Environmental Biology - Adjunct Instructor - (Chicago Loop)

We are proactively recruiting at this time for openings expected in the future. National Louis University's Undergraduate College is seeking Environmental Biology Adjunct Instructors to join our team, to instruct SCI 105 (Environmental Biology). At all levels, undergraduate to doctoral, our instructors prepare educators to make a difference in schools and in the lives of students.

About NLU:

National Louis University (NLU) is looking to honor its past while defining a bold new future as a contemporary, comprehensive university that prepares diverse students for sustained professional success with a deep commitment to Access, Excellence, Innovation and Equity. The university is focused on inspiring and empowering all learners to be leaders ready to address tomorrow's challenges in the context of increasing global urbanization. NLU is dedicated to providing a career-building, life-changing education that is accessible to all students. The University offers 80 +programs within its five colleges: National College of Education, Kendall College of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management, Undergraduate College, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences and the School of Business and Information Technology. The University serves over 9,700 students per year and has experienced unprecedented growth in its undergraduate programming. Most students are from Illinois, but the University also attracts students from throughout the U.S. and from around the worldwho take advantage of campus based, blended and online programming.

Founded in 1886, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit university offering programs through the doctoral level. NLU is also classified as an Engaged Institution by the Carnegie Foundation and has been named as a top ten institution by Money Magazine where its alumni believe they are making the world "a better place." The University has had more Golden Apple Award winners among its graduates in teacher preparation than any institution across the state. The University has a deep commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is among the top 25 most diverse national universities according to U.S. News and World Report (2019). Graduates from NLU enter the workforce earning an estimated $43,000 per year after graduation, ranking NLU among the top five of all Illinois post-secondary schools. The University has received more than $80 million in funding for applied research projects in urban development, child development, school improvement, and teacher preparation. NLU recognized as a national leader in closing the post-secondary completion through its innovative approach to undergraduate education. NLU is located in the center of Chicago's downtown loop, across the street from the Art Institute, in an area which has been recognized as America's largest campus with over25 institutions and 50,000 students attending a college across the city. In addition, the University has several suburban locations and a Florida regional campus.

UGC CORE COMPETENCIES

Ownership and Quality of Work: Effectively manages own work, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality work within a fast-paced environment.
• Organizational Commitment: Passionate, energetic, and driven to make a difference; Acts with honesty, integrity, and professionalism; Self-reflective, focused on development, and makes regular progress on development areas; Learns from mistakes and setbacks; Is adaptable and welcomes change.
• Upward Management: Engages at appropriate level with supervisor in defining desired outcomes, providing status updates, and obtaining input as to ongoing project direction and process; Keeps commitments and meets deadlines without the need for reminders; Proactively shares information in a timely manner.
• Collaboration: Works with colleagues, from across the organization, toward achieving common goals by sharing knowledge, learning, and building consensus. Proactively identifies relevant stakeholders and engages colleagues as needed to achieve goals.
• Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, community served, and partners; demonstrates empathy and listening.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND/OR RESPONSIBILITIES

Demonstrate excellence in teaching:

• Collaborate with faculty team to develop an effective student experience for students.
• Facilitate courses by delivering engaging instruction in a blended, flipped classroom environment.
• Empower students to develop competency by sharing a passion for the subject and skills being taught.
• Utilize technology-based teaching platforms, including but not limited to an adaptive courseware engine to aid students in the development of competencies.
• Communicate professionally and relate well.

Demonstrate, maintain, and continuously strengthen content expertise:

• Maintain current and active content knowledge in the expertise area that is reflected in instruction.
• Possess appropriate expertise as demonstrated by appropriate credentials.
• Maintain current knowledge of field.

Promote student success with a proactive, high expectations, high support approach:

• Demonstrate and share a passion for postsecondary success for diverse learners and for teaching.
• Demonstrate flexibility in delivery and work schedule to provide personalized student support (includes but is not limited to office hours).
• Identify gaps between student needs and existing resources and services; generate creative resolutions.
• On-campus presence on days when not teaching.

Engage in data-driven instruction and student support planning:

• Track student course data weekly in multiple university data systems as needed.
• Engage in regular data-driven planning meetings with faculty, coaches and support specialists to report student progress and obstacles and to plan student support interventions.
• Engage in regular content area team meetings with peer faculty to review curriculum plans, determine implications of student data, and plan curriculum revisions.
• Participate in continuous improvement of UGC curriculum.
• Actively document and share suggestions for curriculum revision with content area led faculty to support ongoing revision/enhancement of UGC curriculum.

Commit to continuous improvement of self and colleagues (i.e., professional development):

• Create, attend and actively participate in training opportunities provided in online and in-person settings.
• Contribute to a learning culture by participating on committees, supporting local campus events such as orientation and graduation, and participating in various other workshops and meetings.

Skills

• Passionate about working with a highly diverse student body. Excellent facilitation and classroom management skills.
• Agile and creative in pedagogy and student support. Prepared, yet flexible.
• Empathetic, yet structured.
• Ability to differentiate instruction and support based on student needs. Ability to consistently connect instruction to its real-world relevance, tying in concepts and theories in the classroom to students' current and future work experiences and highlighting immediate applicability.
• Willing to pursue and support students in multiple modalities.
• Technology proficient, including experience with digital tools for teaching, and teaching in either online or blended/hybrid formats.
• Willing and able to use data to inform instruction.
• Effective adult collaboration skills, able to work in teams to support student success.
• Experience using a learning management system. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experienced educators who EXPECT and DESIRE to grow pedagogically.

The criteria for these positions varies but we recommend that candidates have a minimum of a Master's degree plus relevant experience in the field.

Earned Doctorate degree is preferred.

Previous teaching experience, preferably including online teaching; plus demonstrated scholarship.

*Current professional teaching experience preferred.