The University of Scranton invites applications for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-track Research & Instruction Librarian for Student Success. The successful candidate will be appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor and will be compensated according to the Faculty collective bargaining agreement, see Article 5 (p. 2):https://www.scranton.edu/academics/provost/FAC/contract/fac-con_2022-2025.pdf. A generous benefits package is offered, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plan, paid vacations, holidays, research leave, and tuition remission. All full-time faculty members also have the opportunity to join our faculty union which serves as the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
Job Purpose: The Research & Instruction Librarian for Student Success contributes to the Library’s campus-wide focus on transformative teaching and learning in the Ignatian tradition. In addition to regular faculty responsibilities, the Research & Instruction Librarian for Student Success engages in information literacy instruction and research support focusing on student learning and success for first-year and first-generation college students. The position will have subsidiary responsibilities to the natural sciences and cognate disciplines, including minor collection development responsibilities, some information literacy instruction, and research support.
Essential Duties:
- Teaches as part of the Library’s Information Literacy Program focusing on first-year and core general education courses.
- Teaches information literacy and supports student research for natural sciences courses as needed.
- Provides research services and scholarly assistance to members of the University community both in-person and online.
- Serves as subject liaison to academic departments supporting the natural sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Engineering, Environmental Science), a role that includes providing course-integrated information literacy instruction and collection development. May be assigned to additional departments as dictated by department needs.
- Collaborates with campus programs, groups, and units that support student learning in general education coursework, such as the First-Year Writing Program, First Year Seminars, Thr1ve Program for first-generation students, Student Life programming, and the Gonzaga Program.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Participates in Library and University initiatives, e.g., by serving on committees, etc.
- Provides the responsible provision of Library services and building operations in coordination with other Library faculty and administration.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Education Requirements: Possession of an American Library Association (ALA) accredited Master’s degree at the time of appointment.
Minimum Job Experience Requirements:
- Experience working in a library or archives.
- Experience working collaboratively with others to pursue, manage, and complete projects.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with foundational undergraduate coursework including writing, reading, digital technology, and communication.
- Knowledge of current trends in academic librarianship related to research and instruction, such as knowledge of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
- Experience creating engaging learning opportunities for student, faculty, or community audiences.
- Proficiency in the use of technology, such as social media and other emerging technologies and platforms, for the delivery of library services.
- Strong desire to explore pedagogical approaches and learning theories that can enrich teaching practice.
- Familiarity with assessment methods and techniques.
- Coursework or experience in instructional design.
Additional Skills Required:
- Willingness to develop the knowledge required to provide information literacy instruction for student success in general education coursework and the natural sciences
- Ability to deal well with members of the public
- Excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills, and presentation skills
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work effectively both as a team member and independently
- Ability to work creatively and collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community-at-large
- Professional commitment to user-focused library services
- Professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Ability to engage in scholarship and service in order to meet qualifications for reappointment and tenure, as defined in the Faculty Handbook
- Ability to attain a second Master’s degree in a subject field, or the completion of thirty graduate credits in a discipline that improves professional competence, as a requirement for tenure (if not already accomplished at the time of hire)
Schedule/Work Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., with occasional adjustments as needed.
About the Library and University
The Weinberg Memorial Library provides resources, services, and programs that meet the dynamic and diverse scholarly, cultural, and social needs of the University and our community. We value teaching, research, and lifelong learning, and we are committed to intellectual freedom, preservation, accessibility, and sustainability. Our work environment is forward-looking and participatory, with an emphasis on transparency and faculty/staff development.
The University of Scranton is a regional institution of more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students located in northeast Pennsylvania near the Pocono Mountains. Recognized nationally for the quality of its education, Scranton is one of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. It is committed to providing liberal arts education and strong professional and pre-professional programs in the context of Ignatian educational principles, especially the care and development of the whole person. Drawing on the strengths that have made it a recognized leader in the Northeast (ranked 6th among the master’s level universities in the North by U.S. News and World Report), Scranton is committed to a culture of scholarship and excellence in teaching and is moving into the front ranks of America’s comprehensive universities.
The University is a Catholic and Jesuit University animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share in its way of proceeding. All candidates must indicate how they would help communicate and support the Catholic and Jesuit identity and mission of the University. The University’s mission statement and a description of the history and concepts of the Ignatian teaching philosophy may be found at https://www.scranton.edu/about/jesuit-tradition/index.shtml.
Official University of Scranton Non-Discrimination Statement
The University is committed to providing an educational, residential, and working environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Members of the University community, applicants for employment or admissions, guests and visitors have the right to be free from harassment or discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, national origin, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment.
Anyone who has questions about the University’s Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy, or the University’s Non-Discrimination or Anti-Harassment Policy, or wishes to report a possible violation of one of the policy should contact:
Elizabeth M. Garcia
Title IX Coordinator
The Office of Equity and Diversity
Institute of Molecular Biology & Medicine, Rm 311
elizabeth.garcia2@scranton.edu
(570) 941-6645
https://www.scranton.edu/equity-diversity/
To Apply
Applicants must apply online at https://universityofscrantonjobs.com and include a cover letter summarizing qualifications and strengths, a curriculum vitae (or résumé), a statement on diversity and inclusion, and contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin in January with a potential start date of August 1, 2023. See a direct link to the job posting here: https://universityofscrantonjobs.com/postings/6270. Prof. Donna Witek and Prof. Sheli Pratt-McHugh are serving as Search Committee Co-Chairs.
First year students, join us at the Library for the Heritage Hunt! As part of New Student Orientation, incoming first-year students participate in the Library’s Heritage Hunt. The Heritage Hunt is an interactive introduction to the Library and its resources. First-year students must register for a time slot to participate and receive credit. There are a limited number of sessions held during the first week of classes. There will be no sessions held after Friday, September 1, 2023.
