Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Agricultural Experiential Learning
- Employer
- The University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Location
- Lincoln, NE
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- Faculty Jobs
- Professional Fields, Veterinary Science, Science & Technology, Agricultural Science & Extension
- Position Type
- Assistant Professor
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Primary Goals:
Maximize the use of the college farm as a teaching laboratory to help students develop the technical skills necessary for successful employment in profitable commercial businesses involved in crop production, animal agriculture or veterinary technology. Other college resources to be used for experiential learning may include the college grounds, arboretum, community garden, livestock facilities, and agricultural equipment. Increase experiential learning opportunities for NCTA students and associated stakeholders. Ensure the experiential learning needs of all college programs are addressed appropriately. Serve as the primary college advocate for integrating experiential learning activities into all college academic programs by operating from a college-wide perspective. Increase communication and collaboration when utilizing the resources of the college farm. Maintain a balanced farm budget.
Position Details:
This position is a 12-month faculty assignment with a quarter time teaching assignment and a three-quarter time administrative assignment. The appointment teaching assignment consists of approximately 8 equivalent credit hours (ECH) total during the academic year (for example, four ECH in fall plus four ECH in spring) plus summer session teaching as needed. Appropriate daily farm activities will include frequent assessment of farm operations, approval of expenditures from the farm budget, coordination of faculty requests for farm-based teaching activities, and prioritization of activities to be conducted by farm employees. The Farm Management Committee will provide general direction for the activities of farm employees, including the activities of the Coordinator of Experiential Learning, through its regular meetings, strategic plan and budgetary allocations. For day-to-day operations, the Coordinator of Experiential Learning reports directly to the Dean. The Farm Manager reports to the Coordinator of Experiential Learning. The NCTA Budget Manager provides accounting and budgetary support for the Coordinator of Experiential Learning. The Associate Dean provides assistance with fiscal oversight and planning.
Duties:
Working within the farm budget, ensure appropriate farm resources are available for high quality experiential learning activities in all college academic programs. Working with Dean’s Council and division chairs, coordinate faculty use of NCTA resources to create an integrated farm for teaching purposes, including plants, animals, equipment, facilities and land. Hold monthly farm committee meetings to facilitate communication, input, transparency and effectiveness in farm operations. When consistent with academic needs, maximize the use of academic programs and courses to conduct the activities of the college farm, physical plant, grounds, etc. Examples include the utilization of veterinary technology students to provide routine farm veterinary services when appropriate. To the maximum extent possible, facilitate student involvement in the completion of college farm and physical plant activities. Models of increased student involvement may be found in the practices of work colleges (http://www.workcolleges.org/) or at the Ag 450 farm at Iowa State University (https://www.ag450farm.iastate.edu/). Work with NU system personnel to ensure access to resources for student skills development and experiential learning opportunities. Off-campus personnel may include CASNR faculty, extension personnel, industry partners, FFA students, or 4-H members. Develop a farm budget with input from all stakeholders. Keep farm expenditures in line with the farm budget. Maintain a positive farm budget balance throughout the year. Advocate for farm needs, including financial resources, equipment, livestock, etc. Coordinate the academic activities of the farm manager and the physical plant manager. Supervise operations of the student herd and the Heifer Link program. Maintain farm biosecurity protocol. Maintain livestock enterprises managed according to standard commercial protocol, including: a cow-calf operation, a cattle feedlot with calves from the cow-calf operation, a hog unit with fewer than five breeding sows and a grow out operation, a small ruminant unit with fewer than 20 sheep and/or goats. Provide support for the management of NCTA horses as needed for student experiential learning in the equine and veterinary technology programs. Accommodate the needs of units with specialized animal needs while ensuring those units are responsible for the care and expenses associated with their animals. Maintain commercial crop production enterprises, including: approximately 250 acres of irrigated row crop production including corn and soybeans, forage production including hay crops, and range management. Work with industry partners to secure resources for experiential learning opportunities. Resources may include feeder pigs, seed, heifers for the heifer link program, equipment, etc.
Requires a masters or doctorate from a regionally accredited institution in an appropriate agricultural field such as animal science, veterinary technology, veterinary medicine, agronomy, agribusiness management, agricultural mechanization, agricultural education or a closely related field.
Preferred QualificationsPreferred qualifications are a doctorate in a related agricultural discipline; relevant industry experience; previous college teaching experience; successful experience facilitating student engagement through agricultural teams; and fundraising success.
Pre-Placement Driving Record Review RequiredCriminal History Background Check RequiredYesPosted SalaryHow to ApplyClick “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty form. Attach a letter of interest, curriculum vitae and contact information for three professional references, including phone numbers and email addresses.
The University of Nebraska is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, which seeks and encourages expression of interest from minorities and groups traditionally under represented.
For questions or accommodations related to this position contactJan Gilbert
Direct: 308.367.5252
Email: jgilbert3@unl.edu
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Organization
Working at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
For 150 Years, A Leader in Higher Education
Always a place of high ambition, University of Nebraska was one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees - the first was granted in 1896. The University of Nebraska established the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today's Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of 20th century American art.
Today, Nebraska is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities. Nebraska is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Benefits
The University of Nebraska offers an extensive benefits package that includes health, life, disability and long term care insurance; retirement accounts; tuition reimbursement for employees and their spouses and dependent children; and reimbursement accounts for health care and dependent day care. Leave policies are designed to help employees deal with personal or family events or crises.
Diversity and Inclusion
In the spirit of the phrase "Every Interaction Matters", UNL has an enacted commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence for our faculty, staff, and students. On our campus, diversity and inclusion are important priorities. Examples include: Husker Dialogues, which is an event that helps first-year students focus on diversity and inclusion and practice handling difficult conversations around difference; three Chancellor's Diversity Commissions that are charged with informing and advising the Chancellor and addressing issues of constituent campus communities; and the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion whose leader operates at the Vice Chancellor level. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we strive for excellence in all that we do. True excellence requires that each individual be able to work and learn in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and belonging. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion requires each of us to continuously ensure our interactions are respectful, protect free speech, and inspire academic freedom.
About Lincoln
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is located in an up-and-coming and safe city of 300,000 people that has many of the cultural and entertainment benefits of a much larger city, with the feel of a friendly Midwestern community. The Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013, routinely hosts major touring acts. A buzzing entertainment district, the Railyard, connects the arena area to the Historic Haymarket. Cuisines from all continents provide the entree to dynamic urban nightlife and a wide variety of ways to enjoy time with friends. Nebraska's City Campus is one with Lincoln's city center, as it has been since the university was founded.Lincoln has more parkland per capita than Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and all but a handful of U.S. cities. The well-manicured Pioneers Park, the native woods of Wilderness Park and the open grassland of Nine-Mile Prairie are each within a 10-minute trip from campus. Connecting many of these parks is an extensive trails network.
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