Position Details:
The Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences at Texas Christian University invites applications for the position of Instructor starting August 1, 2024. A doctoral degree in a field that provides the capacity and experience to teach courses in the environmental and sustainability sciences is preferred. This position also has the potential for promotion within the rank after a minimum of five years of service.

The instructor’s primary responsibility will be to teach sections of our non-majors, introductory level environmental science course, ENSC 10143 Contemporary Environmental Issues, and coordinate the associated labs each semester. This course introduces students to the significant environmental and resource problems that confront us in the 21st century. We expect the candidate to provide administrative oversight of this course, which includes establishing and maintaining consistent curricula. The successful candidate will also be expected to support our growing emphasis on sustainability by developing and teaching related courses at all levels, bringing currency and creativity to curriculum development.

Outstanding teaching is a hallmark of the TCU experience, and we expect the candidate to be committed to student learning, bring innovation into the classroom, as well as integrate technology into the curriculum. Teaching accounts for 80% of the instructor’s responsibilities (equivalent to four courses per semester) with service and professional activity accounting for the remaining 20%. We expect this person to provide counsel and guidance to students in the form of advising, and participate in departmental activities, including serving on committees.

This is an exciting time to join the Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences at TCU as we build on our strengths in sustainability. We have six faculty members committed to quality growth and approximately 60 undergraduates and 15 graduate students. We collaborate closely with the Departments of Biology and Geological Sciences, among others, and the Institute for Environmental Studies, which oversees our international programs, including a rhino conservation program in South Africa.

Department Details:
We are a student-centered department that is committed to the teacher-scholar model. Teaching is central to our department’s mission; we hire faculty who are passionate about teaching and highly trained in their area of teaching specialty.

Research plays a major role in the professional life of our tenure-track faculty. Our research programs support our teaching mission and allow us to expose students to the process of science when they conduct research in our labs.

Advising and mentoring students is a critical part of our mission. Faculty members have an open-door policy for students, and students feel comfortable meeting with faculty outside of designated office hours.

Our department’s curriculum and all faculty-related policies have been developed via consensus of the faculty. We work together as a team, with the utmost respect and appreciation for all types and ways of contributing to our students and their success. Collegiality and teamwork are a hallmark of our department.

The Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Department is housed in the Sid Richardson Building, which has undergone recent, multi-million-dollar renovations such that both research and teaching facilities are state of the art. Our labs are well equipped for a relatively small department. TCU’s library, including online resources and personnel, is considered a strength by the Environmental Sciences faculty. See www.ensc.tcu.edu for more information about the department.