Professor, Data Science

Position Summary:

The Professor will provide intellectual leadership toward achievement of the highest possible level of excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and professional development. The Professor will teach courses within a programmatic core discipline as assigned by engaging students, offering excellent feedback, and inspiring students to achieve course and program outcomes relevant to the core discipline. Professors at the doctoral level may also participate on dissertation committees. This position works closely with other faculty within the discipline including the Department Chair, Course Lead, Academic Program Director, Assistant Dean and Dean by contributing to programmatic strategies that ensure program quality, student engagement and success.

Essential Functions:

Instruction

• Include multiple methods of engagement to create a positive learning environment that encourages motivation and persistence, maintaining frequent communication with students; offering opportunities for ongoing interaction to discuss feedback, addressing concerns, and plans; making accommodations to address learning styles by personalizing teaching and using appropriate tools or models of instruction.

• Apply innovative, uniquely competitive, and distinct high-performing techniques, approaches, and content knowledge in program courses.
• Maintain the rigor, high standards and consistency of courses that attract, retain, and prepare a diverse body of students to meet workforce demands.
• Leverage adaptive and advanced technology-based educational approaches to student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Participate on dissertation committees as a Committee Chair, Subject Matter Expert, or Academic Reader.
• Ensure course and program practices are in alignment with compliance and accreditation standards, as applicable.
• Utilize effective teaching methods while encouraging higher order thinking.
  • Reinforces alignment of course activities to course and program outcomes as evidenced by announcements, discussion participation, and feedback.
  • Incorporate supplemental content in announcements, discussions, and assignment feedback to support student learning and engagement.
  • Seek out and encourage higher-order thinking through Socratic questioning, open-ended questions, multiple perspectives, and critical thinking and evaluation.
  • Consistently model good discussion practices and encourage active participation from students.
  • Establishes personal and authentic presence while sharing experience, skills, and knowledge with students.

• Reinforces meaningful connections between course content and broader concepts.
• Provides personalized, substantive, timely, and constructive feedback on assignments that empowers and encourages students to improve.
• Participates in course discussions actively and substantively.

• Provide timely, substantive communication and feedback utilizing technology tools.

• Provide and regularly reinforce available communication methods, response timelines, and office hours.
• Interact and reply to students within the introductory period, on discussion forums, and on assignment feedback.
• Posts weekly announcements providing guidelines for success and introducing weekly topics and expectations.

• Provide an inclusive learning environment that encourages student success and motivation.

• Encourage student interactions and collaboration while providing direct and indirect support.
• Consistently demonstrates awareness of the importance of inclusive practices and accessibility.
• Consistently provide support to at-risk students.

• Adhere to National University’s academic integrity policy.

Academic Program Director

• Those Professors who are Academic Program Directors (APD) collaborate with program faculty to develop the strategies to support the degree program. The APD acts as the primary source of information about specific programmatic strategies, needs and daily operations.
• In consultation with the program faculty, the APD implements change to assure program quality, student engagement and success. The APD serves as the primary contact for multiple stakeholders. The APD, in collaboration with program faculty and the Director of Assessment develops the assessment plan for the program.
• The APD meets regularly with the Department Chair to ensure that the program aligns with University, School/College and department goals and priorities.

Scholarship

• Contribute to the university's position in given areas of academic pursuit through scholarly research.
• Engage in scholarly activities to maintain professional growth and accreditation expectations.

Service

• Serve on assigned university committees, societies, councils, and chapters, and engage in community activities that promote program outreach and university goals
• Participate in program meetings and advisory boards to integrate best practices and strategic initiatives.
• Attend and participate in professional groups, staying abreast of new trends and innovations.

Professional Development

• Participate in professional development as outlined in the faculty handbook.
• Align professional development activities with program objectives and faculty evaluation.

Supervisory Responsibilities : N/A

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Terminal degree in Data Science, Statistics/Quantitative Methods, Computer Science, or related discipline required.
• 3-5 years professional experiences in data science, analytics, quantitative research, or a related field preferred.
• Online higher education experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining online courses preferred.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Strong demonstrated ability to drive teaching through engagement for adult learners in an online environment, using multiple modalities, leveraging technology and providing feedback to students that is meaningful, timely, balance and individualized.
• Accepts personal accountability, proactively seeks resolution for personal limitations head-on; and supports honesty and respect towards others, the company and oneself.
• Actively seeks to influence, build effective relationships, and gain alignment with peers, functional partners, and/or external partners to accomplish business objectives.
• Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; recognizes opportunities for change; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting-edge courses.
• Encourages and supports innovative and diverse thinking. Maintains strong working relationships during times of transition.
• Work collaboratively to foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures, while working in a fast-paced environment with multiple projects, deadlines, and frequently changing priorities.
• Communicates effectively, actively listens, adapts communication to audience and fosters effective communication with others. Demonstrates the ability to be consistently open, honest, and candid when communicating with others.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of underlying organizational issues and strategies.
• Experienced leader with the ability to anticipate and plan for change and communicate a vision to the team.
• Ability to develop and achieve measurable and challenging goals to support the organizations vision, mission, strategic goals, and objectives.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individual constituencies in a diverse community.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills to simplify complex data that informs departmental and program strategies
• Strong demonstrated experience with online teaching and audio/video platforms.
• Solid consulting and mentorship skills that result in teamwork and diplomacy
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governing body regulations.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with a proven ability to provide timely, accurate information on a variety of academically oriented subjects to both internal and external constituents.
• Intermediate use of computers and Microsoft Office Suite Applications
• Proficient in Tableau, Desire to Learn, Agiloft, CurriQnet, Taskstream and SOAR strongly preferred

Physical Demands/Environment:

Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures and viewing a computer terminal. The work is performed in an office environment.

Special Conditions of Employment

• Background Check required.
• Travel required at least once annually to attend annual Commencement ceremony (if held onsite).

Disclosure and Acknowledgement:

All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other associates.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by the supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws.

Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis, meaning that either National University or an employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, notice, reason, or justification.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against any employee or applicant for employee per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative, and create people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.