Professor of Practice in Outdoor Education and Leadership

About Westminster University

Westminster University is a private, comprehensive liberal arts University dedicated to students and their learning. Impassioned teaching and active learning are the hallmarks of the Westminster experience. Located where the magnificent Rocky Mountains meet the vibrant city of Salt Lake, Westminster blends the best of curricular and co-curricular learning via experiences presented by its unique location to help students develop skills and attributes critical for success in a rapidly changing world. The college enrolls approximately 2,200 undergraduate and 800 graduate students in four schools: School of Arts and Sciences; Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business; School of Education; and School of Nursing and Health Sciences. For more information on the University, the School, and other regional information, please visit WestminsterU.edu

Position Summary:

Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah, is pleased to announce a full-time Assistant Professor faculty position in Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) through the College of Arts and Sciences. This position begins Summer/Fall 2025. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching classes in OEL, assisting in the administration and coordination of OEL programming including: coordinating resources with the Outdoor Program, supporting adjunct faculty, advising students, scheduling and logistics. Teaching and administrative responsibilities total 24 credit hours per year.

 Responsibilities:

• Teach core, elective, and skills courses in the OEL program.
• Provide leadership for the overall administration of the OEL academic program including: vehicle reservations, equipment management and acquisition in collaboration with Outdoor Program, budgeting, scheduling, adjunct professor recruitment and support as needed, ensuring campus wide and OEL specific risk management policies and procedures are upheld. 
• Facilitate and coordinate the logistics and planning of the OEL Field Semester (OELFS), a 75-day expedition-style learning experience that takes place every other fall, during which OEL faculty rotate in and out of the field. Instruct sections as appropriate.
• Advise students in the Outdoor Education and Leadership major and minor as well as WCORE and other graduation requirements.
• Develop the OEL curriculum and progression including interdisciplinary courses
• Work collaboratively with other full-time and adjunct faculty teaching within the OEL program.
• Work collaboratively with Westminster University’s co-curricular Outdoor Program and other programs across campus.
• Serve as administrator on-call periodically for emergency support of courses in the field.
• Assist in ensuring the OEL program policies and procedures continue to meet industry standards of risk management.
• Facilitate the strategic direction of the program in its expression of our core values: community, relationships & connections, efficacy & personal growth, empowerment, integrity, consistency, reliability, authenticity, power in shared experience, grounding learning in our actual lives, and acknowledging and working through tension between ideas and experiences.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters Degree in a related field (completed by August 2025).
• Significant professional experience in at least one of the following fields or a similar field: leadership, experiential education, adventure education, outdoor education, environmental education, expeditionary learning, land management.
• Successful teaching experience at the post-secondary level.
• Substantial expeditionary field experience leading groups in backcountry settings for multiple nights.
• Organizational experience planning and coordinating remote experiential programming.
• Professional proficiency in two or more of the following outdoor skill areas: Rock Climbing, Desert Backpacking, Alpine Backpacking, Whitewater Rafting, Whitewater Paddling, Technical Canyoneering, Backcountry Skiing/Riding, Mountain Biking, Bikepacking. 
• A current Wilderness First Responder certification.

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal Degree in a related field
• Professional skill based or instructional certifications from nationally recognized providers such as: American Mountain Guide Association, American Canoe Association, American Avalanche Association, ect. 
• Experience with team teaching, community engagement, innovative learning designs, and mentoring and advising undergraduate students. 
• Experience teaching in a variety of settings with students of diverse backgrounds.
• Experience overseeing field programming in academic settings.
• Professional proficiency in 3 outdoor skill areas.
• Demonstrated experience instructing, proctoring, or coordinating multi week expeditionary-style outdoor learning experiences