General Chemistry Assistant Teaching Professor (Initial Review Date: May 14, 2025)

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor. We seek a candidate excited to work as a dedicated member of the department's faculty members and who will bring enthusiasm and excitement to the advancement and delivery of undergraduate instruction.

A Teaching Professor is a full-time Senate faculty appointee (not a lecturer appointee). The Teaching Professor Series parallels the Professor Series but is distinguished from the Professor series in that it is designed to meet the long-term instructional needs of the University of California that cannot be best fulfilled by Professor Series appointees. The primary responsibilities for Teaching Professors are (1) teaching; (2) professional and/or scholarly achievement and activity, including creative activity, especially as such activities relate to instruction and pedagogy, with impact beyond one's own classroom; and 3) University and public service. The Assistant Teaching Professor title confers the rights and responsibilities of membership in the UCSC and UC Academic Senates. An assistant teaching professor is eligible for promotion to Security of Employment, which is analogous to tenure.

As a member of UCSC's Academic Senate, the successful candidate will be an important resource for undergraduate curriculum development, particularly in teaching of large lecture courses, and will participate in departmental and university committees. Detailed information regarding the Teaching Professor series can be found at CAPM 514.285 Teaching Professor Series.

The primary focus of this position's teaching, professional/scholarly activities, and service will be centered on the undergraduate general chemistry experience. The general chemistry series at UCSC (Chem 3) was recently redesigned to be more accessible and supportive for students. Courses enroll 300-600 students each term, with close to 2000 students engaging in the series from multiple degree programs. These students have a wide range of previous math and chemistry experience, and about 35% of students are from historically underrepresented populations (including ~30% Hispanic/Latinx). In addition, approximately 25% of students in general chemistry are first-generation college students. Assisting the instructors are teams of graduate student teaching assistants, undergraduate tutors hired and trained by Learning Support Services, and staff partners from UCSC's Academic Excellence (ACE) program, who are all critical to establishing the inclusive culture needed to support student growth.

We seek candidates who will contribute to campus efforts to address known equity gaps in both classrooms and graduate programs, thus candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Experience using instructional practices that promote equitable outcomes across student populations;
• Experience working cooperatively with other faculty in pedagogical and curricular innovation; and/or
• Experience with curricular design to improve equitable outcomes in chemistry courses and programs.

University of California, Santa Cruz was founded as a research institution with a strong commitment to teaching excellence, and is now an R1 institution, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) as well as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). A third of our students are Low Income, and a third are the first in their family to attend and graduate from a four-year institution. We seek to hire scholars who will both advance our research mission and effectively educate our undergraduate and graduate students. Our students hail from a variety of educational backgrounds, and we seek to hire faculty who can support the learning of all of our students, recognizing that these students have traveled different pathways and that one-size-fits-all instruction is not optimal for every student.

Our Chancellor has articulated a strategic goal of advancing student success by improving retention and graduation rates and closing equity gaps. This goal is consistent with the UC system wide goal of closing equity gaps by 2030. In order to meet these ambitious goals, we need all our faculty working toward them, bringing in appropriate pedagogies to their classes, with an understanding of how to improve student success in a way that closes equity gaps. Thus, we seek candidates with experience and/or knowledge of inclusive pedagogies, and of academic and whole-person support of the variety of students that enroll at UC Santa Cruz.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Department: https://science.ucsc.edu/department/chemistry/

• Ph.D. (or equivalent foreign degree) in chemistry, biochemistry, science education, or a related field. It is anticipated that the degree requirements will be completed by June 30, 2025.
• A record as instructor of general chemistry at college or university level.
• Experience working with students from a range of educational backgrounds.
• Knowledge of instructional practices designed to promote equitable outcomes across student populations.

For applicants who do not possess the Ph.D. when they submit their applications, they must document in their application materials (e.g., c.v., cover letter, etc.) that their projected date for completing their degree will be on or before June 30, 2025.

• 3-5 letters of reference required

Applications must include confidential letters of recommendation*. Note that your references, or dossier service, will submit their confidential letters directly to the UC Recruit System.

*All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. For any reference letter provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service, career center), direct the author to UCSC's confidentiality statement at http://apo.ucsc.edu/confstm.htm.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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Affirmative Action: It is the policy of the University to undertake affirmative action consistent with its obligations as a Federal contractor, for minorities and women, for individuals with disabilities, and for protected veterans (Protected veterans include veterans with disabilities, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Military, Ground, Naval or Air Service during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or Armed Forces service). The University is committed to apply every good faith effort to achieve prompt and full utilization of minorities and women in all segments of its workforce where deficiencies exist. Furthermore, it is our policy to promote equal employment opportunity and to take affirmative action through recruitment and employment efforts, training and development, educational opportunities, advancement in employment, transfer and other terms and conditions of employment of qualified minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

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Our obligations in this area stems not only from adherence to various State and Federal regulations, but also from our steadfast commitment to create a culture of inclusiveness and diversity where members of our community thrive and are able to reach their full potential.

For information on the scope and application of affirmative action plans see guidelines from the Office of Federal Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Inquiries regarding the University's equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to the Equity and Equal Protection Office at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 or by email at equity@ucsc.edu.

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The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance.

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