Instructional Supervisor/Lab Coordinator

University of Washington Medical Center•Seattle, WA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We are looking for an innovative, team-oriented individual to join the UW Seattle Biology Department introductory series teaching team as the lab coordinator for Biol 200. No lecturing is involved in this position. Biol 200 is the 2nd course in our 3-quarter series and focuses on student-centered teaching of core concepts and skills in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology. Biology 200 enrolls between 330 and 875 students per quarter, and the instructional team includes four faculty. Depending on the quarter, this course will have between 5 and 15 graduate student teaching assistants. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to a high impact course at UW. Across our introductory biology series, we strive to create an equitable and inclusive learning community. Our faculty use cutting edge active learning techniques to help students develop high level reasoning skills and scientific proficiency. We are searching for a collaborative member of our team to support this mission for the university. This position works under the direction of the faculty instructor each quarter to ensure the uniform excellence of undergraduate learning in lecture and labs. Our ideal candidate will use an efficiency mindset with an eye to student learning to develop procedures that support themselves, faculty, TAs, and students in the BIOL 200 course. Applications will only be considered with a complete resume and cover letter. University deadlines require that planning for the coming quarter occurs up to three quarters in advance. The lab coordinator must deal with 2 different sets of faculty and TAs and be able to focus on future and current needs simultaneously. Due to the interactive nature of this position with faculty, TAs and students, this position is expected to be on campus 5 days per week. Faculty (and graduate student Teaching Assistants) change each quarter. Many have not taught before and depend on the support and guidance of the lab coordinator to learn how to deal successfully with a large introductory course. Considerable TA training may be required. The course must be taught each quarter with student populations of more than 350 in a single quarter. Ensuring uniformity of the lab experience and achieving lab learning goals with differentially prepared students and rotating faculty and TAs is a strong challenge for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related fields, OR equivalent work experience in STEM or related fields
Four years of experience in higher education through teaching, research, and/or program management, OR relevant work experience

Nice To Haves

Experience working with teams, fostering teamwork, and leading collaborative initiatives
Demonstrated commitment to building respectful and inclusive environments, ability to build relationships, establish collaborative partnerships, and work with a wide range of constituencies with diplomacy and tact; demonstrated ability to lead discussions to consensus
Strong background in modern molecular lab techniques or scientific research in a related field
Team-oriented; able to work well with a diverse array of faculty, TAs, & students
Strong organizational skills and experience balancing complex logistics and multiple simultaneous tasks

Responsibilities

Attend lecture, manage polling devices, and troubleshot in-class tech issues
Answer student questions during and outside of lecture
Prepare and transport printed materials to lecture (exams, in-class activities, etc.)
Handle all course logistics not under the purview of faculty including grade records, scheduling problems, academic misconduct administration, etc.
Collaborate with faculty, TAs, and instructional staff to develop, plan, test, & coordinate laboratory exercises
Revise and produce quarterly lab manual
In collaboration with faculty instructor, oversee and participate in course grading
Communicate with DRS and students with DRS accommodations.
Work with department and university staff to ensure course materials and websites comply with accessibility standards.
Manage course webpages and coordinate updates with faculty; configure online exercises as needed; arrange for lecture video-recording; interact with departmental computing staff when necessary
Organize, set up, break down and oversee BIO 200 laboratories.
Locate, prepare, and order lab materials and equipment.
Be available during laboratory sections to support TAs and, on an as needed basis, cover laboratory sections if TAs are absent
Work with instructional services manager to monitor course fee expenditures and laboratory budgets
Maintain compliance of laboratory spaces with UW Environmental Health and Safety guidelines.
Work with faculty to support TA professional development through planned activities, mentorship, and feedback
Present content and technical aspects of each week’s lab activity during weekly TA meetings
Coordinate exam and assignment grading.
Train TAs on grading best practices and using grading software.
Explain rubric and grading practices to TAs for each assignment, answer TA questions regarding grading.
Coordinate TA training, scheduling, and preparation for laboratory sections each quarter
Work with multiple faculty instructors to maintain course documentation across quarters
Facilitate monthly meetings of the faculty team to maintain course continuity
Use collaborative decision making processes to regularly review course policies and practices and update based on student, faculty, and institutional feedback