Teaching Assistant Professor, Futures Program

Colorado School of Mines • Colorado Springs, CO

2d • $73,000 - $95,000

About The Position

Engineering a world of possibilities The Earth and Society Programs Portfolio at The Colorado School of Mines invites applications for a Teaching Assistant Faculty position in the Futures core curriculum, with an anticipated start in Fall 2026. We seek a creative and ambitious teacher whose work complements and expands our strengths in this unique Signature Student Experience program. Candidates whose expertise and experience bridge multiple subfields and bring the ability to connect industry, communities, national research institutions, etc. are especially encouraged to apply. While faculty in this position have an explicit focus on teaching in the Futures course for the ESP portfolio, the faculty will still have a locus of position in one of three departments: the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Department (HASS), the Engineering, Design, and Society Department (EDS) or the Economics and Business Department (EB). The location of position will be determined as part of the interview process. Joint appointments are also possible, including within the key collaborating departments or other STEM programs on campus. Teaching faculty at Mines also participate in department and university governance and have the opportunity for promotion. These departments are looking for superb educators who inspire students and engage in modern pedagogical approaches, while embodying and advancing the University’s commitment to preparing students for success in their time at Mines and beyond. Faculty in this position will be expected to teach in 3 sections of the Futures course for each of the Fall and Spring semesters. Additional service will also be expected and focused on efforts that also contribute to growth and support of the Futures program. The Futures Program: Futures is an innovative and interdisciplinary course included in the Mines core curriculum. Every semester approximately 900 undergraduate students in their 1st or 2nd year will be enrolled in the course. Each class has 150 students and is taught by no less than 5 faculty members who are associated with fields and departments across campus. Each class is further sectioned into cohorts that rotate through 4 simultaneously taught 4-week seminar modules with these different instructors. While the instructors teach their specific expertise, they all focus their lens’ around a main course theme. Each class has its own theme relevant to the future (e.g., Energy Futures, Technology Futures, Critical Resources Futures, etc.). Ultimately each student goes through multiple 4-week seminars with instructors that focus on the main theme in a variety of ways, thus gaining knowledge and experience with multiple perspectives and systems awareness around a theme relevant to the complex future ahead. The Futures program is administratively housed in the Earth and Society Programs Portfolio but as the course is a required core curriculum offering, students and faculty across all disciplines and majors participate. This course intentionally highlights the complex integration of important perspectives and systems that contribute to many themes of the Future incorporating social, technical, environmental, economic, humanitarian, and policy considerations in every offering. Candidate Background and Areas of Teaching Competency: We specifically invite candidates with strong interdisciplinary interests and backgrounds. Regardless of disciplinary background, candidates must demonstrate sustained interest in complex systems and STEM-relevant theme integration. Preferred candidates will be able to demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate instruction, impact of relevant pedagogies, and productive collaborations with scholars across disciplines. Relevant disciplinary backgrounds include futures studies, earth and environmental studies, social sciences, business and economics, engineering design, humanities, education, policy and law, and any other related sociotechnical or society and STEM integrated areas of focus. Special consideration will be given to candidates that can communicate how they can specifically contribute to the current and emergent themes of the Futures course. These themes focus on areas of Mines excellence and often represent the Future of Mine’s Undergraduate, Graduate, and Interdisciplinary programs. Some themes of the Futures classes include: Energy (e.g., global needs and expansion, resources, renewable) Earth and Environment (e.g., water, disaster mitigation, sustainability, water) Advancing Technology (e.g., quantum computing, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research and Impact Community and Development Human Health and Wellness Focused Fields and Industries (e.g., space resources, polar and glacial studies, construction) Teaching in Futures: Because Faculty in the Futures Teaching Assistant Professor position will be expected to teach in 3 sections of the Futures course for each semester, they will need to be committed to and competent in both types of instructor roles (theme instructor and seminar instructor) and will need to be ready to provide education and experiences to a number of themes simultaneously. Theme instructors oversee the full class and support the 150 students through the full semester with intermittent classroom days centered around learning objectives of reflection and values identification, theme expansion, and perspective integration. Seminar instructors teach a 4-week seminar three times over the semester to three different cohorts of 35-40 students. All instructors are responsible for stewarding greater understanding of complex systems and installing a value for futures orientation and preparedness. All Futures instructors are also expected to contribute to the identification and organization of additional outside events and opportunities that facilitate experiential learning and expand theme awareness and appreciation beyond the classroom.

Requirements

• Education: One or more advanced degrees (terminal or appropriate for the field) in a discipline relevant to the Futures curriculum by the time the appointment begins.
• Experience teaching at the university level (undergraduate especially)
• Ability to lead discussion-based or seminar-style learning environments.
• Competency in navigating learning management systems (e.g., Canvas or similar platforms).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, particularly in supporting colleague collaboration and facilitating student engagement.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated record of excellence in teaching, student support, and cultivating thriving communities in education.
• Experience teaching first-year or general education students at the undergraduate level.
• Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement of broader impact approaches to curriculum creation and delivery.
• Experience teaching or collaborating in interdisciplinary, STEM-adjacent, or socio-technical contexts.
• Experience with interdisciplinary program development or thematic course design.
• Interest in pedagogies that support sense of belonging, identity development, and student engagement
• Skills in designing and assessing reflective, portfolio-based, or project-based student work.
• Commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments.
• Interest in further offering mentorship and non-classroom-based learning opportunities and developmental support to students regardless of class enrollment.

Responsibilities

• Participate extensively in the delivery of the Futures courses
• Develop and refine curriculum for the Futures program that is valuable and approachable to whole undergraduate population
• Collaborate with other faculty and the Futures leadership team to prepare, deliver, evaluate and continuously innovate and refine the course.
• Supervise and mentor undergraduate students in coursework, continuing education, and student worker positions, including former futures students and futures student graders.
• Engage in service to Mines, including membership in department and university committees

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution of 12%
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Access to an on-campus daycare center
• Free RTD Ecopass for regional bus and light rail transportation
• Mines’ leadership and innovation bring proximity and access to several research centers, consortia, agencies, labs, and leading-edge technology.
• All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree