Educational Development Specialist - Vanderbilt University

Job Description



Vanderbilt University is a seeking an expert in pedagogy and practice to serve as the Educational Development Specialist in the Office of Education Design and Development (OEDD) in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE). It is an exciting time at Vanderbilt as the University officially welcomed C. Cybele Raver as its new Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs on July 1, 2021. Under the leadership of Provost Raver, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education is leading bold new initiatives and strengthening existing programs. The Educational Development Specialist reports directly to the Manager of Teaching Development and Initiatives.







The Educational Development Specialist is responsible for contributing to the day-to-day program offerings and resources of Teaching Development and Initiatives team of the OEDD, including the design, coordination and assessment of OEDD’s educational development programming, resources and support for enhancing teaching effectiveness at Vanderbilt University. OEDD programs and resources under the Teaching Development and Initiatives team include cohort-based seminars, stand-alone workshops, institutes, conferences, trainings, faculty learning communities and other offerings. The Educational Development Specialist may serve in a number of roles, including as a content creator, collaborator, facilitator and learning consultant, ensuring that Vanderbilt faculty, graduate students and other instructors have the necessary educational development resources to advance excellence in teaching and learning at Vanderbilt.





The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE) in the Office of the Provost is led by the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (VP). OFAPE exists to support and champion Vanderbilt faculty at every stage of their career and to promote and advise professional academic programs. Vanderbilt University has over 4,000 full-time faculty across ten schools and colleges. Five schools are primarily professional schools, and multiple professional programs reside in four additional schools.







OFAPE includes the Office of Faculty Appointments, the Office of Faculty Development, The Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education (AdvancED), which includes both the Office of Learning Innovation and the OEDD, and lastly, the Office of Academic Program Review, Assessment, and Accreditation (OAPRAA). The OFAPE leadership team includes six directors (one for each of those offices as well as the director for strategy and communications) and two associate provosts (faculty affairs and faculty development).







Duties and Responsibilities





The Educational Development Specialist will work with faculty, graduate teaching assistants and other instructors across the university to advance excellence in teaching and learning at Vanderbilt. This work will take a variety of forms, including the following:







+ Designs, coordinates, and assesses teaching programs and educational development offerings for Vanderbilt faculty, instructors and graduate students, including seminars, institutes, workshops, trainings, faculty learning communities and events.



+ Develops strong rapport and working relationships with a wide range of university stakeholders.



+ Collaborates with the Manager of Teaching Development and Initiatives, OEDD Director and staff on OEDD and AdvancED projects to infuse best practices of teaching into new and existing programs and initiatives.



+ Contributes to strategic planning and implementation of OEDD and AdvancED goals related to educational development and teaching initiatives.



+ Consults with individuals about evidence-based practices for advancing teaching and learning.



+ Creates print and Web-based materials on a broad range of issues related to learning and teaching.



+ Occasionally or regularly teaches credit-bearing courses at Vanderbilt.



+ Aids in preparation of budgets, plans and reports.





Qualifications









+ A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.



+ A Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field is required.



+ An advanced degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or other terminal degree) from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.



+ At least 4 years of relevant experience is required.



+ University teaching experience is required.



+ A proven record of involvement with educational development programs is required.



+ Knowledge of best practices and scholarly literature on teaching and learning in higher education is required.



+ Superior verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to articulate and present information to various and diverse audiences is required.



+ Evidence of exceptional judgment and decision-making skills is required.



+ Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information is required.



+ Commitment to increasing belongingness of both Vanderbilt students and colleagues is required.



+ Experience across modes (face-to-face and online) of university teaching is preferred.



+ Proficiency in quantitative statistical analysis (STATA, R, SPSS, etc.) is preferred.



+ Proficiency in survey design is preferred.



+ Experience as a PI or Co-PI authoring human subjects IRB research protocols is preferred.



+ Peer-reviewed SoTL research publications or presentations is preferred.

+ Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion



At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.







Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.





Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.






Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.