Geology and Environmental Science Lecturer

Open until filled. Priority consideration for applications received by Jan 13, 2025.

Founded in 1961, Highline College was the first community college to be established in King County and is one of 34 community and technical colleges. More than 350,000 alumni have graduated from Highline over the years. Nestled between Seattle and Tacoma, we are located on the traditional village sites of the Muckleshoot, Puyallup and many other Coast Salish tribes.

Highline prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and access for all students, staff, and faculty, which is evident in our Mission, Vision, and Values. We are proud to be one of the most diverse colleges in the state and stand committed to the well-being of our global community. Those who come to our college bring unique personal experiences, beliefs, and perspectives and make us better. We strive to provide and highlight resources to support our students, staff, and faculty by fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Highline offers a unique variety of affinity groups for faculty to join; including, the Faculty and Staff of Color Group and LGBTQ Task Force.

We honor and value the dignity of all individuals and encourage all qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to apply.

Please address the following responsibilities in your cover letter. If you don’t have experience in an academic setting, please address them within the context of your professional experience:

• Teaching: Create a welcoming and supportive learning environment and use evidence-based practices to improve the success of diverse students; in collaboration with colleagues, identify and implement strategies designed to close equity gaps experienced by students from historically minoritized groups. Engage in self-reflective practice. Engage in self-reflective practice. Lecturers typically teach the equivalent of 40 credits per academic year;

• Advising/ Coaching/ Mentoring: Work with students outside of class to help them choose courses and get connected with campus and community resources. Participate in professional learning opportunities focused on culturally responsive advising and establishing relationships with students;

• Collaborate with colleagues/participate in shared governance: In collaboration with colleagues, engage in continuous improvement through college-wide assessment processes. Participate in department, division, and other College activities, including College governance. Establish and maintain respectful, ethical, and professional relationships with students and colleagues;

• Professional development/ ongoing professional learning: Engage in ongoing professional learning. This includes remaining current in your discipline and evidence-based practices for culturally response, inclusive, and anti-racist pedagogies.

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Geology, Earth Science, Environmental Science or related field from an institution with regional accreditation or its international equivalent; AND

• Evidence of ability to teach Geology 101 (Physical Geology) and Environmental Science 101 through educational background, teaching experience, or previous work experience.

• Pending degrees must be verified by a letter from the granting institution validating that the degree will be completed prior to September 2025. 

We desire a candidate with one or more of the following qualifications.  We expect the successful candidate to have only some of these qualifications. 

If these are not evident in your resume, be sure to discuss them in your cover letter:

• Evidence of ability (through educational background, teaching experience, or previous work experience) to teach one of the following.

  • GEO 100 - Geology and the Environment

  • GEO 103 - Introduction to Paleontology

  • GEO 105 - Shaping the Earth

  • GEO 108 - The Geobiology of Dinosaurs & Their Relatives

  • ASTR 102 - Planetary Geology

• Evidence of ability (through educational background, teaching experience, or previous work experience) to teach two of the following:

  • ENVS&101 - Introduction to Environmental Science

  • ENVS 102 - Local Environmental Issues and Impacts

  • ENVS 103 - Global Environmental Issues

  • OCEA&101 - Introduction to Oceanography

  • GESC 190 - Science Seminar

  • GESC 100 - Roots of Science 

  • BIOL&100 - Survey of Life Principles

  • BIOL 160 - General Biology

  • BIOL 212 - Animal Biology

• Experience teaching in a variety of modalities including face-to-face classes;

• Previous teaching experience in Higher education, particularly at community colleges;

• A demonstrated commitment to supporting students from a variety of backgrounds;

• Academic advising experience;

• Ability to speak additional languages.
  

This position will be in both the Physical Science and the LOGS (Life, Ocean and General Science) department.  Both departments work to empower our diverse student community to achieve their educational goals through innovative instruction, curriculum, placement, and support.  For more information on the Physical Science Department, see https://www.highline.edu, https://directory.highline.edu/?dept=PSCI, https://directory.highline.edu/?dept=LOGS or contact Eric Baer at (206) 592-3513 or ebaer@highline.edu 

• Robust support for innovative teaching, learning, and scholarship;

• A friendly, supportive, and highly engaged work environment with diverse colleagues;

• Support for continued professional growth, including conference funding, internal curriculum development grants, annual professional development events, and established community partnerships. 

All Highline College faculty have the opportunity to engage labor issues and collectively bargain through the Highline College Education Association, a faculty union affiliated with the Washington Education Association. 

We welcome applications from outside of Washington State. Applicants invited to an on-campus interview may be eligible for a stipend to help offset the cost of travel. 

To be considered for this position, applicants must include the following items in their application package:

1. Cover Letter: Letter of formal application that addresses how your experience and education qualify you to perform the professional responsibilities listed above
2. Supplemental Question: Highline College is committed to improving the success of our racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socio-economically diverse students and closing equity gaps experienced by students from historically minoritized groups. We believe that critical self-reflection is a key element in this process. Please attach a statement (approximately 500 to 700 words) describing how you have integrated elements of culturally relevant and inclusive teaching methods into your professional practice. Effective responses will demonstrate awareness of your social identities, knowledge of students or others with whom you've worked, and examples of strategies you have used

3. Curriculum Vitae: Detailed curriculum vitae (resume) of all relevant educational and professional experience, including a listing of courses taught. Be sure your resume demonstrates that you meet the minimum qualifications.

4. Transcripts: Unofficial copies of all college and university transcripts that include degree received and confer date. International transcripts MUST include a foreign transcript evaluation by an approved credential evaluation service: https://www.naces.org/members. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for your application;

5. References: A list of four current professional references with name, relationship to candidate, address, email address, and telephone number. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted in lieu of a list of professional references. References should not include immediate family members. 

All correspondence regarding your application status will be sent to the email address associated with your NeoGov account. Please make sure to check your spam folder periodically, in the case of an incorrect delivery.

If hired you will be required to provide proof that you are either 1) a U.S. citizen, or 2) a resident whose status permits you to lawfully work in this country.

Completion of academic degree(s) will be verified through receipt of official transcripts at the time of hire.

Salary : $65,265 - $74,540