Lecturer of Special Education

Statement of the Job:

The School of Learning and Teaching at the University of Maine invites applications for an ongoing, academic-year Lecturer of Special Education, with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2024. The individual selected for this position will serve as a faculty member of the graduate special education program and the undergraduate teacher education program. Graduates from our School are expected to meet the increasing demands of a highly diverse elementary, middle, and secondary school population. Therefore, we seek a colleague who shares the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and can add to the level of preparation of our graduates to successfully teach in our rapidly changing society.  It is our goal to prepare professionals who will contribute to the positive development of all persons and to foster the development of effective schools for all children and youth.

The Institution and the Program: 

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits (https://www.maine.edu/human-resources/benefits/) for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer (https://www.bangorregion.com/).

The College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) recognizes that the cultural, social, religious, linguistic, philosophical, and theoretical diversity of faculty, staff, and students is important to maintaining excellent academic and research programs and building healthy communities. COEHD faculty are dedicated to high-quality teaching, research, and service at the college, university, state, and national levels. The School of Learning and Teaching offers degree programs for undergraduates and graduates, including fully CAEP-accredited programs for Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Master of Arts in Teaching.

Special Education M.Ed. programs include certification options in high-incidence disabilities (K-8 or 7-12), low-incidence disabilities (K-12), and early intervention (birth to age 5). Non-certification programs include an individualized M.Ed. in special education, an individualized Education Specialist (Ed. S), and five graduate certificates (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, High Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Special Education Leadership, and most recently Multilingual Special Education).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This position will report to the School Director and be affiliated with faculty in the special education program. Faculty members share responsibility for programmatic and instructional decisions within and across program options. The position carries a typical 4:4 teaching load for lecturers. We seek someone with a strong background in early intervention (birth to age 5) methodology, teacher education, effective practices that promote inclusion and behavior management. Preference will be given to candidates who can work collaboratively across disciplines to address the education of diverse students living in rural environments and have interest in online instruction.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate special education courses, and other education related methods courses across various grade levels; have strong digital literacy knowledge; have online and in-person teaching experience; advise students in the early intervention/early childhood special education (birth to age 5) concentration and build professional relationships with regional schools. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing local, state, and national service to public schools and to the profession. A strong commitment to contributing to program development at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as to collaborative work within the COEHD and with public schools, particularly in rural settings, is essential.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Ph.D. or Ed.D. in Special Education or a closely related discipline by date of hire. Demonstrated potential for success in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Commitment to contributing to academic program development at undergraduate and graduate levels. Commitment to collaborative work and maintaining partnerships within the School of Learning and Teaching, the Maine State Department of Education, and public schools, particularly in rural settings. Strong background in early intervention/early childhood special education. Ability to support program advising Ability to teach in-person and online classes Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Preferred: 

• At least 3 years of successful teaching experience in U.S. schools grades K-12 Strong background in Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). An ability/interest in using technology in instruction. Effective practices that promote inclusion and behavior management

Other Information:

Materials must be submitted via "Apply for Position" at https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobid=82510. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:

1. A cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position A current resume/curriculum vitae
2. Copies of all post-secondary transcripts
3. Contact information for three professional references
4. A statement detailing your teaching accomplishments, perspectives on excellence in teaching, and a vision for inclusive education
5. Other supporting materials relevant to your scholarship and teaching. (Optional)

You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Sarah Howorth at sarah.howorth@maine.edu.

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 127 Alumni Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207-581-1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).