Assistant Professor, Environmental Education

Assistant Professor, Environmental Education

Job Summary

The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University (https://www.fgcu.edu/thewaterschool/) is hiring 9 faculty for Fall 2023 across a range of disciplines related to water and the environment. The Water School is an interdisciplinary enterprise that brings together faculty from five colleges and schools representing 15 departments to focus on the environmental, economic, and human dimensions of coastal resilience, ecosystem integrity, health and wellbeing, and restoration and remediation.

This appointment will be made at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies and will serve as liaison between FGCU and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida on their joint Environmental Education and Outreach Initiative.

The Water School encourages nominations for and applications from qualified individuals with research and teaching experience in Environmental Education. The Assistant Professor of Environmental Education will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and will have the opportunity to develop new courses, build a productive program of research/scholarship that involves students, participate on university committees, and perform other duties as assigned. There is potential to collaborate with interdisciplinary centers across campus, including the Center for Environment and Society in The Water School, and with other faculty who focus on issues of diversity and environmental justice. As liaison for the joint FGCU/Conservancy of Southwest Florida Environmental Education and Outreach Program, the successful candidate will also spend part of their time at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, located in Naples (https://conservancy.org/).

FGCU is dedicated to quality education, research, and service. Faculty are expected to be excellent teachers who are responsive to changing professional needs, committed to innovative delivery of instruction that results in improved student learning, produce high-quality peer reviewed scholarship, and serve the university and the local community, as appropriate. Primary teaching responsibilities will be on the main campus and at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

With an enrollment of nearly 16,000 students, FGCU has a main campus of 800 acres with LEED-certified buildings and 400 acres of protected habitat. The university's award-winning initiatives in education, energy production, research, and sustainable practices make us one of the nation's greenest campuses. FGCU is located in beautiful Southwest Florida, known for its beaches, resorts, nature preserves, and outdoor recreation. Located between the cities of Fort Myers and Naples, FGCU is just two hours by car from the major cities of St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Miami, and 15 minutes from the Southwest Florida International Airport. The region is surrounded by water—important estuaries to the north, Lake Okeechobee to the east, the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west—providing an unparalleled setting to study all facets of water and environmental issues.

FGCU launched The Water School on World Water Day in 2019, sending a message that the University and the State of Florida were making a significant investment in water and the environment in Southwest Florida. By bringing together faculty and staff from across the university, The Water School is addressing pressing issues of regional concern by developing sustainable solutions to ensure that future generations inherit a Southwest Florida that is full of opportunity and is renowned for its quality of life.

Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to establishing and maintaining an inclusive working and learning environment in which students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities, governance, and all other aspects of the campus life reflect a diverse, multi-cultural, and international worldview.

At FGCU, we collectively stand against any individual or group that practices any form of racism, discrimination, intolerance, hate expressions, or disrespect. We are committed to preparing students to understand, live among, appreciate, and work in an inherently diverse country and world made up of people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, religious beliefs, abilities, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, socio-economic status, cultural traditions, family statuses, and military backgrounds. FGCU strives to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our University stronger. The University community recognizes the importance of a diverse and inclusive institution and holds these ideals as paramount for the current and future success of the institution.

We seek colleagues who promote and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position as we believe that our University will grow and move forward through a commitment of equality for all.

Because of its interdisciplinary structure and its connections with other colleges across campus, The Water School presents a good opportunity for professional couples looking for a new academic home.

Job Description

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Develop and teach assigned courses: prepare syllabi and instruction materials, coordinate lectures, evaluate students and maintain highest possible standards of classroom instruction.

• Collaborate with other faculty to develop/revise curriculum.

• Develop and maintain an independent and productive research/scholarship program that also involves students.

• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students, as appropriate, in research.

• Seek external funding to support research program, including students.

• Demonstrate quality of research through peer-review.

• Stay current with new developments in field of instruction and maintain disciplinary skills through professional development activities appropriate to higher education faculty.

• Actively serve on university committees and participate in institutional meetings.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Other Duties

This position will serve as the University's liaison with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida (https://www.conservancy.org/%29) overseeing the FGCU/Conservancy Environmental Education and Outreach Program. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a leading environmental conservation organization dedicated to protecting Southwest Florida's land, water, wildlife, and future. The Conservancy campus is located only 30 minutes from FGCU and is home to a state-of-the-art nature center that hosts on-site environmental education programs and a mobile classroom for outreach programming, prioritizing underserved learners in our region. It is anticipated that this position will spend approximately 40% of their time on Conservancy/FGCU Environmental Education and Outreach development and implementation. Responsibilities include recruiting and managing FGCU interns at the Conservancy, leading the local environmental education professional group, and engaging FGCU students in hands on environmental education research through Conservancy programming.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Environmental Education, Science Education, or related discipline from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.

• ABD will be considered if degree is conferred by August 7, 2023. If successful candidate is ABD at the time of appointment, the appointment will be made at a Lecturer level on a fixed contract.

• Demonstrated experience or potential interest in teaching across the undergraduate and graduate curriculum of programs in The Water School.

• Evidence of scholarly expertise related to environmental education, with a record of research publications in scholarly journals.

• Must meet university criteria for appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred candidates are those whose teaching and research experience and interests align with the programs and mission of The Water School and of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

• Teaching experience as instructor of record and post-doctoral experience.

• Strong research agenda with evidence of scholarly expertise in the study of environmental education, outdoor education, non-formal education or related discipline.

• Experience in grant writing and in assessment/evaluation of non-formal environmental education programs.

• Engagement in scholarship that relates to issues of environmental justice and/or uses a framework of social-ecological systems.

• Record of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, research, service, or other activities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Familiarity with and use of diverse and innovative teaching approaches to engage students and ensure student learning.

• Demonstrated development and use of skills appropriate to the discipline.

• Ability to conduct independent research and involve students in research.

• Ability to mentor students in research with the students' learning and training in mind.

• Ability to contribute effectively and collegially to a positive, dynamic, civil, and inclusive learning and working environment.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Appointment will be made on a 9-month multi-year appointment basis available August 2023.

Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida's Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU.

Under Florida's Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials:

• Unofficial Transcripts

• Statement of Teaching Philosophy

• Curriculum Vitae

• Cover Letter

• Statement of Research

• Five (5) Professional References

The position is listed as “open until filled;” however applications received by November 27, 2022 will receive priority consideration.

Salary commensurate with education and experience

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