HES - Instructor, Human Development and Family Studies - 525035

Position Summary
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies, within the College of Human Environmental Sciences at The University of Alabama, seeks applicants for an Instructor of Child Life appointment.

Detailed Position Information
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies, within the College of Human Environmental Sciences at The University of Alabama, seeks applicants for an Instructor of Child Life appointment. Sought are applicants with the Certified Child Life Specialist credential with qualifications to teach courses that will contribute to the Child Life program (face-to-face and/or online). The selected candidate will be expected to provide professional service to the University, profession, and community, and perform other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach a 4:4 course load consisting of courses (face-to-face and/or online) in one or more of the following areas: child life, play, loss and bereavement, and child development; advise and mentor students; assist in coordinating and/or facilitating field experiences for child life students; and engage in professional service at the campus, community, regional, and/or national level.

Minimum Qualifications
1. A strong background, training, and expertise in child life, including a minimum of a master’s degree in Child Life or related field.
2. Must hold a current child life certification and demonstrate professional identity as a CCLS.
3. Strong interpersonal skills, including effective oral and written communication skills.
4. Teaching experience or demonstrated potential for success in teaching courses.

Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to candidates who have: (a) previous teaching experience, (b) clinical experience working as a CCLS, and (c) professional association involvement at the national and/or regional level

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
To apply, upload the following documents: 1. Cover letter of application 2. Curriculum Vitae 3. A statement of the applicant’s teaching philosophy 4. The names and contact information for three to five (3-5) professional references Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the application deadline of December 1, 2024. Applicants with questions should contact Dr. Sherwood Burns-Nader at sburns@ches.ua.edu.

About the Division/College/School
The Child Life program at the University of Alabama is a thriving program with a 40-year history of providing students with current and evidence-based knowledge in child development, family studies, and child life. The child life program at the University of Alabama is available both in a face-to-face and online format at the undergraduate level and a face-to-face format at the graduate level. Experiential learning opportunities are embedded in the curriculum to provide students the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities of internship readiness. These experiential learning opportunities include practicum opportunities at our local hospital, Druid City Regional Medical Center, and other child life programs within our region. The child life program partners with the Capstone College of Nursing to provide students in the face-to-face programs interprofessional education in their high-fidelity simulation lab. The program is supported by a CCLS faculty member who serves as the Coordinator of Child Life and a student organization, the Association of Child Life.

About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law"

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

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