Director of Curriculum Development & Design Initiatives and Faculty Awards: Teaching and Learning Innovation - UTK

The Director of Curriculum Development & Design and Faculty Awards at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Teaching and Learning Innovations plays a crucial role in advancing teaching effectiveness and student success through faculty development initiatives. This position supports the planning, design, and implementation of professional development programs that address the needs of faculty in in-person learning environments.

The Director of Curriculum Development & Design and Faculty Awards is responsible for collaborating with a team within TLI to create, deliver, and evaluate a range of professional development opportunities, including workshops, conferences, seminars, retreats, and faculty learning communities, all grounded in evidence-based research and aligned with institutional goals. This role involves engaging with university and college administrators, deans, department heads, and instructors across disciplines and ranks to enhance instructional and curricular practices for in-person courses as well as develop faculty awards that recognize and promote innovations in college teaching. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in the latest research and best practices in curriculum development and design, pedagogy and course design, as well as general professional development practices. Additionally, the ideal candidate must demonstrate an ability and willingness to be a strategic thought partner to advance the work and relevance of the unit.

The Director of Curriculum Development and Design Initiatives and Faculty Awards: 

 

Leads the development of new TLI resources, as well as programs and offerings in areas such as experiential learning, service-learning, active learning, course-based assessment, risk management & safety for teaching and learning, positive psychology, and manages the team responsible for implementation. The individual additionally seeks out and leads all collaborative efforts on behalf of TLI related to curriculum development and design activities and consultations to support campus units, colleges, and academic departments. Specific examples are TLI's liaison to the Division of Student Success for Student Success Grants and other relevant collaborations. The Director will represent TLI at all campus wide curriculum meetings, as well as the Assessment Steering Committee. 

 

Provides leadership and supervises the planning and coordination of TLI events and professional development opportunities. Also, the individual will direct the curriculum development and design team in providing consultation support for faculty, departments, and colleges. Specifically, in addition to developing relevant workshops and professional development experiences for the campus, the person in this role will also plan and coordinate professional development for TLI staff.

 

Facilitates strategic planning for TLI's awards. This includes developing a mechanism for choosing awards, developing recommendations, presenting ideas to the Executive Director, and securing support.  In addition, the director will develop a plan for TLI to implement chosen awards and manage award budget.

 

Supervises TLI staff and ensures that their responses to requests are timely, effective, and professional. The director provides coaching and support to TLI members as necessary and advises on professional development opportunities.

 

Contributes to a collaborative and positive work environment and helps to facilitate a culture of creativity and innovation where all members of the unit can be successful. This person supports the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation and the unit as a whole, with hiring searches (when needed and asked) in adherence to HR policies and procedures, as well as reviewing potential Human Resource changes within TLI as needed and making recommendations on TLI personnel concerns to Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation, as requested.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in any field
• Experience:  
  • A minimum of 4 years of progressive responsibility in an educational environment which can include leadership responsibilities 
  • Experience delivering professional development/training and/or teaching in higher education.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
  • Demonstrated effective supervisory experience 
  • Strong knowledge and awareness of best practices with course-based assessment, large-classroom teaching, experiential learning, service-learning, pos