Biology Faculty

Allegany College of Maryland is a high quality, low cost educational community college.
Our attractive main campus is nestled on 317 beautiful, scenic acres in the mountains of Allegany County - Cumberland, Maryland.
A downtown center extends our reach into the heart of the community’s business and tourism sector.
ACM students reflect the diversity of backgrounds and lifestyles of the regional population.
Enrolling over 3,000 credit students and logging more than 14,000 continuing education registrations per year, our small, attentive college atmosphere with a 14:1 credit student to instructor ratio, engages students of all ages and backgrounds in rich, challenging learning opportunities at all of our campuses.
Allegany College of Maryland offers a variety of employment opportunities.
We seek professionals who will contribute to student success and transformation, connect with our community and make learners the center of everything we do.
Basic Statement of Responsibilities Teaching and learning is the primary activity of faculty.
As such, Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) cultivates a climate that enhances teaching and learning, and that supports the activities that foster a learning-centered college.
At ACM, our vision of teaching excellence is one that: motivates students to develop pride, passion, and personal responsibility in their education; demonstrates content expertise; creates academic processes and experiences that positively impact student learning; engages students in meaningful learning; and that connects students, faculty, and staff in an academic community that fosters lifelong learning and student success.
The primary responsibility of faculty is to effectively teach courses within their discipline area(s).
An effective, professional educator will plan, organize, teach, assess, advise, remediate, and provide timely feedback to promote and guide student learning in alignment with ACM learning-college values.
Additionally, faculty will meet their obligations to their division, and will be empowered to choose opportunities relevant to their professional development and service to the institution and community.
Essential Funcations Teaching and Learning: Knowledge and understanding of learner-centered values with the ability to develop and implement diverse teaching strategies that optimize the learning of all students and that promote both acquisition and applications of knowledge and understanding (Learning-Centered Teaching Strategies).
Prepares and delivers instruction to students in assigned modalities (including classroom, hybrid, online, etc.
).
Prepares instructional materials.
Provides feedback on students’ progress, including evaluation of student mastery of course and program outcomes.
Ability to use consistent, timely, formative and summative assessment measures to enhance learning.
(Assessment) Technological competence: knowledge of, ability to develop, and commitment to using emerging technologies appropriate to the discipline.
Ability to use alternative instructional methods, such as online delivery, hybrid course options, and flexible learning modalities.
Ability to continuously examine the effectiveness of teaching and assessment methodologies in terms of student learning by engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning).
Ability to design learning opportunities that acknowledge, draw upon and are enriched by student diversity in the learning environment (Inclusion and Diversity).
Prepares and submits required documentation including course syllabi, student attendance, assessment reports, midterm/final course grades, and other information as requested or required by the college via LMS and other college software.
Treats students with respect and is responsive to their needs.
Participates in and contributes to curriculum development by planning, developing, and evaluating new and existing courses and curricula.
Conducts assigned classes in accordance with the catalog, course description, student learning outcomes, and program goals.
Division Responsibilities Ability to design and implement curriculum that aligns elements of student learning toward growth in the Student Core Competencies and progression through course sequences (Outcomes-Based Practice).
Participates in division meetings, committees, and other activities.
Familiar with and maintains behavior and actions consistent with college policies.
Collaborates and cooperates in the fulfillment of the goals of the division and the college to contribute as a valued member of the division.
Academic Advising: Advises, guides and provides support in course and curriculum planning toward students’ success and completion.
Works in collaboration with admission, registration and the advising center and other college services toward student planning, success and completion.
Professional Development: The annual Faculty Success Plan is an essential component of the planning and budgeting for professional development opportunities.
Faculty are required to identify their professional development goals in their annual success plan.
Professional development may encompass attending/completing internal professional development opportunities or attending external conferences, seminars or workshops.
Professional development may also include authoring articles or books, formal graduate study or other relevant courses, internships or clinical practice or other activities that serve to enrich the professional development of faculty knowledge and expertise.
Professional commitment to stay current and continually improve knowledge and understanding of their discipline.
Meet required internal professional development trainings that are essential for accreditation, compliance, or serve to advance learning-centered principles.
All newly hired full-time faculty must attend and complete The Teaching and Learning Community (TLC) year-long training within the first three years of service in order to be eligible for tenure-track and promotion/advancement.
An extension may be provided by the Senior Vice President of Instructional and Student Affairs in consultation with the Division Chair.
Service to the Institution and Community Service to the college and the community are long-held cultural values of ACM.
College and community service can be the faculty member’s contribution to the improvement of the institution and/or the larger community.
Faculty members will have choice in determining the content and context of their service contributions in collaboration with the Division Chair.
Service to the institution and community will provide evidence for further consideration in faculty promotion and tenure deliberations by the Faculty Status Committee.
Provide service to the college on an annual basis.
The minimum requirement is serving on one college-published committee/task force assignment.
This requirement is waived during the first year of full-time tenure track employment.
Additional service considered for tenure and promotion includes, but is not limited to: additional committee(s), task forces, work groups, division or college-wide assessment special projects, college-sanctioned student club advisor, acceptance of overload assignments, acceptance of travel to other instructional sites, serving as a Middle States evaluator or external program evaluator, etc.
Further service to the institution can be demonstrated during Middle States self-study or during individual program accreditation renewal when not a required duty of position.
Examples include, but are not limited to: leading or participating in a self-study chapter, collecting and analyzing data, and writing/editing the report.
Provide service to the college through community engagement that aligns with the college’s mission/strategic priorities.
The choice of this service includes, but is not limited to: incorporating service learning/civic engagement in classes, serving on community boards or non-profit boards, volunteering at area K-12 schools, and other community service activities.
Attend all college assembly meetings.
Review curriculum and academic standard changes.
Participate in shared governance by developing, reviewing, and implementing college-wide documents, participating in informational forums, and providing feedback to the President’s Advisory Team.
Faculty Workload and Load Assignment: Meeting the essential duties and responsibilities of a full-time, tenure track teaching appointment at Allegany College of Maryland requires at least 40 hours per week on average, including work on and off campus, during the contract period.
Much of the faculty work occurs at designated times each week (such as classes, office hours, meetings, etc.
).
However, the very nature of the workload of a professional educator at the college level means that the hours a faculty member fulfills their non-scheduled responsibilities are based on each individual’s judgment.
The college offers learning opportunities in a variety of settings and at various times throughout the day, including weekends.
As such, relegating faculty to an 8-5, Monday through Friday schedule is impractical.
A typical faculty work schedule varies from semester to semester, and week to week to accommodate student learning, professional development, and service to the college/community.
The faculty member will: Accept responsibilities and obligations as a professional educator.
The primary duty of faculty is the instruction of assigned classes.
This duty takes precedence over all others.
Teach a minimum load of 30 credits per academic year with the exception of designated release and/or reassignment time as defined by the faculty release and reassignment policy.
Need to work off-schedule hours, when necessary, for the benefit of their division: evening and/or weekend hours instructing classes, travel between campus locations, recruitment opportunities such as Open House, etc.
As an educator in a learner-centered college, faculty are expected to be accessible to students over a variety of days, times, and modalities consistent with student needs.
Faculty will maintain published office hours for a minimum of 3 hours over 3 days consistent with course modalities, campus location, or instructional site.
Attend fall and spring commencement/graduation.
Perform other reasonable duties as assigned by supervisor.
Faculty members are also obligated to abide by and support college policies set forth in the College Catalog, Faculty Handbook, and the Human Resources Policy Manual.
Faculty must be committed to the learning centered philosophy as well as strategic priorities of the college as identified through the Strategic Plan.
Education, Experience, and Specialized Skills A Master’s Degree (M.
S.
) in biology, or a biological science required.
Doctorate degree in a biological science, or its equivalent, and at least two years of experience teaching microbiology and anatomy and physiology at an institute of higher education is preferred.
Faculty will be responsible for teaching lecture and laboratory sections of at least two of the following: microbiology, human anatomy and physiology, and general biology.
Other courses, such as early college courses, etc.
may be required to complete faculty load assignments.
Faculty member will also be responsible for maintaining viable stock cultures, assisting with budgeting, purchasing of supplies and equipment, preparation for and maintenance of laboratories, and inventory control.
A working knowledge of Microsoft applications and experience with learning management systems is also required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Must possess effective leadership, interpersonal communication and team building skills.
A working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite applications and experience with or ability to use learning management systems is also required.
Ability to work collaboratively with others, set up and tear down labs and teach face to face, online and hybrid courses.
Allegany College of Maryland does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry/national origin, color, disability, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs and activities.