Faculty - Political Science (174 Day)

Kirkwood Community College•Cedar Rapids, IA

About The Position

The Social Sciences Department seeks a Political Science faculty member with a required teaching load of 15 credit hours per semester. The instructor’s primary responsibility is fostering student learning in American National Government, Introduction to Political Science, International Relations, and Comparative Government and Politics. Instruction is expected to adhere to Kirkwood’s Quality Instruction Indicators. The dean assigns the teaching schedule, which may include various Kirkwood locations and online, face-to-face, and hybrid delivery formats. Evening and weekend teaching may be assigned. In addition to teaching, the instructor dedicates one eighth of their effort to college service and professional development that supports field-specific expertise and teaching practice. The instructor is responsible for meeting the goals and objectives of an individual Professional Preparation Plan under the college’s Quality Faculty Plan. The role involves working in an office setting, with occasional driving to events and meetings away from the main campus. Applications are reviewed until the position is filled.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Political Science or a closely related field, with at least 12 graduate credits in the discipline.
Demonstrated successful teaching experience in higher education.
Demonstrated experience designing and delivering curriculum for students with varied learning needs.
Demonstrated experience effectively teaching and/or working with people from varied backgrounds.
Ability to read, understand, and communicate clearly and effectively in oral and written form.
Digital literacy skills related to computer technology.
Creativity, energy, self-motivation, and demonstrated leadership and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience teaching a variety of political science and government courses.
Graduate coursework in United States History.
Community college teaching experience.
Experience teaching fully online or hybrid courses.
Experience using emerging technologies in teaching.
Experience and commitment to using open-education resources (OER).
Experience and comfort teaching in different modalities, including online and in-person courses.

Responsibilities

Design and teach assigned courses, delivering them at the times, by the methods, and at the locations required by the college.
Organize, prepare, and teach assigned courses in accordance with established syllabi, adapting teaching techniques for students with varied backgrounds and abilities.
Evaluate student performance and provide timely, regular feedback.
Use the Kirkwood Learning Management System to post syllabi and relevant documents and provide students access to the grade book.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours and be available to students for questions and discussions about their performance.
Discuss programs, careers, transfer options, and other college services with students to support informed academic decisions.
Participate in curriculum development, revision, and assessment at course, program, department, and college levels.
Meet college requirements for professional development and service, which together comprise one eighth of faculty job responsibilities.
Develop expertise in instructional fields and apply teaching approaches that support student success; seek information about emerging trends and ideas.
Support college priorities by participating in department, division, and college tasks, projects, and goals.
Maintain relationships with K–12, transfer, community, and/or industry partners.
Respond to college communications and complete mandated training and compliance tasks.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Uphold college core values and teaching expectations, foster an inclusive environment, and represent the college positively to students and the community.