Position Announcement

Department of Learning & Performance Systems

Assistant/Associate Professor Rank, Tenure-track Faculty Position in Workforce Education and Development (Career and Technical Education emphasis)

Position Available:

Assistant/Associate Professor in Workforce Education and Development

Beginning:

Fall Semester 2013

Appointment Conditions:

Penn State seeks to strengthen its program in career and technical education by making one or more appointments in the areas of teacher preparation and/or leadership preparation.  These are tenure-track, 36-week appointments with the possibility of supplementary summer appointments in research and/or teaching.  Full University benefits apply. Penn State has a strong commitment to the diversity of its workforce.  We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Responsibilities:

• Teach and advise in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) emphasis at University Park, online and at outreach locations at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral level.
• Provide leadership in the Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education (PPDC) in the areas of either teacher or leadership preparation.
• Provide leadership and supervision for traditional and field-based  practicum experiences.
• Conduct nationally and internationally recognized research and scholarship in areas related to Career and Technical Education.
• Work with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as well as Career and Technical Education agencies on joint projects of a scholarly and/or service nature.
• Engage effectively in service and outreach activities with appropriate audiences, including  Career and Technical Education associations, and make strong linkages with the field for the program.
• Advise master’s and doctoral students in graduate research.

Required Qualifications:

• An earned doctorate at the time that the appointment begins in Workforce Education and Development, Career and Technical Education, Vocational Technical Education or a related field;
• Evidence of a commitment to developing a significant program of research, commensurate with experience;
• Evidence of a commitment to excellence in teaching and advising including a willingness to consider teaching in online environments, where appropriate, along with an interest in the use of modern technology, commensurate with experience;
• Evidence of a commitment to working collegially and with individuals from diverse backgrounds, commensurate with experience.

Desirable Qualifications:

The following qualifications are important in helping to achieve the program's stated goals:

• For candidates seeking the teacher educator appointment:  Work experience in an occupation for which the PPDC provides teacher certification (Trade & Industrial, Health Occupations, Occupational Home Economics), and related teaching experience at the secondary or postsecondary level.
• For candidates seeking the leadership preparation appointment, experience as an administrator in Career and Technical Education.
• A background in teaching and advising Career and Technical Education students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Experience in teaching online and residentially, including methods of instruction, curriculum, safety & health, laboratory management, assessment, and career and technical student organizations.

The Pennsylvania State University

Penn State [http://www.psu.edu] is a comprehensive, multi-campus research university serving all regions of the Commonwealth, as well as the nation and the world in instruction, research, and service roles that require responsiveness to and support from society's public and private sectors.  As a land-grant university, Penn State has responsibility for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences.  Penn State shares with other major research universities the traditional responsibilities to discover, develop, preserve, and disseminate knowledge.

The College of Education

The College of Education [http://www.ed.psu.edu] at Penn State was established in 1923 to deepen and extend knowledge about the formation and utilization of human capabilities. It offers resident degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as an extensive outreach effort aimed at continuing professional development for educators at distant locations. The College's research program is also extensive and College faculty members secured over $46 million in external support during the past three years from a wide range of national and state government agencies, private foundations, and corporations. The College's location within a large, research-oriented, land-grant university provides numerous opportunities for studying education from multidisciplinary perspectives in the context of a university-wide commitment to making life better for all citizens.

The College houses four academic departments: Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems. The departments offer seven undergraduate majors to more than 2,500 students and 12 graduate programs, under authority of the Graduate School, to more than 1,000 students. Recent surveys rank the Penn State College of Education among the top colleges, schools, and departments of education in the United States.

Department of Learning and Performance Systems (LPS)

The Department of Learning and Performance Systems [http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/lps] includes three programs: Adult Education, Instructional Systems, and Workforce Education and Development.  All three programs offer separate degrees, but students, faculty, and staff collaborate on teaching, research, and service.

Workforce Education and Development

The mission of the Workforce Education and Development Program is to promote excellence, opportunity, and leadership among professionals in the workforce education and development field including, but not limited to, those employed in secondary or postsecondary education institutions, social services industries, employee groups, and private businesses. The Career and Technical Education emphasis focuses upon preparing individuals for Pennsylvania licensure as teachers and administrators as well as research in the field.  The program is located in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems in the College of Education at Penn State.

Application Procedures:

Applicants must submit a letter of application outlining qualifications, curriculum vitae, copies of official graduate transcripts, and one recent example of a scholarly article. Applicants should arrange for three academic letters of reference to be sent directly to the search committee.  These academic letters of reference should include names, office and email addresses, and phone numbers for follow-up contact.  Screening of applications will begin February 1, 2013, and will continue until a suitable candidate is found.

Electronic submission of all materials is strongly preferred.  Send application materials to cdf2@psu.edu.  Those who do not have access to electronic mail can direct hardcopy of application materials to:

Dr. Judith Kolb

Chair, Workforce Education and Development Search Committee

c/o Cindy Fetters, LPS Administrative Support Coordinator

411 Keller Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

This job announcement is also available in alternate format.  Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.  Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.