Assistant Clinical Professor, University Honors

The University of Maryland’s University Honors program invites applications for a faculty position to begin Fall 2021. The Assistant Clinical Professor position offers a 3-year, full-time appointment with a competitive salary and generous benefits. Applications from all disciplines are welcome.

University Honors is a living-learning program guided by the beliefs that depth of insight requires breadth of vision, that conscientious specialization requires multidisciplinary dexterity, and that meaningful impact requires collaborative engagement. And so, our community of students, faculty, and staff pursue these aims while cultivating an environment that is safe and inclusive as well as inspiring and creative.

This faculty position offers a rare opportunity to incubate and test innovative pedagogy, co-design and independently teach creative new courses, and mentor undergraduate students, all in the context of a thriving living-learning community. Assistant Clinical Professors are full-fledged members of the University Honors community and are involved in all aspects of the program, including:

• teaching, including course instruction (approx. 12 credit hours per academic year) and student mentorship both in and beyond the classroom;
• curriculum and program development, including course design and curriculum assessment; and
• participation in the life of the program (e.g., cocurricular activities).

Each Assistant Clinical Professor will join a team of University of Maryland faculty, drawn from different academic disciplines, engaged in independent teaching of thematically-related courses in thematic “clusters.” Assistant Clinical Professors will develop and teach a 20-person seminar that that relates to this theme and is based on their disciplinary expertise. For this search, we seek teacher-scholars from any disciplinary background who can contribute to one of the following three themes:

Freedom at Stake

What are the limits of freedom? This cluster grapples with the stakes involved in centering freedom as an ideal for human societies, in particular, and natural and virtual environments more broadly. 

Redesigning Life

How ought we respond to accelerating technological advances that allow us to manipulate life itself? This cluster explores the past lessons, future prospects, and ethical dimensions of the human impulse to intervene in nature.

Global Crises, Sustainable Futures

What can humanity do to ensure a sustainable future for itself and the planet? This cluster investigates the fraught histories, practical interventions, and vexing challenges of global crises, from pandemics and nationalism to hunger and climate change.

Over the course of their 3-year appointment, the Assistant Clinical Professor will teach that seminar and also contribute to the broader curriculum by teaching first-year and capstone seminars. Applicants are encouraged to consult the University Honors website (https://www.universityhonors.umd.edu) for additional information about the program’s academic and co-curricular aims.

University Honors and the Honors College are committed to promoting the diversity and inclusivity of our campus community. Candidates who have experience working in diverse contexts and who can contribute to a climate of diversity and inclusion are most welcome and actively encouraged to identify their experiences and aspirations in these areas.

Application Materials

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of application that explains how your teaching experience, proposed course, and scholarly activity relate to your chosen theme
• Proposal for theme-related course based on candidate’s scholarly expertise, including course title, course description (2-4 paragraphs), and suggested readings, assessments, and/or activities, uploaded as Supplemental Document 1 (Please clearly mark your proposed course to distinguish it from any other enclosed syllabi.)
• Teaching portfolio, including evidence of teaching that demonstrates inclusive practices (e.g., past syllabi, student and/or peer evaluations) and statement of teaching philosophy (Please clearly mark past syllabi to distinguish them from your proposed cluster course.)
• List of references (no emails sent from system)

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D., or other terminal degree, from an accredited academic institution
• Track record of scholarly potential in field of expertise
• Experience and expertise in undergraduate teaching that demonstrates inclusive practices
• Demonstrable potential to work independently as well as collaboratively

Preferences

• Record of innovative course design and/or pedagogy
• Online teaching and/or course design experience
• Familiarity and/or experience with undergraduate living-learning programs
• Participation in undergraduate cocurricular programming
• Demonstrably inclusive communication practices and interpersonal skills

Applicants will be asked to indicate the thematic cluster for which they would like to be considered. Candidates will only be considered for one of the following thematic clusters:

1. Freedom at Stake
2. Redesigning Life
3. Global Crises, Sustainable Futures

How to Apply
https://go.umd.edu/acp-uh