Part Time Faculty of First Year Experience

Trinity Univesity • Waxahachie, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Trinity University is seeking a Part-Time Faculty for the Fall 2026 semester to teach the following course(s): The First-Year Experience - Why People Believe Weird Things. The First-Year Experience is a team-taught course designed to instruct students in how to analyze and discuss academic texts and ideas, and to produce college-level academic writing and presentations. Sections of 12-15 students take this course every day (each instructor teaches two days per week, and there is one plenary each week). Courses in a wide variety of topics are available, led by faculty topic coordinators. This particular instructor will join a team teaching the FYE topic “Why People Believe Weird Things” (no experience in this topic is necessary - all course content is already prepared and plug-in ready; new instructors are paired with veteran instructors from many different disciplines across the university). In this FYE, we explore the weaknesses of human logic and emotion that cause us to embrace false conclusions. We explore fringe beliefs like those of flat-earthers, Holocaust deniers, and conspiracy theorists… but also the not-so-fringe world: popular movements and widely-held assumptions about our world that you may have never thought to even question. Why does evidence not change peoples' minds, but actually entrench them in their original views? Do ‘experts’ matter, and who gets to be called an ‘expert’ on something? Why are we seeing a resurgence of deeply polarized and tribal politics? And in the end, if we are brave enough to try, how could we possibly persuade the unpersuadable?

Requirements

• Masters degree (or higher, or equivalent) in any field of study.

Nice To Haves

• Experience teaching college-level writing and organizing classroom seminar-style discussion.
• Can lead engaged discussions and in-class activities
• Can help students become better writers, speakers, and critical thinkers.
• Can provide feedback and grading on students’ written and oral work.

Responsibilities

• Lead undergraduate sections of 12-15 students through in-person class discussions of assigned class readings and pre-programmed activities exploring the topic.
• Provide instruction in researching and writing quality academic essays.
• Evaluate and provide the students with appropriate feedback on their written and oral work.
• Be available to help students at regular, designated times outside class time (i.e. holding some regular weekly office hours on campus).
• Attend weekly meetings with other FYE instructors (Mon. 12:30-1:30pm, can be done remotely and/or recorded as needed)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level