Faculty Position in Political Science

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL FACULTY

The successful candidate will be expected to fulfill the following:

• Teach four courses per semester
• Adequately prepare all course materials and lessons (Note that preparation time will vary based on instructor experience in teaching a particular course.)
• Provide each student with clear course expectations, evaluations, and timelines through carefully-written topical outlines and approved, standardized syllabi
• Provide interesting and relevant assignments for students that demonstrate learning outcomes in a real-life setting
• Keep abreast of current developments in their discipline through scholarly activity, continuously update course content, improve methods of instruction, and regularly evaluate instructional effectiveness
• Suitably challenge, engage, serve, and communicate with students to encourage their participation and learning while maintaining mutual value and respect
• Complete grade books, final grade sheets, learning assessments, and final exam assessments on a timely basis
• Respond to student questions in a timely manner
• Ensure course and program learning outcomes are delivered as defined by course syllabi

CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT

The candidate must be a thoughtful and articulate Christian and an active member of a Protestant evangelical church. Candidates must support and have an articulate understanding of the Reformed faith. The individual must understand and support the College’s doctrinal position as stated in the College Charter and the “Foundational Concepts of Christian Education” by expressing an evangelical Christian profession of faith and demonstrate the ability to integrate a Christian perspective in their work.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Faculty appointed to teach Political Science must be committed to teach accurately and positively the doctrine of civil government contained in the Constitution of the RPCNA, which includes the RP Testimony. Ideally, candidates will be familiar with the history and political philosophy of the Scottish Reformation including Covenanter political philosophy.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Political Science, but candidates with a J.D., doctoral degree in a closely related field or are ABD will be considered as long as the candidate can demonstrate that they have the professional and academic experience that would prepare them to teach in the areas listed above. Candidates that are ABD must be committed to completing the required work to finish the doctorate.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Typical educational setting. Geneva College is organized around academic departments. The position is in the departments of History, Political Science, and Sociology and Core Studies. Teaching is at the undergraduate level and primarily on ground, but the College is developing on-line courses at the undergraduate level, so a willingness to teach on-line would be a plus.

Responsibilities of the Faculty at Geneva College

Geneva College is founded upon a biblical view of life and the world as expressed in evangelical and Reformed theology and set forth in the College’s “Foundational Concepts of Christian Education.” Geneva College is committed consciously and wholeheartedly to offering Christian higher education designed for the whole life of the whole person. Consequently, faculty should strive to:

• Demonstrate Christian living and obedience in personal growth, in the interactions of College life, and in dedication to Christian calling and service.
• Seek an understanding and articulation of how the Word of God directs the search for truth.
• Pursue excellence in their work.
• Show concern for those under their care and instruction.
• Value the contributions of all members of the College community and support one another in various tasks.
• Be motivated by a vision that the College was founded upon the providential mercy of God, and that their primary purpose is to serve Him within the world-wide company of Christian believers and in the geographical area where God has placed the College

Along with a commitment to the above statements found in the College Catalog, all faculty members recognize certain concomitant responsibilities to their students, to their colleagues, and to the College and broader community.

To students, faculty members will strive to:

• Demonstrate how course content can be viewed or interpreted from a Christian perspective.
• Keep abreast of current developments in their disciplines, continuously update course content, improve the method of instruction, and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction.
• Maintain in their classrooms and elsewhere an intellectual and attitudinal environment in which students are stimulated to learn, to ask questions, and to explore alternative approaches to problems.
• Respect students as persons, being concerned about their progress, and be willing to hear their points of view without prejudice.
• Be committed to promoting cultural diversity in curricular offerings and classroom activities which demonstrate an appreciation of all individuals consistent with the Christian character of the College.
• Inform students at the beginning of each semester of the objectives of each course and organize the method of instruction and time allocation so as to meet those objectives.
• Provide a syllabus to students early in each course concerning course requirements, such as examinations, papers, grading policies, disability accommodations, academic integrity, and attendance. Examinations and papers, which are used for determining a course grade, should be available to students for inspection and discussion. Students’ grades should be based on recognized academic standards.
• Hold classes and examinations as scheduled and, in the event of necessary absence, inform students in advance of changes in schedule and make suitable alternative arrangements.
• Be readily available to students for individual conferences relating to coursework or other matters of concern and interest to students. Faculty should post a schedule indicating times when they will be available for consultation.
• Understand the curriculum adequately to provide accurate advising to students.

To their colleagues, faculty members have a responsibility to:

• Comply with policies and procedures established by the faculty.
• Respect the rights of free inquiry and expression of opinion by their colleagues in accordance with the College’s statement on academic freedom.
• Acknowledge in their own publications the contributions which colleagues have made to research and other endeavors.
• Evaluate or comment fairly and objectively on the work of colleagues when peer evaluation is required for the purposes of promotion, curriculum assessment, and the like.

To the College, faculty members have a responsibility to:

• Participate in committee work and other channels of self-governance on departmental and College levels.
• Observe the regulations of the College which are designed to promote freedom for teaching and research, and participate through orderly means in seeking modification to these regulations when they are considered inappropriate.
• Indicate when they are speaking as private persons that they are not speaking for or representing the College.
• Participate in faculty meetings, workshops, and the College’s faculty development program.
• Participate in endeavors for improvement of the spiritual, economic, social and, cultural life of the college community, especially when faculty have an expertise which may make their contribution particularly valuable and when such a contribution can be made without interfering with their primary obligations for teaching and scholarly endeavor.