Early Childhood Education Faculty/HSPP Coordinator

Position Information

Faculty members serve multiple roles as teachers, mentors, colleagues, scholars, and manage special projects or programs. Full-time faculty are responsible for instruction, assessment, advising, and committee work and are active members in service to the college. This position is under the supervision of the academic chair. This is a grant-funded position.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Teaching: Faculty members are expected to be effective teachers and excel in course instruction.

Effective teaching requires content expertise. Faculty must demonstrate deep subject knowledge, including key concepts, current and relevant research, methodologies, tools and techniques, and meaningful applications. Faculty members are expected to:

• Possess thorough and accurate knowledge of their specific field/discipline, including the ability to evaluate and apply content.
• Be committed to professional development by keeping current in their respective discipline.
• Maintain faculty credentials as required by the college’s accrediting agencies.

Effective teaching reflects sound instructional methods. Faculty instructional methods are drawn from the scholarship of teaching and learning and cultivate a supportive learning environment that allows students to think critically and experiment with material. Faculty members are expected to:

• Identify and develop instructional materials; plan and organize instruction to enhance student learning; create appropriate assignments to encourage student learning, the development of communication skills, and higher-order thinking; and use available instructional technology.
• Use proven methods of engagement and assessment that facilitate student mastery of the content.
• Provide constructive, encouraging, and corrective student feedback.
• Evaluate student learning by creating and applying course competencies and accurately evaluate student progress.
• Strive to increase teaching effectiveness through the application of appropriate teaching and learning strategies; evaluate student learning and modify instructional methods and strategies to meet diverse student needs.

Effective teaching communicates successfully. Effective teaching clearly articulates high, achievable, and purposeful expectations. Effective teaching adeptly guides meaningful course activities, allowing students to advance their knowledge or skills. Faculty members are expected to:

• Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in clear communication of subject matter to students.
• Provide timely, substantive feedback in appropriate forms.

Effective teachers should meet institutional expectations. Faculty members are expected to:

• Meet classes as scheduled, notify the academic chair in advance if they are to be absent, and make appropriate arrangements for their courses (substitute instructors, assignments, projects, etc.).
• Be accessible to students through email, video conferencing technology, scheduled office hours, or by arranging additional appointment times.
• Prepare and distribute syllabi per established academic procedures and guidelines.
• Assess their courses through formative and summative assessment practices, make appropriate adjustments to the curriculum, and develop action plans for the courses they teach.
• Maintain accurate student records and promptly provide final grades, attendance, and other required information.

2. Head Start Pathways Program Management (HSPP): The HSPP is a five-year, grant-funded program that supports students who want to work in an early childhood education setting. Students in the program pursue an associate's degree at WETCC and a bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota-Crookston (UMN-C).

• Advise and mentor students in the Head Start Pathways Program (HSPP).
• Consult, plan, organize, and facilitate HSSP activities.
• Coordinate the program with WETCC staff, UMN-C staff, White Earth Head Start Programs, and other area early childhood programs to ensure program goals are met.
• Recruit students, monitor their progress, and apply retention strategies.
• Track students' progress.
• Lead the HSPP working group to ensure program success.
• Prepare and submit HSPP grant reports and budgets.

3. College Community Member: Faculty members are active members of the college community.

Perform professional responsibilities according to the goals, mission, and plans of the program and the college. Faculty members are expected to:

• Fulfill the requirements of college policies and procedures, including mandatory training.
• Attend and participate in required meetings and exercise stewardship of college facilities and materials.
• Submit information or materials related to their assigned duties as requested by college administrators or peers on time.
• Serve as academic advisors for students.

Faculty members contribute to the creation of a collegial culture. As colleagues, faculty have obligations derived from the common membership in the community of scholars. Faculty do not discriminate against or harass colleagues. They respect and defend the free inquiry of associates, even when it leads to findings and conclusions that differ from their own. Faculty accept their share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of the institution. Faculty members are expected to:

• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and stakeholders across the college and the community to create, preserve, and enhance important partnerships.
• Support adjunct and full-time colleagues through consultation and cooperation and work as effective team members.
• Treat college community members with dignity and respect, demonstrate professional, courteous behavior, and engage in constructive conflict resolution.
• Full-time faculty members serve the college by contributing to the growth and enhancement of the college's mission and programs. Faculty members are expected to:
• Fulfill all requirements of their contract.
• Participate in instructional and college planning and assist in the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff.
• Serve on college and program committees and assist the academic chair as needed.
• Attend and participate in professional development opportunities offered by the college or external organizations.
• Create and revise, develop, and amend departmental or program curricula.

Work Schedule: 40 hours a week. Faculty may be required to teach evening classes as needed. This position is on-site at the WETCC campus in Mahnomen, Minnesota.

Advertised Salary: $65,000/year. Negotiable based on qualifications. This is a 12-month position.

Minimum Qualifications

WETCC seeks a skilled candidate to teach early childhood education and manage the Head Start Pathways Program. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above. The qualifications listed below represent the required education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• An earned master’s degree in education with at least 18 graduate credit hours in early childhood education or a related discipline

Preferred Qualifications

• One year or more of college-level teaching experience. Adjunct teaching experience will be considered.
• Experience with grant management.
• Experience teaching in underrepresented populations.
• Experience working in an early childhood education setting.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge and skill in learning management systems.
• Able to manage the Head Start Pathways Program.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively with a diverse professional, community, and student population.
• Good organizational and planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate students in a learning-centered environment.
• Growth-oriented and ready to take on new challenges.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

• Valid driver’s license and insurance to travel as needed.

Applicant Materials Required: Cover letter, resume/CV, three professional references, statement of teaching philosophy, completed WETCC application, and background check consent form.