Would you like to share your expertise with students eager to improve their life circumstances? Are you intrigued by the increasing impact of online instruction? Would you like to gain online teaching experience with a growing institution?
Course Name: Education in Context: History, Philosophy and Sociology
Adjunct Faculty (Volunteer Position)
Institution: University of the People
Location: Online/Remote
Category: Faculty - Education - Other Education (study of)
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Adjunct/Part-Time
Salary: 600 to 675 USD Per Year
University of the People (UoPeople) is a tuition-free, accredited online university that serves students who might otherwise be barred from a college education by reason of geography, culture, work, family, and/or finances. It especially targets the underserved in urban and rural areas of the U.S. and in underdeveloped countries, particularly in Africa and South Asia. The university currently offers undergraduate programs in business administration, computer science and Health Sciences as well as an MBA program. UoPeople has also just launched, in conjunction with the International Baccalaureate (IB), a Master in Education program (M.Ed.)
The university has an immediate need for volunteer instructors to teach its course, Education in Context: History, Philosophy and Sociology within the M.Ed program. The course description is as follows:
This course will examine the role of education across time and in different places in the world, and the social and political influences that shaped the goals and structure of today's diverse educational systems. The contributions of classical and modern thinkers and their impact on contemporary education and on the role and function of the teacher will be explored. Analysis of globalization on education and the nature of differing educational systems and values will provide a context for reflecting on one's own philosophy of education.
Positions are filled continuously and only candidates that are a match will be contacted. Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications and are hired will be added to the faculty pool and will be considered for relevant courses as they become available.
Position Description
UoPeople volunteer instructors must make a weekly commitment of about 15 hours to course-related activities, which consist of responding to student emails and messages, posting discussion questions, engaging with students, grading learning journals, and reviewing peer assessments. Course instructors teach designated courses within their area of specialty using Moodle. Each UoPeople course is nine weeks. Instructors must be able to teach in an online world and understand the needs of a very diverse student population. The university provides its instructors with a modest honorarium, ranging from $600-675 USD per course. Graduate courses are 8 weeks long.
University of the People is a DEAC (Distance Education and Accreditation Commission) accredited institution.
Essential Responsibilities
Devote approximately 15 hours per course per week and be able to check in on courses frequently, but at a minimum once every 48 hours.
Communicate effectively with diverse student populations and global administration.
Convey subject matter expertise in online class.
Regularly check in with the Office of Faculty Affairs regarding any course issues.
Monitor course grades and finalize grades as needed.
Must be sensitive to a diverse student population, representing the full spectrum of cultural, political, socio-economic and religious backgrounds.
Desired Qualifications
Online teaching experience, preferably with Moodle.
A minimum of a doctoral degree within the discipline of education.
Expertise in the subject area of the course.
Appreciation of a diverse student population, representing the full spectrum of cultural, political, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds.
An understanding of the International Baccalaureate methodology
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit an application via our instructor application portal at the following address: https://instructors.uopeople.edu/Account/SignUp
The Institution
University of the People (UoPeople) is the "Education Revolution". It is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American accredited online university. Dedicated to opening access to higher education globally, UoPeople is designed to help qualified high school graduates overcome financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints keeping them from collegiate studies. The university offers associate and bachelor's degree programs in business administration, computer science, and health science as well as an MBA program. UoPeople was founded in 2009 and accredited in February 2014. Today, it has over 17,000 students enrolled from more than 200 countries and territories. 1,000 of these students are refugees, of whom 600 are Syrian.
UNESCO estimates that, by the year 2025, there will be nearly 100 million young people seeking seats in universities that don't exist. UoPeople is an essential part of avoiding such a tragic missed opportunity for would-be students. The university believes that access to higher education can promote world peace and global economic development. As a basic right, higher education can transform not only the lives of students, but also their families' lives, their communities, their nations and, by extension, the world.
The university is directed by President Shai Reshef, an education entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience, and by distinguished international boards of trustees and advisers. Its President's Council is led by current and former leadership from several of the world's foremost institutions, including: John Sexton, President Emeritus of NYU; George Rupp, President Emeritus of Columbia University; Catharine Bond Hill, President Emerita of Vassar College; Nicholas Dirks, former chancellor of UC Berkeley; Judith Shapiro, President Emerita of Barnard College, and Nobel Laureate Torsten N. Wiesel, President Emeritus of The Rockefeller University. More than 7,000 professionals have volunteered for the university, including those filling key UoPeople leadership positions.
UoPeople has academic partnerships with Yale Law School, and with NYU, the University of Edinburgh, and UC Berkeley, where qualified UoPeople students may apply to transfer and continue studies. 92% of UoPeople graduates are employed, including at such companies as Amazon, Apple, Dell, Deloitte, IBM, Microsoft, and JP Morgan, as well as institutions such as the UN and the World Bank.
UoPeople is supported by the generosity of individuals and foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Fondation Hoffmann, The Ford Foundation, and more. UoPeople has been covered by the New York Times, BBC, NPR, Times Higher Education, US News and World Report, and more. President Reshef's TED Talk about the university and its mission has over 5.5 million views.
UoPeople is building a sustainable new model for higher education, in which students are asked to pay only a $100 assessment fee at the end of each course ($200 in the M.Ed program). One year of study (10 courses) costs $1,000, and a four-year bachelor's degree is only $4,000. For students who might find even these modest fees prohibitive, the university offers a variety of scholarships, to fulfill the part of its mission that no qualified student will be left behind for financial reasons.
