Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor & Librarian, University of Missouri-Columbia, Kansas City, MO

Posted January 19, 2018

Non-Tenure Track Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor & Librarian School of Information Science & Learning Technologies, University of Missouri – Columbia

The iSchool at University of Missouri Miller Nichols Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City 

The School of Information Science & Learning Technologies (SISLT), Missouri’s iSchool, seeks a candidate for an innovative position that integrates teaching and professional practice with outreach and advocacy. This non-tenure track (NTT) position is housed within the University of Missouri-Columbia, but located at the University of Missouri – Kansas City campus.

This position builds on a successful cross-campus initiative first piloted in 2001, with the intention of providing on-site teaching, advising, and networking opportunities for SISLT students. The successful candidate will work in the Kansas City area, providing 30% of their contract time to UMKC, typically through library service (e.g., reference, collection management, etc.), and 70% of their time to MU by teaching courses, providing advising and practicum supervision to students in Kansas City and Western Missouri, promoting the iSchool in the Kansas City and Western Missouri region, and service to SISLT. The position serves as a liaison between SISLT and students, prospective students, and adjunct faculty in the Kansas City area. Courses are taught in both online and hybrid (using online and face-to-face meetings) modes. 

Minimum Qualifications

• ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Science
• Second master’s degree or other graduate degree
• Commitment to library and information science (LIS) and LIS education
• Willingness to teach graduate-level courses in an online or hybrid environment
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially in person and online, establishing networks with regional LIS practitioners to secure student practicums and internships, working with remote colleagues and regional liaisons
• Ability to work closely with Kansas City area practitioners to secure student practicums and internships and develop relationships with stakeholders
• Willingness and ability to travel to Columbia, MO and surrounding regions throughout the year
• Willingness to actively participate in assessment activities.
• Commitment to public service and enthusiasm for work in libraries and related fields
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Candidates will be evaluated on the following factors:

• Experience teaching graduate-level courses in an online or hybrid environment
• Ability to create and implement interactive or online learning environments, objects, and content
• Evidence of service participation in state and national professional organizations
• Proven project management ability and organizational skills
• Ability to advise and provide instructional and practicum supervision to a diverse graduate student body
• Strategies for maintaining a vibrant student community in the Kansas City areas
• Teaching abilities in two or more of the following areas: cataloging and classification; collections access and management; library and educational services for distance students; budgeting and management skills for information agencies; copyright, business information; electronic resources; evaluation and assessment; advocacy and marketing; and/or online education and information technologies for teaching and learning.

About the iSchool/SISLT: The mission of the iSchool — School of Information Science & Learning Technologies is to improve the professional practice of information specialists and learning technologists; advance research on information, learning, and performance; disseminate knowledge, products, and services to improve the quality of life for all; and advance the economic well-being of Missouri and the Nation. 

As a member of the iSchool consortium (http://ischools.org), SISLT faculty share the common fundamental interest of all iSchools in investigating and disseminating knowledge about the relationship between information, people, and technology. SISLT faculty demonstrate strong interdisciplinary collaboration among its members, with other academic units at the University of Missouri, national, and international partners.

The iSchool offers the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree in addition to Master of Science (MS) and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degrees in Educational Technology, a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Information Science & Learning Technologies, as well as Graduate Certificate programs in Digital Humanities; Usability and User Experience; and Online Learning. SISLT houses the only library and information science program in the State of Missouri that is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). 

SISLT faculty maintain active research programs in areas including Library and Information Science, Digital Humanities, Information Literacy, Book and Media History, Information Behavior, Public Libraries, Archival Studies, Digital Scholarship, Services to Children and Teenagers, Learning Technologies, Games for Learning, and Social Computing.

SISLT is one of five academic units within the College of Education, all of which promote continuous improvement as one of the college’s core values.

About the College of Education: The College of Education is ranked among the top doctoral granting colleges of education in the country. Today, the College has a student population of approximately 900 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students with 72 tenured/tenure-track and 25 full-time non-tenure track faculty members. The College is financially well positioned to invest in innovation. Annual expenditures for externally funded projects are approximately $20 million with funded projects in research, instruction and public service. Our research portfolio has increased significantly in recent years, and is poised for continued significant strategic growth. The College is a leader on the campus and is nationally recognized for its distance and online education programs.

About Miller Nichols Library and UMKC Miller Nichols Library is the largest library at a mid-sized university in the heart of Kansas City’s vibrant, socially-conscious, and affordable community. The University has an institutionwide commitment to diversity and multiculturalism and strives to create a welcoming environment where faculty and staff feel valued for their contribution. The UMKC University Libraries are in the midst of several facility upgrades that will enhance student learning with collaborative learning spaces and technologies. The Libraries makes a commitment to supporting and developing all library faculty so that they may be successful in meeting university, library, and personal goals

UMKC is a comprehensive research university library at America’s creative crossroads in an affordable and vibrant city seeks candidates with energy, creativity, flexibility, and strong commitment to public services.

UMKC exemplifies the values of education first, innovation, accountability, diversity, and collaboration. UMKC holds a firm commitment to engage and lead the larger community in a variety of ways appropriate to its status as a forward-thinking cultural, intellectual and educational center. The UMKC University Libraries are in the midst of several facility upgrades that will enhance student learning with collaborative learning spaces and innovative technologies.

Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Appointment: Non-tenure track twelve-month appointment beginning September 1, 2018

To Apply: Apply on-line at http://hrs.missouri.edu/find-a-job/academic/index.php. Search for Job ID: 25373. All candidates should upload (a) a letter of application describing the position to which you are applying and detailing your qualifications for the position, including which classes or subject areas you are prepared to teach; (b) philosophy of teaching statement; (c) a syllabus for a course you have designed and/or taught, and (d) names and contact information for three references in the Attachments section of the application. For candidates applying at the Associate level, additionally send evidence of teaching effectiveness (course syllabi, student evaluations, chair/advisor/peer reviews). Your CV must be uploaded in the Resume/CV and Cover Letter section.

Please contact Associate Professor Denice Adkins, Search Committee Chair, [email protected] for questions about the position.

Beginning Review Date: To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by February 1, 2018; and continue until the position is filled.

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer: Women, minorities and disabled individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. To request ADA accommodations, please contact the Dean’s Office at 573-882-8524. The University of Missouri is fully committed to achieving the goal of a diverse and inclusive academic community of faculty, staff and students. We seek individuals who are committed to this goal and our core campus values of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence.