Astronomy Instructor

At ACC, every employee is focused and responsible for student success. We promote a culture of inclusivity and innovation through individualized support, passionate employees, and a welcoming environment. Hands on experiences and personalized attention make learning come alive at ACC enabling our diverse community of students and staff to develop the knowledge and skills they need to reach their academic and career goals. Since 1965, ACC has supported a culture of achievement and has been the place of choice for people who want to Move Mountains. 

ACC seeks applicants who understand and have first-hand experience working with diverse populations, which may include but are not limited to, historically marginalized populations such as people of color, LGBTQ+ community members, veterans, first generation graduates, and people with disabilities.

Job Summary

The Physical Science Department at Arapahoe Community College is accepting applications for part-time Instructors to teach in the Astronomy Program.

Candidates must be able to teach at all ACC campus locations – Littleton and the Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock.  

This posting will be used to fill multiple part-time Instructor vacancies. Finalist must be willing to make Colorado their primary workplace, including for online courses.  

Part-time Instructors provide instructional duties for the College in their respective areas of expertise. They report to the department or program chair within the discipline and do not have any supervisory responsibilities. Responsibilities include instruction, student assessment, and other related instructional duties. Instructional delivery may include face-to-face, hybrid, and online. Classes may be held days, evenings, and weekends. 

The instructor must be patient, and respectful, while also providing their expectations for what is considered acceptable work. The instructor must display dedication to the class as well as the goals of the program. 

Part-time instructors have the following responsibilities: 

Classroom Instruction:  Required to meet all class periods and start and end classes promptly. Teach assigned curriculum and make use of required texts and materials. Provide students with a complete syllabus before the first day of class that includes information on course description, objectives, assignments, grading policies, and contact information. Maintain accurate records of attendance and provide data on student attendance (no-shows, last day of attendance, etc.), promptly. Use technology to facilitate learning including meeting the required minimum standards for the use of the College learning management system Desire2Learn (D2L). 

Student Assessment (Grading):  Maintain updated and accurate grading records in D2L and submit all final grades by the due date in the college student information system, Banner. Provide consistent and timely feedback to students regarding progress and grades on assignments. 

Planning:  Prepare for each class meeting and consider learning strategies that address diverse learning styles and a diverse community college student population. Class content and assessment methods should relate to course objectives. 

Communication:  Provide timely feedback to students using ACC email account for all College business. Check ACC email account and D2L email account (if used) every 24-48 hours during the class term and for at least one week after grades are submitted. 

Equity Statement  

We welcome and value the identities and experiences of our students, staff, faculty, and surrounding communities. We seek to engage and support historically marginalized groups whom higher education has traditionally failed to serve. We work to foster an equitable and inclusive learning and work environment that supports our students and employees through professional development, programming, reflection, and transformational change of ACC practices, procedures, services, and teaching. We collectively commit to holding ourselves accountable to our equity goals through assessing these efforts with multiple strategies that include voices of those impacted by this work. 

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences, Astrobiology, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Archeoastronomy, Cosmology, or related subfield OR Master's degree plus 18 graduate credit hours in Astronomy
• Experience teaching and/or training various subjects within the Astronomy discipline.
• Demonstrated commitment working with and supporting students from diverse populations, which may include but are not limited to, historically marginalized communities (people of color, LGBTQ+ community members, veterans, first generation graduates, people with disabilities, etc.).
• Demonstrate a growth mindset regarding professional development.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in facilitating equitable outcomes for customers, key stakeholders, or students using effective inclusive strategies. 
• Demonstrate building successful professional relationships and working collaboratively with internal and external constituents and outside agencies. 
• Participate and/or lead in professional organizations, committees and/or taskforces. 
• Experience with remote and/or online teaching/training and experience developing courses for multiple delivery formats. 
• Ability to develop well-defined assessment/evaluation objectives and high-performance standards aligned with expectations. 

Physical & Cognitive Demands

The following are some of the physical and cognitive demands commonly associated with this position.

• This position operates in a standard office and/or classroom environment. Constantly uses a computer and routinely uses standard office equipment including phones, copiers, etc. 
• Cognitive demands include comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, synthesizing, negotiating, communicating, instructing, and interpersonal skills. 
• The person in this position constantly communicates with internal and external constituents and students. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. 
• Occasionally moves, positions, and transports classroom and laboratory equipment, up to 40 lbs. 

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

Arapahoe Community College provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process and/or during the course of employment, please contact Angela Johnson, Director of Human Resources, at 303.797.5715 or Angela.Johnson@arapahoe.edu.

Advertised Salary

This is a LEL course (science with distinct lecture and lab). LEL courses consist of two sessions -- one lecture (LEC) and one lab (LAB) -- and are paid according to those sessions. The LEC session per credit pay rate is $962.23 for Level 1, $1,012.23 for Level 2, and $1 for Level 3; and the LAB session per credit pay rate is $$1,443.35 for Level 1, $1,518.35 for Level 2, and $1,593.35 for Level 3. Individuals who do not actively teach within CCCS will be hired at the Level 1 rate. Those actively employed within CCCS are eligible to be hired at their current level (refer to SP 3-10b for additional information). 

To Apply

All applicants must submit: 

1. Resume 
2. Detailed letter of interest (cover letter) addressing the job announcement. Please include any experiences you may have embedding equity and inclusion in your work, see below.
3. Unofficial transcripts

    

At ACC we seek to hire candidates that demonstrate a commitment to and experience with embedding equity and inclusion into their professional role. Please address this specifically in your cover letter explaining what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) means to you and how you may have incorporated DEI into your current or previous professional responsibilities. Also describe your experience working with or teaching individuals from historically marginalized populations, which may include but are not limited to, (people of color, LGBTQ+ community members, veterans, first generation graduates, people with disabilities, etc.). What did you learn from these experiences and how did this inform your work?

Please note that we will contact only qualified individuals selected to interview. This posting is to create a pool of applicants. This instructor pool will remain active through June 30, 2023 when all applications will be cleared from the pool and we will post a new announcement. If you are not selected in the current pool, you are welcome to reapply to the subsequent pool. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Candidates who are selected to interview will be asked to submit a completed application form and the names and contact information for three professional references. Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications as related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.  

Visit our Careers website to submit your application. 

Closing Date

This position will be open until filled.

If you have questions regarding this position, please contact Jennifer Jones, Physical Science Chair, at Jennifer.Jones@arapahoe.edu

Benefits

Medical insurance is offered to instructors and other variable hour employees who have worked, on average, at least 30 hours per week in a 12-month period. ACC/CCCS uses an initial 12-month measurement period to determine medical benefit eligibility, and a 12-month standard measurement period. Additional information about this, and Life and Disability benefit information can be found at the CCCS Employee Benefits site under “Instructor & Variable Hour Employee Benefit Information.” 

Sick leave is granted in accordance with SB20-205, Sick Leave for Employees, accrued at one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 48 hours per year.

Instructors are required to contribute to Colorado PERA at a fixed percentage of their salary and do not contribute to Social Security. ACC/CCCS student employees are not eligible to participate in PERA. ACC/CCCS offers three tax-deferred investment plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and 457.

ACC offers an Instructor Advancement Program (IAP), which allows instructors to achieve Level II and Level III status when all requirements for each level have been met.

Notice to all Applicants

• Final candidate will be subject to successful completion of a background check, and, if applicable, a motor vehicle record review.
• Former employees of the Colorado Community College System, or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information in their application material.
• Final candidate is required to submit official transcripts to Human Resources within thirty (30) days of hire.
• Direct deposit of payroll is a condition of employment.
• Arapahoe Community College participates in E-Verify.
• Arapahoe Community College is a tobacco and smoke-free campus.
• Finalist must be willing to make Colorado their primary workplace, including for online courses.

Arapahoe Community College is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment including those that violate federal and state law, or the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Board Policy 19-60. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, familial status, veteran or military status, pregnancy status, religion, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected class or category under applicable local, state, or federal law (also known as “civil rights laws”), in connection with employment practices or educational programs and activities (including admissions). 

For information regarding Arapahoe Community College Security, including Clery Act / Crime Statistics for the campuses and surrounding area, please see the Arapahoe Community College Annual Security Report. For a hard copy report, contact the ACC Campus Police Department at 303.797.5800, Campus.Police@arapahoe.edu, or Room M2600 at 5900 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, Colorado 80120.