Associate Instructional Professor, Director of Field Education and Community Engagement

Description

 

The Divinity School at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for an Associate Instructional Professor who will also serve as the Director of Field Education and Community Engagement for the MDiv curriculum. This is a full-time, renewable appointment, with an initial term of four years, beginning September 1, 2025 or sometime thereafter. The position is year-round: teaching will be scheduled during the autumn, winter, and spring quarters of the academic year, but all other responsibilities will continue throughout the calendar year. The terms and conditions of employment for this position are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Service Employees International Union.

 

The Associate Instructional Professor will teach an annual load of four courses during the regular academic year: co-teaching in the Colloquium (Introduction to Ministry Studies) for first year students and leading the three quarters of the Practicum. This latter series of courses (also referred to as The Practice of Ministry I, II, and III) involves facilitating weekly reflection and training for the students in the 2nd-year field education placements, including developing a rich and rigorous curriculum for this practical theological reflection.    The Associate Instructional Professor will design and supervise the three field education components of the MDiv program: one designed in conjunction with the Colloquium course, one a year-long internship within and among a spiritual community, and a final, 400-hour supervised field work assignment that can be engaged in a variety of ways. These three experiences are designed to afford students the opportunity to participate in public religious leadership in contexts that reflect the richness of the contemporary practice of ministry. The Associate Instructional Professor will support students’ reflection, integration, and evaluation during these placements, and initiate regular evaluations between students, field site supervisors, and representatives of the Divinity School. The Associate Instructional Professor will cultivate a varied group of teaching congregations and other suitable sites in the Chicago area and assist students in securing appropriate field education placements in such sites. In addition to continuing a strong existing network of institutional partnerships, the Associate Instructional Professor will develop new educational sites to include a greater number of religious communities of faith and practice as well as social service agencies and non-profit organizations.

 

The Associate Instructional Professor will mentor and advise MDiv students, especially with respect to vocational discernment, grant projects, career planning, and placement.    The Associate Instructional Professor will cultivate relationships with religious leaders, congregations, judicatory personnel, undergraduate campus ministries, and religion departments to help ensure that the MDiv program is visible, familiar, and accessible to qualified prospective students in Chicago and across the country. The Associate Instructional Professor will collaborate with the Director of Ministry Studies and the faculty MDiv Committee on the full spectrum of activities related to students’ progress in the program, especially with regards to recruitment, admissions, and orientation. They will also collaborate on evaluating, shaping, and supporting the evolution of the curriculum for the MDiv degree. Additionally, the Associate Instructional Professor will serve as the instructor of record for occasional independent study requests, based on curricular and/or student need and at their discretion.

 

Salary Range

$78,966-$85,468

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

 

Qualifications

 

The position requires the MDiv degree. The successful candidate will have a minimum of six years relevant teaching experience in religious leadership and will demonstrate competencies in supervision, formation, and theological reflection in both interpersonal and classroom settings. CPE training is desirable. Additionally, the position requires excellent administrative and organizational skills; attention to detail; the ability to cultivate positive working relationships with students, staff, faculty, and community partners; and the ability to work collaboratively to maintain and develop the program and its constituencies.

 

Application Instructions

 

To apply for this position candidates must submit their application through the University of Chicago’s Interfolio jobs board at