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Instructor

Department: Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Effective Date:
October, 2012
 
Grade:

USG 11

35 hr/wk

Reports to: Chair

General Accountability

Instructors are involved with three types of courses:

1.   Instructors have sole responsibility for organizing and running laboratory-only courses.
2.   Instructors also teach their own lecture-only courses.
3.   In courses that have both lecture and laboratory (or tutorial) components which may include field trips.  Instructors have responsibility for organizing and running the laboratory (or tutorial) component of the course, and facilitating mid-term tests and assignments.

Instructors will be involved in development and teaching of on-line courses. 

The position reports to the Chair of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Nature and Scope

The courses for which Instructors have responsibility are assigned by the Chair.

Instructors are responsible for the supervision of graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) and undergraduate TAs as and when required. 

Job information:  In laboratory-only courses Instructors have sole responsibility for organizing and running the course. In courses that have both lecture and laboratory/tutorial components they provide significant input into decisions regarding the content of laboratory exercises. This requires a high level of technical knowledge, typically associated with a Ph.D. degree.

Instructors prepare laboratory/tutorial instructions (manuals and TA notes) where necessary. They maintain collections and supporting resources for their courses (i.e. rock collections, thin section slide collection).  They organize laboratory/tutorial classes, oversee and engage when necessary in laboratory/tutorial instructions, supervise teaching assistants and are responsible for assessing students’ performance.

Instructors are responsible for developing new laboratory/tutorial exercises in both existing and new Earth Science courses, and upgrading laboratory/ tutorial manuals.  These activities may include on-line courses.  They are responsible for maintaining rock and thin section collections, and other materials used in the courses.

They are responsible for designing and organizing laboratory/tutorial exams and quizzes and the set up and supervision of midterm exams for their assigned courses. This involves booking the rooms for exams and providing the necessary proctors. In many courses, Instructors are responsible for organizing make-up exams as well.

Instructors are responsible for signing students into laboratory/tutorial sections and for keeping the sections filled to capacity.

Nature and source of controls that alter organization of courses:

Instructors are involved in creating, setting-up and managing the web sites for both lecture/laboratory and laboratory courses. The information regarding TAs, quizzes and exams, laboratory/tutorial content or marks often need to be updated on a daily basis.

Instructors provide direction and assistance to sessional instructors, who generally have limited access to or knowledge of the UW web resources, to upload lectures and other necessary information so that the courses can run smoothly even when the lecturer is off-campus.

Instructors provide office hours for students to view midterms for sessional instructors who are off campus.

Participation on committees: All Instructors provide academic counselling as Undergraduate Officers or equivalent. Furthermore, all Instructors participate in departmental committees and undergraduate curriculum committees.  All instructors attend departmental meetings and contribute, on an equal basis to faculty, to the direction of the department.

Internal and external relationships (interactions with):

Teaching Assistants

Undergraduate students

Faculty Members

Departmental Management

Prospective and Incoming Undergraduate Students

Faculty of Science

University of Waterloo

Statistical Data

On average, per term: 3-4 courses; up to 600-800 students; accompanying TAs

Specific Accountabilities

In order to ensure quality instruction of undergraduate students, maximize the efficient use of limited resources, both human and material, preserve and promote students’ view of undergraduate Biology courses as valuable and enjoyable and help to maintain good relations among the various groups involved in undergraduate teaching in the department, Instructors are responsible for:

Working Conditions