Career Center

POSTING DATE: 11/18/2021

CLOSING DATE: Open until filled

HIRING SALARY: Commensurate with education and experience

POSITION TYPE: EHRA Faculty, 10-month, 1.0 FTE

See a full-color position profile at https://www.ncssm.edu/morgantonjobs/americanstudies&humanities.

The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) invites applications for full-time Instructors of American Studies and Humanities at its new campus in Morganton, North Carolina. This recruitment is for five vacancies. Positions are 10-month, permanent-track positions with full benefits through the State of North Carolina.

We invite and welcome all applications for employment within our institution. NCSSM is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. If you are an individual with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process, please contact us at (919) 416-2662.

Description of Duties:

Founded in 1980, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is a state-supported residential and online high school for students who have demonstrated exceptional talent or interest in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Since the school’s inception, the humanities and fine arts have been an integral part of an NCSSM education and have played a key role in helping the institution fulfill its mission to cultivate a new generation of informed, empathetic, engaged, and ethical citizens and leaders.

The five positions are full-time, ten-month appointments in the Department of Humanities at the NCSSM-Morganton campus, with full benefits through the State of North Carolina. The positions report to the Chair of Humanities, NCSSM-Morganton, and are responsible for providing instruction in American Studies, senior-level cultural studies courses, and humanities interdisciplinary elective courses, all with an emphasis on critical reading, critical thinking, and academic writing. The expected teaching assignment for each position is three course sections per semester. The heart of NCSSM Humanities is our American Studies Program, the core experience for all juniors. American Studies doubles as the base of the NCSSM Writing Program, which emphasizes writing-as-reasoning. American Studies at NCSSM-Morganton will take advantage of the campus’s focus on data science to incorporate aspects of data analysis in the study of the American cultural fabric. As seniors, students choose from a variety of cultural studies courses, such as African Studies; Asian Studies; British Literature and Culture; Classical Myth: Epic and Tragedy; Latin American Studies; Literature and Philosophy in the Twentieth Century; Modern World Fiction; Research in the Humanities; Shakespeare Now; Southern Studies; STEM and the Stage; courses focused on Western European cultures; and various topics courses. Interdisciplinary humanities electives include Black Studies; Critical Race Theory; Digital Humanities; Ecocriticism; Film Studies; Topics in the Study of Religion; Twenty-first Century Media Studies; and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. General electives include courses in creative writing, economics, entrepreneurship, international relations, political theory, psychology, and sociology. Offerings in our Fine Arts program include studio and performance courses in the visual arts, music, and drama.

Humanities Faculty are responsible for developing and teaching innovative and engaging humanities curricula, with a focus on interdisciplinary studies, in NCSSM’s residential and highly interactive online programs. Faculty should plan on playing an enthusiastic role with colleagues across all campuses of the school in ongoing conversations and collaborations about ideas, goals, pedagogical methods, and authentic assessments in NCSSM’s teaching and learning environment.

Other responsibilities include:

• Develop and communicate to students clear course objectives and goals;
• Plan and develop an instructional program that helps students assimilate specific course content and skills;
• Hold office hours and tutorial sessions as outlined by the Department of Humanities;
• Regularly monitor and evaluate students’ progress, providing them with resources and feedback on their performance;
• Structure and manage an environment conducive to learning;
• Model for students responsibility to self and others;
• Follow the school’s philosophy, policies, and procedures;
• Participate in departmental, faculty, and staff meetings;
• Serve on departmental, faculty, and school-wide standing committees;
• Write recommendations for as many as 15 students each year, as requested;
• Serve as a January-Term sponsor;
• Participate in professional development and personal intellectual growth activities;
• Participate in one or more of the following activities:
• Provide information, service, and expertise to other schools and organizations;
• Assist students with special projects, independent and individual study, and seminar-based studies;
• Participate in the NCSSM admissions process by recruiting, selecting, and advising prospective students;
• Participate in NCSSM alumni activities;
• Provide assistance for school-sponsored programs and extracurricular activities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Since NCSSM is committed to an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the humanities, applicants should have a wide-ranging knowledge of literature and its cultural and historical contexts, a passion for teaching and learning, and a love of ideas, combined with a commitment to serving as mentor and guide for students — both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Applicants should be able and willing to use appropriate educational technology to engage students in learning, in both face-to-face and remote settings. Applicants should be dedicated to continual growth, both as teachers and learners. Since all NCSSM faculty and staff are expected to support the intellectual, cultural, emotional, and social growth of students — responsibilities that transcend a traditional high school or college teaching schedule — applicants should bring to the work a keen commitment to participating actively in the multi-dimensional life of the NCSSM community. Since data science will be one focus of the academic program at the NCSSM-Morganton campus, we welcome applicants who have interest or experience in using the tools of data analysis in the study of the humanities and social sciences.

About NCSSM:

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) challenges academically talented students from across the state with a comprehensive curriculum including highly specialized courses in science, technology, engineering/computer science, and mathematics. NCSSM opened in 1980 as something of an academic experiment: Would something excellent happen if we gathered together a highly motivated and diverse student body with a critical mass of equally motivated, accomplished, credentialed, and diverse faculty within a space dedicated to the power of the scientific method? Four decades later, NCSSM has built a firmly rooted reputation as an academic powerhouse, educating intellectually gifted students from every corner of the state, representing rural and urban communities, and all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Eleven states and several countries worldwide have since used NCSSM as the model for their own programs.

Today, as in 1980, the mission of NCSSM, an intellectually stimulating, diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community, is to:

• educate and nurture academically talented students to become state, national, and global leaders,
• increase access to high quality public education in North Carolina, and
• cultivate engaged citizens who will work for the betterment of the world,

through challenging programs, with an emphasis on STEM, driven by the pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Altogether, nearly 1,500 North Carolina students from all 13 congressional districts and nearly all 100 counties are enrolled in one of our three signature programs: our residential diploma program, our online certificate program or our Open Enrollment Distance Education program. Our Open Enrollment courses, taught via interactive video conferencing, expand local offerings to include enrichments and advanced coursework otherwise unavailable in students’ home communities. NCSSM instructors teach live to classrooms statewide daily, broadcasting more synchronous video than any other public provider in the state.

By 2022, NCSSM will expand to an additional campus in Morganton, NC. Funded by the Connect NC Bond, legislative appropriations, and private philanthropic gifts, the campus will initially accommodate 300 additional residential diploma program students as well as increased distance education enrollment.

NCSSM has more than 11,000 alumni, nearly all of whom attended colleges and universities (a great majority within our own top NC public universities) and nearly three-quarters of whom have earned or are seeking a graduate degree. According to a 2019 survey of alumni who attended the school between 1980 and 2018, 64 percent of NCSSM college graduates earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field -- over three times the national average for high school graduates. And 58 percent of NCSSM underrepresented minority (URM) graduates earn an undergraduate degree in a STEM field -- nearly four times the national average for URM students. A 2020 economic impact study found that 54 percent of our alumni continue to live and work in North Carolina, catalyzing nearly $1.3 billion in economic activity and making priceless contributions to our quality of life as teachers, physicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and other community leaders. Many of our graduates, the oldest of whom are in their mid-50s, refer to their time at NCSSM as “life-changing” and continue to support their alma mater with charitable gifts, volunteerism, and other purposeful engagement.

Our school is a full constituent of the University of North Carolina System and is governed and supported by the UNC Board of Governors, NCSSM Board of Trustees, NCSSM Foundation, NCSSM Alumni Association, NCSSM Parent Association, NCSSM Faculty Senate, NCSSM Staff Senate, and NCSSM Student Government Association. Notably, a representative from each of our Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Government Association serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of our Board of Trustees.

NCSSM operates as a free public school open to qualified NC students, regardless of financial means. We generate more than 10 percent of our institutional budget from private donations, a ratio that will likely increase as we undertake a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Consistent with our founding and governance, the institution is guided by a standing strategic plan. Though goals may shift from time to time, our core beliefs have remained fundamentally unchanged since our establishment:

• Our greatest resource is the capability and creative capacity of the human mind.
• Everyone is unique and has intrinsic value.
• Diversity and inclusion enrich and strengthen lives and communities.
• Embracing challenge inspires growth and the pursuit of excellence.
• Individuals are responsible for their choices and actions.
• With opportunity, support, and effort all people can realize their full potential.
• A nurturing community develops the well-being of the whole person.
• Service to others builds and strengthens our community.
• Environmental stewardship and resource sustainability are a shared responsibility.
• A passion for learning throughout life leads to success and fulfillment.
• Collaboration fosters learning, ignites innovation, and cultivates community.
• Adhering to high ethical standards is essential for a community to function and flourish.
• Access to high quality public education is essential to a free, democratic society.

How to Apply:

Submit electronic application via: http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northcarolina/. Please create an account, search for the Instructor of American Studies and Humanities position vacancy, and submit the online application. Please attach a cover letter, CV, and statement of teaching philosophy to the online application before submitting.

Please complete your application in full. All required Competencies, Work History, and Credentials must appear on the application in the Education and Work Experience sections of the application to receive consideration during the selection process. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing the State Application form in its entirety. “See Attached Resume or an Embedded Text Resume” will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Final candidates are subject to criminal and sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require a motor vehicle check. If the highest degree is from an institution outside of the U.S., final candidates are required to have their degree equivalency verified at www.wes.org or equivalent service. NCSSM participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Please refrain from submitting multiple applications. However, if multiple applications are submitted to a posting, only the most recent application received prior to the posting close date will be accepted. There is a 24-hour waiting period before an applicant can re-apply to a position.

If you have questions, please contact Eric Hunsley, Assistant Director of Human Resources, at eric.hunsley@ncssm.edu.

NCSSM is an EEO/eVerify/VEVRAA Employer

Master’s degree in American Studies, English, comparative literature, history, cultural studies, gender studies, digital humanities, social science, or a related field within the humanities, with a proven record of effective and inspiring teaching, preferably with advanced high school or undergraduate students. Successful candidates will be able to take on the assignment of teaching American Studies, the core Humanities experience for all NCSSM juniors.

Desired:

Successful teaching experience of humanities-based, interdisciplinary courses, preferably with advanced high school or undergraduate students. Willingness to teach in both NCSSM’s residential and online programs, with experience in using educational technology to teach remotely; experience or interest in developing innovative curricula across disciplines; experience in teaching writing as a tool and extension of thought, a means by which students integrate and articulate what they have learned; ability to teach American Studies as well as variety of interdisciplinary humanities courses. Experience or interest in teaching Digital Humanities or in using the tools of data analysis in the study of the humanities and social sciences is a plus.

Please attach a cover letter, CV, and statement of teaching philosophy to the online application before submitting.