to promote a positive, family friendly workplace for all faculty. We strongly encourage applications from women and minorities.
  
  
  Open Date: 10/01/2020
  
  Special Instructions to Applicants:
  Dear Applicant,
  
  Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:
  
  *Date of Birth
  *Social Security Number
  *Gender
  *Ethnicity/Race
  
  Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission.
  
  Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.
  
  Security sensitive: All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.
  
  If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact department chair, Dr. Janine Schall at janine.schall@utrgv.edu or (956)-665-2034.
  
  
  Additional Information:
  UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
  
  
  Please Note:
  Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete applications will not be considered.. All applicants selected for interview will be subject to a criminal background check. This position is subject to budget availability.
  
  
  To apply, visit https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/25921
  
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