Instructions for Potential College Instructors
In the heart of Ohio, Oberlin College is seeking a tenure-track faculty member to join its esteemed Physics and Astronomy department. The successful applicant is expected to bring a wealth of experience and a passion for teaching and research.
The Application
The application process requires a teaching statement, a research statement, and a cover letter. The teaching statement should outline the applicant's teaching philosophy, methods, and past experiences, while the research statement should detail their current and future research plans. The cover letter should summarise the applicant's interest in the position and their qualifications.
Equipment and Resources
The applicant should anticipate working with major pieces of equipment such as an XYZ machine, closed-cycle cooling, and access to a high-performance cluster. The College will provide start-up funds, but there are financial constraints, so the applicant is advised to provide ballpark budgetary information.
Teaching Role
All faculty at Oberlin College teach courses throughout the curriculum. The teaching statement should also address handling diverse student backgrounds, needs, and goals. It is important to discuss past teaching experiences, participation in pedagogical workshops/conferences, and reference science education literature.
Research Focus
The applicant envisions projects primarily in research lab settings. They anticipate having collaborations with others, both established from graduate work and newly formed. The research statement should provide context for the research area and skills brought to the research, outline plans for research, and discuss how undergraduate students can contribute.
Community Engagement
The applicant is expected to engage with the wider College community, potentially serving on various committees such as admission, athletics, 3-2 engineering, musical studies, and student life.
Additional Considerations
The applicant may highlight other interests or skills, or things that particularly attract them to Oberlin in their cover letter. They may also envision grant proposals to establish their research program, with awards from Research Corporation, NSF, and other sources.
For the most precise and up-to-date details, applicants should visit the specific department’s faculty applicant guidance webpage relevant to their field or check the official job listing for the tenure-track position they are interested in. These may include additional instructions or preferences related to service statements and other documents.
In summary, Oberlin College expects tenure-track candidates to provide a teaching statement (2-3 pages), a research statement (3-5 pages), and a cover letter (about 1 page). The teaching statement and research statement should discuss past experiences, teaching approach, research plans, student involvement, and handling diverse student backgrounds and needs.
The applicant's teaching statement and research statement should reflect their commitment to both education-and-self-development and career-development at Oberlin College. This includes detailing past teaching experiences, outlining their teaching philosophy and research plans, discussing student involvement, and addressing diverse student backgrounds and needs.
In addition to research and teaching, the applicant is expected to engage with the wider College community, potentially serving on various committees, and may consider additional opportunities for grant-funded research to further their career-development.
