Teaching and Course Coordinator

University of Guelph•Guelph, ON

About The Position

This laboratory and course coordinator position will support laboratory and teaching activities in the Department of Human Health Sciences within the College of Biological Sciences. Teaching support instructors/technicians work in collaboration with faculty in the design and delivery of lab, field, online and/or other experiential aspects of undergraduate and graduate courses. The candidate will have a strong foundation in human physiology, with particular emphasis on exercise physiology and biomechanics. The candidate will administer, coordinate, and deliver distance education, laboratory, and alternate format courses. Duties include coordination, development, and administration of content, materials, student assessments, development of activities and assignments, management of online discussions, and support and knowledge exchange with faculty, teaching staff, and graduate teaching assistants for effective teaching. Outside of laboratory or marking activities, this position will serve central roles in maintaining departmental priorities. This position will interact with a host of different groups including high school, undergraduate and graduate students, special populations, a wide variety of health care professionals and the general public. This position will also serve as a connector of undergraduate and graduate student groups and coordinate volunteer groups. This position reports to the Chair of Human Health Sciences.

Requirements

MSc in Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics or related fields.
Master’s degrees are required for the instruction and training of undergraduate and graduate students.
Up to 3 years of related experience.

Nice To Haves

Academic and practical experience with exercise physiology and biomechanics teaching, research and testing techniques.
Safe, respectful and ethical interactions with human participants.
Working in a dynamic teaching and research environment.
Coordinating teams of people.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Learner-centred and student-engaged philosophy.
Advanced teaching experience, especially in lab settings.
Health and safety standards and regulations governing human participants in laboratories.
Highly competent/efficient use of computers (PC and MAC) and audio-visual technology equipment.
Competent in public engagement, communications and social media.
Strong communication, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, time management, and organizational skills are needed to manage large numbers of students, as is the ability to effectively deal with difficult situations and people.
Experience in collaborative projects as well as the ability to work independently, as well the capacity both to take direction and to act as a leader in appropriate contexts.
A sound knowledge of biological principles and familiarity with relevant analytical methods, techniques, and equipment used in lab courses.
The ability to communicate effectively with groups of people and to instruct classes of varying sizes and formats.
First Aid and CPR training and any other relevant medical training.

Responsibilities

Lead/teach laboratory-based content for courses, specialized skills training, and outreach-based educational sessions to various groups including graduate students, undergraduate students, high school students, medical and health care professionals.
Assist students with comprehension of course content, especially regarding experiential components like labs, seminars, tutorials, and online discussions.
Grade multiple forms of assessment/learning activities and provide prompt feedback in collaboration with the teaching team, including grading lab assessments.
Assess students for skills-based credentials.
Schedule seminars, manage online units, and various forms of student assessment (assignments, quizzes, tests, discussions, exams).
Invigilate exams, calculate and compile grade records, manage gradebooks, and calculate/submit final grades.
Liaise with the Office of the Registrar, Centre for Open Learning and Educational Support, Departmental Administration, Academic Counsellors, the Centre for Students with Disabilities, and the University Bookstore.
Ensure laboratory is set up for all laboratory periods by coordinating efforts of laboratory technicians, teaching assistants, upper-year mentors, and volunteers.
Manage communication with students via course websites, email, electronic conferencing, phone discussions, and in person during office hours, seminars, and labs.
Organize and manage the work of teaching assistants and upper-year mentors related to laboratory-based teaching.
Resolve marking disputes and communication issues between students and graduate teaching assistants.
Provide guidance, instruction, work scheduling, work delegation, and training to graduate teaching assistants and new staff.
Conduct meetings, delegate duties and responsibilities to graduate teaching assistants as appropriate.
Ensure laboratory is set up and teaching needs are addressed for all outreach sessions and departmental/university events.
Assess course needs each semester and organize all supplies, equipment, and materials cost-effectively for course delivery.
Manage and resolve technical issues arising from the use of computer courseware and AV equipment.
Communicate and coordinate with teaching faculty to ensure laboratory-based teaching objectives of undergraduate and graduate courses are met.
Manage the setup of exams (in-person and/or online).
Independently research, analyze, develop, assemble, prepare, implement, and deliver high-quality teaching materials, laboratory manuals, advanced instructional text, figures, illustrations, multiple forms of student assessment, marking schemes, and rubrics.
Provide timely and constructive feedback regarding laboratory aspects of courses to faculty, departmental/college representatives.
Evaluate feedback from students, graduate teaching assistants, teaching support instructors, learning specialists, and teaching faculty to design and implement necessary laboratory-based course revisions.
Research, analyze, develop, assemble, and implement regular updates to laboratory-based aspects of courses, course manuals, instructional techniques, and course websites.
Take a leadership role in course delivery, working independently or collaboratively with co-authors/instructors.
Oversee critical health and safety standards for assigned teaching labs.
Ensure University of Guelph health and safety guidelines are adhered to by all personnel and students in assigned teaching labs.
Schedule and train all personnel associated with assigned teaching labs (health and safety, AV technology, lab equipment, etc.).
Ensure appropriate task delegation for all participants.
Supervise and mentor teaching assistants, upper-year mentors, and volunteers in assigned teaching labs.
Serve as a member of Departmental/College/University committees as assigned by the department Chair.
Organize and coordinate student placement work for volunteers, internships, etc., including the Health and Performance Centre volunteer program.
Support the Institute for LIFE management team regarding outreach, communications, event planning, and coordination.
Act as a department liaison with undergraduate student associations to coordinate activities.
Engage in professional development activities such as participating in workshops, conferences, and educational meetings.
Perform other duties as assigned.