Course Associate, Writing About Global Science for International Media (Summer 2023)

Company Description

Columbia University has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world for more than 250 years. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds to pursue greater human understanding, pioneering discoveries, and service to society.

The School of Professional Studies at Columbia University offers innovative and rigorous programs that integrate knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, combine theory with practice, leverage our students and faculty’s expertise, and connect global constituencies. Through seventeen professional master's degrees, courses for advancement and graduate school preparation, certificate programs, summer courses, high school programs, and a program for learning English as a second language, the School of Professional Studies transforms knowledge and understanding in service of the greater good.

Job Description

Columbia University, School of Professional Studies (SPS) seeks candidates to serve as a Course Associate to support the successful delivery of an on-campus graduate-level course. A Course Associate is a faculty line junior to a Lecturer, who provides subject matter expertise and supports the instructional process for a course section. Serving as a Course Associate is an excellent way to gain exposure to graduate-level teaching at Columbia University.

The course is Writing About Global Science for International Media. Candidates must be available for in-person support on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:10 PM to 8 PM during Summer Session B 7/3/2023 - 8/11/2023.

This is an interdisciplinary workshop for scientists, future NGO workers and journalists seeking skills in communicating 21st-century global science to the public. Scientists will be given journalism skills; journalists will learn how to use science as the basis of their story-telling. The course is designed to give students exercises and real-world experiences in producing feature stories on global science topics. While most scientists and international affairs professionals have been trained to write in the style of peer-reviewed journals, we will focus on journalism techniques, learning how to translate global science into accessible true stories that reach wide audiences.

Science is performed by passionate individuals who use their intelligence and determination to seek answers from nature. By telling their histories and uncovering the drama of discovery, we believe that there are ways for science to be successfully communicated to readers who might otherwise fear it.   

The M.S. in Sustainability Management program is designed for those who wish to pursue a career in management that takes integrates sustainability considerations into economic activity. Graduates work to transform public and private organizations and governments by formulating and implementing tailored sustainability strategies. The coursework combines the study of management with classes in sustainability practice and science, with full-time and part-time options for those with current professional obligations. Students in the program learn the use of policy and management tools to address environmental impacts and risks, pollution control, and remediation to achieve sustainability. A Course Associate is a faculty line junior to a Lecturer who provides subject matter expertise and supports the instructional process for a course section. Serving as a Course Associate is an excellent way to gain exposure to graduate-level teaching at Columbia University.

Responsibilities

• Attend weekly class sessions, assist with instruction, lead breakout sessions, and facilitate discussions.
• Hold weekly office hours.
• Evaluate performance, grade student work, and provide effective feedback as requested by the course Lecturer.
• Monitor and address student concerns and inquiries.
• Build working relationships with the students, provide guidance and mentoring, and respond to their inquiries in a timely manner.

Qualifications

Columbia University SPS operates under a scholar-practitioner faculty model, which enables students to learn from faculty possessing outstanding academic training as well as a record of accomplishment as practitioners in an applied industry setting.

• Graduate degree in an environmental or sustainability field.
• Expertise in the topics covered in the course.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Project management and presentation skills, mentorship.
• University teaching experience is preferred, but