Assistant/Associate Adjunct Faculty in Communication: Writing Circles (COMM 190)

Saint Mary’s College of California

Moraga, CA

ID: 7122096
Posted: January 25, 2023
Application Deadline: January 25, 2023

Job Description

Assistant/Associate Adjunct Faculty in Communication: Writing Circles (COMM 190)

Location: Moraga, CA

Open Date: Jan 23, 2023

Deadline: Jan 25, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description:
Background:

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary's is a residential campus nestled 20 miles east of San Francisco in the picturesque Moraga Valley. Based in the Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions, Saint Mary's currently enrolls more than 4,000 students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate and graduate programs. The De La Salle Christian Brothers, the largest teaching order of the Roman Catholic Church, guide the spiritual and academic character of the College.

As a comprehensive and independent institution, Saint Mary's offers undergraduate and graduate programs integrating liberal and professional education. Saint Mary's reputation for excellence, innovation and responsiveness in education stems from its vibrant heritage as a Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts institution. An outstanding, committed faculty and staff that value shared inquiry, integrative learning and student interaction bring these traditions to life in the 21st century. The College is committed to the educational benefits of diversity.

The Communication Department seeks to hire a per-course faculty member to teach Comm 190, Writing Circles in the Spring of 2023.

Class meeting days/time to be determined.

Courses will be taught in person, on campus.

Course Description

The .25-credit Writing Circles undergraduate or graduate course consists of facilitated discussion groups of three to five students who meet weekly to peer review their projects at all stages of the process. The instructor facilitates the students' growth as writers and analytical peer collaborators.

Parameters of Instructor's' Work
● Facilitate each Circle for 65 minutes per week, 12 weeks each term, or the equivalent.
● Confer individually with students, as necessary.
● Communicate with professors, as necessary.
● Observe other facilitators' Circles.
● Mentor each other: returning facilitators mentor new facilitators.
● Weekly, contribute to internal reflection blog for Circle facilitators.
● Monthly, participate in planning and faculty-development sessions.
● As needed, contribute to bank of writing resources in the discipline your Circle students are writing.

Dependability
● Arrive before start time of Circle, or notify CWAC Administrative Assistant or Associate Director.
● When absent, arrange for a substitute from among others who are currently teaching or have taught Writing Circles. If a substitute is unavailable, reschedule the missed Circle.
● Respond to communications within 24 hours.

Appointment and Re-appointment
The CWAC Director and Associate Director review letters of application, CVs, recommendations, and student evaluations, if available, and hold interviews. The Director or Associate Director meets annually with each facilitator to discuss Circle student evaluations, materials, and observations. In practice, this discussion has proven to be a generative learning experience. Re-appointment is contingent on successful facilitation of Circles and student demand for Writing Circles.

Course Loads
The number of Circles per instructor is determined by student demand and typically solidified between the second and fourth week of the semester. Instructors are paid a 1.0 course load for every six Circles. This is calculated according to the number of Circles instructed in a given semester:
one Circle = .17 course
two Circles = .33 course
three Circles = .5 course
four Circles = .66 course
five Circles = .83 course
six Circles = 1 course

Qualifications:

Candidates must hold a graduate degree in Rhetoric and Composition, or a related field plus Rhetoric and Composition graduate coursework, or be pursuing a graduate degree at SMC that includes Rhetoric and Composition coursework. Preference given to candidates with terminal degrees.

Candidates must be experienced teaching discussion-based courses, including facilitating small groups, and knowledgeable about writing in the disciplines. Preference given to candidates who have taught Writing Circles in CWAC in the past.

Candidates must have completed the CWAC Circle Facilitator training:
○ Observe 6 student Writing Circles or participate in 6 faculty Writing Circles.
○ Participate in 1 Facilitator faculty-development session.
○ Participate in the 6-hour pre-semester workshop.

Participate in the college’s GUIDE (Gaels Uniting for Inclusion and Diversity Through Education) workshop

Participate in the college’s Safe Zone I and II trainings

Applicants must reside in California.

To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/3826086

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