Los Angeles - Occidental College - Director of Teaching, Learning and Research Support

https://www.oxy.edu/sites/default/files/assets/HR/Salaried/director_of_teaching_learning_and_research_support_ar.pdf

Salary

Not listed

Close Date

The position will begin in July or August 2022. First consideration will be given to candidates applying by May 13.

POSITION SUMMARY

Occidental is a highly selective and diverse liberal arts college located in the global metropolis of Los Angeles. Founded in 1887, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast. Occidental’s interdisciplinary focus encourages a hands-on approach to learning and includes one of the country’s best undergraduate research programs. Faculty members work closely with the College’s librarians and staff to support their teaching and research. 1,850 students from 45 states and 24 countries have compiled an impressive record of winning national awards. Our central location within the city ensures easy access to top research institutions, museums, and cultural heritage centers, including the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences; the Autry Museum of the American West; Caltech; the Getty Research Institute; the Huntington Library; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; UCLA; and USC.

The Library is seeking an innovative and energetic Director to lead our Teaching, Learning, and Research Support (TLRS) division in providing instructional and consultation services, scholarly information resources(SIR), and research support to students, faculty, and staff. The Director will develop and oversee public services designed to enhance the academic experience of the Oxy community. The incumbent will be people-centered, responsive, creative, and skilled in leading a team of professional librarians in a highly collaborative setting. Employing a deep commitment to diversity, equity, justice, inclusivity, and universal design concepts and methodologies, the Director of TLRS will develop active learning experiences both online and in person, in large groups and small, in ways that resonate with the philosophy and values of a select, residential liberal arts college located in a large urban center.

Reporting to the College Librarian, the Director of TLRS will join the Library Leadership Team (LiLT), oversee and manage the division’s budget and operations, and lead a team of four librarians focused on

Academic Technology, Arts and Humanities, First Year Experience and Student Success, and Science. The incumbent will plan, organize, manage, and assess the Library’s robust four-year Information Literacy Instruction (ILI) program; oversee the TLRS librarians’ engagement in providing access to SIR; and facilitate their participation in Scholarly Communications and developing learning technologies.

The Director of TLRS will serve as the Library’s liaison to the College’s Social Sciences’ departments, disciplines, and interdisciplinary programs, providing subject expertise and content specialization, teaching ILI, and selecting SIR. The Social Sciences portfolio at Oxy includes interdisciplinary programs such as Black Studies; Critical Theory and Social Justice; Food Studies; Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies; Latinx and Latin American Studies; and Urban and Environmental Policy, in addition to traditional disciplines, such as Diplomacy and World Affairs; Economics; History; Politics; Psychology; and Sociology.

RESPONSIBILITIES

TLRS Leadership & Management

 Serves as a member of LiLT, representing the TLRS division

 Plans, organizes, staffs, and leads the TLRS division, directly supervising instructional librarians and academic technologists. Develops and assesses division goals and priorities

 Develops and manages the TLRS operational budget. Plays a collaborative role in developing the Library’s materials budget to ensure access to SIR and curricular alignment

 Works closely with the College Librarian and other members of LiLT on Library facilities renovation and improvement projects designed to further student success and excellence

 Works closely with the Director of SIR and the Director of User Services, Communications, and Assessment (DUSCA) to review usage data and SIR policies in relation to curricular needs. Oversees instructional librarian liaison roles in the evaluation and selection of SIR

 Builds productive relationships with faculty across disciplines to continually align services, resources, and programs with curricular needs

 Aligns teaching, learning, and research support with college-wide learning goals and ensures that programs advance the college’s mission of Equity and Justice

 Serves on campus committees when needed

 Actively represents the library in professional associations devoted to TLRS at the national, regional, and local levels; maintains currency with new, emerging, and established standards and best practices in the field; shares knowledge and expertise within the division and with other colleagues

Information Literacy Instruction, Public Services, and Liaison Work

 Plans, organizes, implements, and assesses the Library’s ILI program for students across all disciplines and years. Supports and mentors librarians in developing instructional materials, workshops, and research support programs

 Oversees the provision of one-on-one research consultations, online guides, and resources for self-paced learning and support across all disciplines to help students conduct effective research with successful outcomes

 Collaborates with the DUSCA to assess, communicate, and promote TLRS services. Evaluates and continuously improves the online user experience

 Organizes outreach for workshops and orientations with academic and student affairs programs, such as Campus Tours and Orientations, the Multicultural Summer Institute, the Undergraduate Research Center Summer Program, and the Writing Center

 Serves as the Library’s liaison to Social Sciences departments, disciplines, and interdisciplinary programs, providing subject expertise and content specialization. Works closely with other TLRS team members to ensure coverage of all subject areas across the curriculum and accessibility to SIR for faculty, staff, and students

 Works closely with the Director of Special Collections and College Archives to support teaching, learning, and research through resource acquisitions and teaching with primary sources.

Scholarly Communications & Learning Technologies

 Identifies, evaluates, and facilitates innovative applications of academic technology in support of inclusive and equitable teaching, learning, and research

 Facilitates user support for academic technologies and scholarly communications platforms, such as the course management system, digital archive, and institutional repository

 Develops expertise on intellectual property rights pertaining to academic pursuits and scholarly communications with a view to becoming a key point-of-contact for the campus

 Collaborates with the DUSCA in managing the Critical Making Studio, supporting student assistants’ training, and facilitating tech lending

 Collaborates with the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Research and Scholarship to offer training and support for faculty in digital pedagogy and research, open access publishing, and open educational resources

 Collaborates with Information Technology Services to ensure sustainable infrastructures for teaching and learning technologies

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

 MLIS from an ALA accredited program, or earned doctorate, or its equivalent in work experience, education, and training

 Three years of professional experience in public services in an academic or research library

 An exciting vision for supporting teaching, learning, and research in a liberal arts curriculum

 Strong support for the values of a residential liberal arts college education and determination to help strengthen the academic community by developing equitable public services programs aimed at increasing diversity and inclusivity

 Excellent listening, spoken, and written communication skills

 Experience with and strong interest in mentoring early career librarians

 Energetic and innovative team leader, member, and colleague. Team player who displays flexibility for working within a constantly evolving organization where responsibilities are shared across divisions and between individuals.

 Experience with budget planning and management, presentations and training, organizational development, and program assessment and evaluation

 Ability to build teams, work effectively with a diverse community, and establish productive relationships across the campus and with peer institutions

 A clear understanding and broad knowledge of the opportunities and possibilities afforded by the integration of digital content and technologies in the teaching, learning, and research activities of faculty and students

Preferred

 Second subject master’s degree

 Experience with the Ex Libris Alma/Primo Library Services Platform

 Knowledge of Instructional Design

 Experience with supervising staff members.