Vacancy Announcement: Assistant Head for Instructional Services

Located in historic and dynamic Richmond, Virginia, convenient to the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the recreation destinations of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, and the cultural resources of Washington, D.C., Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia’s largest university and one of the nation’s leading research institutions. The VCU Libraries, one of Virginia’s outstanding research library systems, advances the University’s teaching, research, service, and patient care mission with holdings exceeding 2.3 million volumes, 52,000 serials, 500,000 e-books, and nationally prominent collections in the health and biological sciences, social work, the arts, the history of medicine, and comic and book arts.

The VCU Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Assistant Head for Instructional Services in Research and Instructional Services (RIS). VCU Libraries seeks a creative, energetic, and collaborative individual to lead the Instructional Services unit within RIS. The incumbent will be responsible for a highly successful suite of education services on the Monroe Park Campus of VCU that includes virtual and classroom instruction. The Assistant Head of Instructional Services will establish departmental goals and objectives for an integrated collection of programs that teach research skills, promote information literacy, and enhance the student experience at VCU. He or she will promote state-of-the-art services through continual innovation and awareness of national trends and best practices. The successful candidate will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Research and Instructional Services (RIS) at the James Branch Cabell Library, the Assistant Head for Instructional Services supervises a team of five, including two librarians, responsible for the development of education services on the Monroe Park Campus. The successful candidate will serve as the primary liaison to one or more academic departments. Specific departments will be assigned to the position based on the incumbent’s academic preparation and interests. The Assistant Head leads and participates in the design, delivery, and assessment of instructional services and coordinates the overall teaching activities of the department’s nine reference librarians and five classified staff. The Assistant Head for Instructional Services supervises the work of the First Year Student Programs Librarian and the Undergraduate Student Programs Librarian who design education initiatives for undergraduate students enrolled in the University and Honors Colleges. The Assistant Head collaborates with the Research Services’ unit liaison librarians to expand instructional services for academic departments. The incumbent will oversee the integration of library collections and services into course management software; identify best practices and set standards of excellence for teaching; advise instructors of emerging trends; and provide training and continuing education to library instructors. He or she is responsible for exploring new technologies and identifying opportunities for their effective application. The Assistant Head manages the library’s teaching facilities, including the Library Instruction Classroom. As a member of the RIS leadership team, he or she will understand and advance the department’s overall objectives, engaging in projects and activities that further these goals. The successful candidate will provide reference assistance, including some evenings and weekends. The Assistant Head for Instructional Services is expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated, and promoted, on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and professional development and service.

Qualifications

Required: ALA-accredited graduate or equivalent accredited degree in an appropriate academic discipline. Preferred: Substantial experience designing and leading instructional activities that range from first year programs to course-integrated support for graduate and research programs. Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design and the application of technology to instructional services. Evidence of effective project management skills and the ability to plan and implement a program of services. Experience assessing instructional services, including classroom instruction and Web-based offerings, and developing course content. Understanding of learning theory and pedagogy. Significant experience with course management software, Web authoring tools, multimedia, and other instructional technologies. Demonstrated commitment to teaching and student learning. Ability to formulate and articulate a vision for instructional services. Preference for collaboration and group work. Supervisory experience. Academic reference and instruction experience as a subject liaison in a research library. Ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities under pressure. Strong service orientation. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience working in a culturally diverse environment highly preferred. Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Libraries

Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia’s largest research university, enrolling over 32,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as Research University (very high research activity), VCU offers 40 doctoral, 67 masters, 3 professional, and 60 baccalaureate degree programs. Twenty-seven of VCU's graduate, professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the nation, with 21 programs ranking in the top 25 and two programs — sculpture and nurse anesthesia — ranked number one. Over 1,900 faculty comprise the University's teaching force. Research strengths at the University include health and life sciences, education, engineering, social work, behavioral sciences, public affairs, advertising and design, and the fine arts. Sponsored research funding totals over $230 million, placing VCU among the top 100 research institutions in the United States. VCU’s strategic plan (http://www.future.vcu.edu/pdfs/Quest_Full_Document.pdf) embraces an acceleration in the growth of VCU’s library system and includes a new Master Site Plan that envisions additions to both library facilities operated by the VCU Libraries. An off-site storage facility was completed 2010 and major renovations to create a Learning Commons in Cabell Library opened summer 2010.  A major space planning study for library facilities is underway.

Libraries at Virginia Commonwealth University (including the James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus and the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences on the MCV Campus) employ 47 professionals and 73 support staff with an annual budget exceeding $16.6 million. VCU also operates programs in Doha, Qatar, including a library supporting the program there; Northern Virginia; and in various additional locations throughout the U.S. and the world. The VCU Libraries is a Resource Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and a member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, SPARC, CNI, BioMed Central, and the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), a statewide networking consortium for shared access to electronic and print resources. The VCU Libraries uses a suite of products from Ex Libris in addition to CONTENTdm and DSpace as the foundation of its system architecture to enhance access to its collections and services. It is in the process of adopting Primo as its discovery layer and has been selected by Ex Libris as an early adopter for Alma, its next generation cloud-based system for library management.

The Monroe Park Campus of VCU is located in Richmond's Fan District, a large, residential neighborhood of townhouses, shops, and cafes. The campus is home to most of the University’s undergraduate and many of its graduate programs, including the School of the Arts, the College of Humanities and Sciences, and the Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, and Social Work. The School of Social Work also offers the Masters of Social Work at the Northern Virginia Campus in Alexandria, Virginia. In addition, VCU’s Qatar campus in the Middle East offers degree programs through the School of the Arts.

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $52,000 annually. This is a full-time, non-tenured faculty position. Normal faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually and choice of retirement and annuity plans. For more information about benefits, see http://www.hr.vcu.edu/benefits/.

For more information about the VCU Libraries, please visit our home page at http://www.library.vcu.edu/. Review of applications will begin September 19, and will continue until the position is filled. By email, submit cover letter, resume, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references to:

Pamela H. Fraga

Assistant to the University Librarian

VCU Libraries, Virginia Commonwealth University

901 Park Avenue

PO Box 842033

Richmond, VA 23284-2033

804-828-1107

804-828-0151 (fax)

phfraga@vcu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.