Professor of Practice in Computer Science

Fairfax University of America is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) institution committed to setting a new standard in higher education. Through our student-centered approach, we strive to provide the most positive environment for learning available anywhere. Our programs are structured to allow students great flexibility in the design and direction of their own studies. To keep pace with the latest developments in technology and teaching, our curriculum and materials are regularly reviewed and revised, and our instructors receive further training, as necessary.

It is the policy of FXUA to provide equal employment and educational opportunities for all people regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, source of income, place of residence or business, and veteran status. An integral part of this policy is to administer recruiting , hiring, working conditions, benefits and privileges of employment, compensation, training, opportunity for advancement including upgrades and promotion, transfer, and termination of employment including layoff and recall for all employees in accordance with this policy.

Overview:

The Asst/Assoc/Full Professor of Practice is a faculty member who integrates academic scholarship and professional practice associated with their field. Specifically, the Professor of Practice has documented experience as a practitioner in their respective field and understands the specific practical needs and applications required for graduates upon program completion.

All Full-Time Faculty members help students achieve their academic and professional goals by encouraging a university culture of learning that values mutual responsibility and respect, life-long learning and ethics, as well as personal and professional development. The university’s full-time faculty serve to promote their programs, oversee the implementation of curriculum and assessment in their content-area, support their adjunct colleagues, and foster an environment of professionalism that prepares students for their future career trajectories. The full-time faculty serve to support the university over three broad areas: Teaching and Student Engagement, Continuing Professional/Scholarly Development, and Service. Additionally, faculty with an appointment as Program Chairs also directly oversee and support students, staff, and faculty in a supervisory role. 

Responsibilities:

Teaching and Student Engagement

• Support students throughout the entire student life cycle to include helping students to identify a program, advising throughout the program, and assisting students with making connections to their eventual career upon graduation.
• Prepare course outlines and syllabi, develop course and lesson plans, and participate in the selection of textbooks and other teaching aids necessary for the instruction of courses.
• Engage in the development of new and creative instructional materials, including new courses and programs of study and establish a classroom environment conducive to learning and student engagement by delivering learning-centered instruction using lectures, demonstrations, and class discussions.
• Provide rich and regular constructive feedback, enforcing standards of academic integrity and utilizing university grading rubrics effectively for the assessment of student work.
• Serve as academic advisor to graduate and undergraduate students and be available to faculty and students for consultation in one’s area of expertise.
• Post and hold office hours in a physical and electronic format, as appropriate.
• Assist with student recruitment and the development of clear and consistent promotional materials for the program including working directly with marketing and maintaining the website up-to-date.

Curriculum and Assessment Management

• Assist the School with curriculum and system task forces, retention strategies, and general departmental assessment efforts and plans.
• Manage the program’s curriculum to ensure that the content is continually up-to-date and reflective of requirements of the eventual career trajectories of students.
• Manage the annual curriculum development and review process and all associated assessment practices
• Provide regular “product” knowledge training to university staff at least annually.

Continuing Scholarly and Professional Development

• Develop and foster relationships with potential employers on behalf of the university to develop potential opportunities for students and the professional development of the program.
• Represent the academic program’s interests in both internal and external endeavors, which may include: coordinating program advisory boards; serving as a liaison between the program and other campus academic and administrative units; and participating in community events in which the program is represented.
• Remain engaged in professional trends and activities to continually enhance the curricular offerings and program/institutional resources.
• Maintain current knowledge of advances and innovations in the academic discipline and pursue scholarly development within and outside the subject discipline.
• Engage in scholarly activity related to the discipline (e.g., presentation of papers, serving on panel discussions, publication of articles and books, grant writing, participation in seminars, book reviewing and abstracting).

Service

• Assist with committee work and administrative tasks related to the faculty member’s department/school or the university.
• Assist with accreditation and state approval processes.
• Engage in service to the community, including advising and service to the faculty member’s academic discipline.
• Attend department/school and university meetings along with in-service workshops, conferences, honors and awards ceremonies, and the commencement ceremony.

Program Chair (by appointment)

In addition to performing the duties assigned to full-time faculty members, a Program Chair oversees the academic/programmatic components of the program.

• Manage and drive departmental targets related to enrollment, including the recruitment of new students and the retention of continuing students; identify financial targets and develop strategies to promote and maintain financial sustainability for the program; develop new strategies for new streams of revenue for the unit as applicable.
• Oversee all program planning and evaluation activities, including: the review or development of curricula; coordinating assessment efforts and the collection of valid and reliable data; reviewing student and employer evaluations to identify areas for improvement; and oversight of program accreditation, as applicable.
• Ensure that quality faculty are hired and credentialed to teach in their assigned areas; serve as a resource for educational development of faculty; evaluate faculty and facilitate improvement of their instructional performance; and ensure that faculty are supported in their daily work.
• In collaboration with other program faculty, provide an annual report of the core annual programmatic activities.
• Oversee all area course assessments and accreditation data collection, and facilitate appropriate accreditation of the program and the assessment and evaluation of the success of the program.
• Serve as Course Manager for all courses within the program and manage all course shells.
• Review and evaluate activities related to academic integrity and violation reporting, and provide counsel to other faculty within the program for areas of concern.

• Doctoral (or terminal) Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Technology, another closely related field.
• Professors of practices must have documented experience as a practitioner in their respective field of 5 or more years
• Prior experience teaching at the higher education level
• For Program Chair consideration: 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in program oversight and/or leadership
• Knowledge of curriculum development and up-to-date knowledge of academic and industry trends
• Familiarity with assessment and process improvement and knowledge of data collection techniques and the ability to assess and analyze collected data
• Knowledge of accreditation requirements, including programmatic accreditation (as applicable)
• Ability to supervise and mentor other faculty members within the program area
• Experience with a learning management system (Canvas preferred)
• Ability to respond to the needs of learners and colleagues from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds
• Strong organizational and time management skills and the ability to carry out projects with minimal supervision
• Meticulously edit documents possessing a high level of attention to detail is required.
• Manage complex and highly sensitive materials and to foster a culture of confidentiality.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to excel in a demanding, outcome-oriented, and dynamic environment with little supervision
• Creativity and the ability to envision and achieve a positive

Think you have what it takes?  Apply today!

NOTE: Candidates selected for a phone screen or an interview will be contacted.  Please do not call to follow up on your application as we have a high volume of calls and will not be able to respond to every inquiry