Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Computer Science - (Tenure-track)

Metropolitan State University, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, is seeking to hire a faculty member in Computer Science.  This is a full-time probationary tenure-track  position within the Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity and will start on August 15, 2022.

We are the urban, public, comprehensive university in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area where the faculty, staff and students of Metropolitan State will reflect the area's rich diversity, build a culturally competent and anti-racist learning community, and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to civic engagement.

Metropolitan State University provides an excellent, inclusive and engaging education to eliminate opportunity gaps and lead our communities to a prosperous and equitable future.  Metropolitan State University is a five-time recipient of the Insight into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, most recently in 2021. Federally recognized as a Minority Serving Institution, we serve more than 10,000 post-traditional learners, two-thirds of whom identify as belonging to communities of color or American Indian nations, are first in their family to attend college, and/or are eligible for Pell Grants.  Since we do not operate residential facilities, Metropolitan State University students all commute to class locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.   Metropolitan State is recognized by CollegeNet as a leading higher education promoter of social mobility for students (Ranked #39 out of 1449 in 2020).  We offer programs leading to baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees.  We provide accessible, high quality liberal arts, professional and graduate education with continued emphasis on marginalized groups, including adult learners. Recognized in 2008 and 2014 by the Carnegie Foundation for Community Engagement and named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the university is committed to academic excellence and community engagement through curriculum, teaching scholarship and services designed to support an urban mission.  As a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Metropolitan State University is actively working to achieve the Equity 2030 goal of the system, with a strategic direction to close disparities among student groups that focus on academic programs, policies and procedures, and effective student support.

The University’s 2020-2024 strategic plan core theme is “Building a Resilient, Student Ready University.”

Metropolitan State University has responded to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic by offering nearly all of its courses in a fully online format for the 2020-2021 academic year, limiting any in-person instruction to courses for which in-person learning is essential for students to achieve the learning outcomes. The Fall 2021 semester adds in-person offerings but includes more online or remote courses than typically offered before the beginning of the pandemic.  We anticipate that Spring 2022 will also expand in-person offerings to more of our “normal” offerings. Students can fully access student support services and library support either in-person or online. The search for this position will include in-person finalist interviews; however, candidates can request remote interviews conducted using web conferencing technology.

Visit the Metropolitan State University website to learn more about us, our programs, and our students. Learn more about Minnesota State Colleges and Universities at their website.

The School/Academic Department: The Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity (CSC) was founded in the early 1990's and it is the second largest department on campus and continues to be the fastest growing. CSC's students can choose from four undergraduate majors: Computer Science, Computer Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Computer Forensics. The department also offers graduate programs including Master of Science (MS) and Professional Master of Science (PSM) in Computer Science, Master of Science (MS) in Cyber Operations, and a combined BS+MS degree in Cyber Operations. In addition, the CSC department serves students from the Data Science major administered by the Mathematics and Statistics Department. Grad Reports ranked the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Department #9 in the nation in 2020 in order of highest median salary one year after graduation for students with Information Technology baccalaureates. Additionally, Diverse Issues in Higher Education ranked Metropolitan State #20 in number of African American graduates from undergraduate programs in Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services in 2019. In a typical academic year, a full-time faculty member teaches five courses (undergraduate and/or graduate), split between two semesters. In addition, the faculty member will supervise graduate research projects, engage in scholarship, advising, and service.

The department enjoys multiple grants including NSF, NSA, and private sectors for performing innovative research on cybersecurity and forensic curriculum. The department is the home of MN Cyber, a statewide institute for research and training in cybersecurity, forensics, and IoT. MN Cyber Academy provides training for industry related certifications. MN Cyber Range, a first in Minnesota, is a military grade Cyber Range for providing advanced training and conducting research in cybersecurity. Please refer to the department website (https://www.metrostate.edu/academics/sciences/computer-sciences-and-cybersecurity) for more information. 

Responsibilities:

• Faculty members are expected to demonstrate ability to teach computer science courses effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
• Engage students in undergraduate and graduate research projects.
• Engage in scholarly research or creative achievement.
• Provide evidence of continuing preparation and study.
• Attend university, department, faculty, and other meetings as requested.
• Contribute to student growth and development through advising and assistance.
• Engage in service to the university and community.
• Outstanding candidates will demonstrate a commitment to serving a culturally diverse student body through delivering a student-centered education in a liberal arts and sciences context and will possess the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals. 
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• An earned PhD in Computer Science, or a closely related field. Candidates who will finish their PhD degree requirements before August 15, 2022, will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively teach a variety of courses across the undergraduate computer science curriculum.
• Ability and willingness to teach courses in the area of distributed and parallel computing.
• Ability to effectively teach courses in at least one of the following areas:
  • Object-oriented software design.
  • Programming languages.
• Demonstrated ability to teach effectively at the college or university level utilizing various pedagogical techniques and learning management systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally relevant, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist pedagogies.
• Communication skills (written & verbal) to communicate with a variety of persons and groups.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an institution with a culturally, economically and linguistically diverse workforce.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to teach courses in at least one of the following knowledge areas of the computer science curriculum: operating systems, architecture and organization, systems fundamentals, or networking and communications.
• Evidence of excellence in teaching demonstrated through artifacts such as, but not limited to, evaluations from students, peers and/or supervisors.
• Excellent and competent communication skills (written & verbal) to communicate with a variety of persons and groups.
• Commitment to student-centered education and a proven ability to work with a diverse university community.

Please note: Filling of this position is contingent upon budget.

For campus safety information and crime statistics visit: https://www.metrostate.edu/students/support/safety

Salary:  Salary is commensurate with education and experience, and is determined by the salary placement process as outlined in the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) Master Agreement.

* Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for the Inter Faculty Organization which can be found at: https://www.minnstate.edu/system/working/docs/contracts/2019-2021%20IFO%20Contract_Final.pdf

For the most current information on the IFO, go to www.ifo.org

Application:  To apply, go to https://metrostate.peopleadmin.com

*To comply with privacy and data practices requirements, please refrain from including personal information or photographs in your application materials.

Applications must be received by 11:59 PM on Closing Date:  January 3, 2022

Qualified applicants are required to attach the following documents to their online application:

• Cover letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position.
• Current curriculum vita or resume.
• One-page statement of your teaching philosophy, particularly as it relates to equity and anti-racist pedagogy, and/or examples of teaching effectiveness.
• One-page statement of research interests, grant writing, and other scholarly activities.
• Names of three (3) references with addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers; at least two (2) of the references must be able to address teaching effectiveness;
• Transcripts - Valid unofficial copies of your transcript showing conferred/awarded date of your highest attained degree, with your name and the academic institution’s name/logo are required.  If doctoral study is in progress at the time of application, submit the most recent transcript showing your course of study and progress to date.  We are not able to accept copy/paste word documents with a list of courses/grades or DARS reports.  If selected for hire, official original transcripts will be required.
• Additional materials may be requested at a later date.

For TTY, call Minnesota Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) at 7-1-1 or 1-800-627-3529.

If you have other questions related to this job announcement, please contact Human Resources, at 651.793.1275 or email at hrrecruiting@metrostate.edu.

Notice: In accordance with the Minnesota State Vehicle Fleet Safety Program, employees driving on university business who use a rental or state vehicle shall be required to conform to Minnesota State’s vehicle use criteria and consent to a motor vehicle records check.

Metropolitan State University is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.