Assistant Professor - Animal Science Position
Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis, NE, is seeking candidates for a 9-month 100% teaching Animal Science faculty position in Agricultural Production Systems (APS). Opportunities exist for additional summer funding through summer course instruction. Review of applications will begin on April 13, 2020, and continue until a suitable candidate is identified or the search is closed.
Core Duties and Responsibilities:
Develop and teach Animal Science courses within the Agricultural Production Systems major, including the development and updating of course outlines, lesson plans, presentations, and course materials for both lecture and laboratory formats. Implement a series of educational experiences, which result in graduates who are successful entrepreneurs or employees in profitable, commercial livestock enterprises. Be willing to advise and serve as a sponsor to clubs and or student activities. Assist with academic advising, recruiting, internship experiences, committee assignments, student organizations, and other departmental and college activities.
Teaching activities will generally focus on facilitating student engagement in experiential learning activities on the college farm, in college livestock facilities, in the college meat processing facility, and at local agricultural businesses. Engage in NCTA’s statewide mission of workforce development. Developing and teaching interactive distance education courses may also be required.
Qualifications:
This position requires a Master’s degree in animal science or closely related field from a regionally accredited institution, proficiency with computer technology applications in the teaching environment, and excellent communication skills. The candidate should demonstrate an interest in providing a positive student-centered approach to teaching. Preferred qualifications are a doctorate in a related agricultural discipline with experience in large animals and a focus on animal management and animal science. Relevant industry experience, previous college teaching experience, successful experience facilitating student engagement through student activities such as clubs and teams, and experiences in recruiting and fundraising are also preferred.
College Description:
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a small, rural, residential two-year college offering programs in agriculture and veterinary technology. NCTA is the only two-year campus in the University of Nebraska system. The college has received significant national recognition for the quality of its academic programs and the success of its graduates. College faculty rely heavily on skills-based experiential learning activities. Members of the college community celebrate the traditions and lifestyle of the rural Great Plains region.
The animal science division utilizes campus resources such as the college cattle herd, feedlot, horses, small ruminants, cattle processing facilities, meats lab, indoor livestock arena, and associated classrooms and offices. The college farm is immediately adjacent to campus and consists of approximately 250 acres of rangeland and 250 acres of irrigated row crop agriculture.
The animal science division works closely with the NCTA veterinary technology program, which has been accredited by the AVMA for more than 40 years. Veterinary Technology facilities include a clinic, a surgery suite, x-ray rooms, a necropsy laboratory, a clinical pathology laboratory, a teaching amphitheater, and extensive animal holding facilities.
As a college within the University of Nebraska system, NCTA faculty enjoy generous system benefits, including a tuition waiver for 15 credits per year for employees or dependents attending any system campus. NCTA faculty are eligible for promotion, with appropriate raises, through traditional academic ranks. As an institution, NCTA does not award tenure. NCTA faculty work closely with our system land grant university, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, located 3 ½ hours to the east.
NCTA is located in rural western Nebraska, in the bucolic town of Curtis with a population of approximately 900. The town is 45 minutes south of North Platte, approximately 4 ½ hours east of Denver and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and 4 ½ hours west of Omaha.
Characteristic of the rural Great Plains ecosystem, the region is largely composed of cattle ranches, irrigated row crop agriculture, and wildlife habitat. The area is known for its abundant turkeys, whitetail deer, mule deer, and a small but growing population of elk.
To apply, go to UNL employment website, http://employment.unl.edu, requisition F_200063. Click “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty form. Attach a letter of interest, curriculum vitae and contact information for three professional references, including phone numbers and email addresses.
The University of Nebraska is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, which seeks and encourages expression of interest from minorities and groups traditionally under represented.