Undergraduate Teaching Careers

This section provides links to information and advice, fuding sources, and job listings for positions where teaching is a major responsibility. Such positions are typically found at small colleges, universities, and junior colleges. At some small colleges/universities, the professor is expected to establish a small research program, involve undergraduates in the research, and sometimes obtain outside funding. Links to information and advice, funding sources, and job listings.

Information and Advice:
How to get a teaching job at a primarily undergraduate institution. Download in PDF from list of several articles. Excellent essay by Malcolm Campbell discussing the ins and outs of landing the teaching-oriented professorship. Includes discussion of applications, interviews, and job offers.

Careers in Physiology at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. Essay by David Bruce.

Research at a small institution: Not as different as you think. From Women in Cell Biology.

Research and Teaching at a Liberal Arts College. Essay by and interview with Yolanda Cruz, associate professor at Oberlin College. From the American Society for Cell Biology newsletter archives.

Scientists at Four-Year Colleges Strive for Research Quality. Informative article from The Scientist (Oct 97) about life as a professor at the small, teaching university. Includes interviews with several small college professors and describes the challenges of doing research at these institutions. Also has some useful links for getting research funding for use at small colleges.

Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering. This book is designed "to help you prepare for, find, and succeed at an academic career in science and engineering." Includes chapters on research and teaching preparation for professorships, how to get a faculty position, and insights on the tenure process. A sample chapter can be found at the web site.

A Tenure Horror Story. Physicist James Grigsby's cautionary tale of how he was denied tenure at a small liberal arts college. Perhaps reading this story could help you avoid a similar fate.

Q & A: Teaching At a Liberal Arts College. A professor of biology at a small liberal arts college answers questions about careers in undergraduate teaching. From Science Magazine's NextWave (July 97).

Making the Transition from Graduate School to Teaching. Essay by an assistant professor of biology at a liberal arts college examines the myths of college teaching careers. From Science Magazine's NextWave (Nov 96).

For Some Adjunct Faculty Members, the Tenure Track Holds Little Appeal. Article extolling the joys of adjunct (non-tenured, part-time) teaching. From The Chronicle of Higher Education's Career Network (Aug 98).

Job Listings:
Science Professional Network. The on-line job listings of Science Magazine. Searchable.

Job openings in and out of Academe. The Chronicle of Higher Education's job ads. Lots of teaching-oriented positions mostly in the U.S. Not restricted to science positions. Searchable.

Cell "Positions Available." On-line job openings from Cell. Tends to be list mainly research-oriented positions, but some small colleges do advertise here. Searchable.

Academic Position Network. Database of academic positions primarily from around the U.S. Not limited to science lisitings. Searchable.

Funding Sources:
HHMI Grants for Undergraduate Science Education.
National Science Foundation Research in Undergraduate Institutions Grants and Awards.
NIH Academic Enhancement Research Awards.
USDA Agricultural Enhancement Research Awards Program.

Additional links:
Council on Undergraduate Research.
National Conferences on Undergraduate Research.
International Alliance on Teacher Scholars.
Journal on Excellence in College Teaching.
Project Kaleidoscope.


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Last updated on September 21, 2000.

 

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