University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Looking for Assistant Professor- Environmental Geographer (Tenure- Track) Full Time

Recruitment Number: 5570

Classification Title: Assistant Professor

Proposed Salary to be Offered: 61,000

Appointment Percentage (Budget): 100%

Position Summary

The Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) invites applications for a tenure-track position in Environmental Geography and Sustainability at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 2024. We seek an individual that specializes in sustainable energy use and policy, natural resource management, climate change impacts, environmental economics, or environmental justice. The successful candidate will be expected to teach introductory courses in environmental conservation and climate change, and will develop upper-level courses in their area(s) of expertise. The candidate must be committed to teaching excellence and actively engaging with students outside the classroom through undergraduate research and field experiences. Opportunities exist for the candidate to participate in consortia such as the UWL River Studies Center and/or Wisconsin’s Freshwater Collaborative. Successful applicants must have a Ph.D. in Geography or a related field at the time of appointment.

Under general supervision of department chair, a person in this position is responsible for teaching undergraduate courses and advising students. In addition to preparing for and holding classes, teaching involves maintaining currency in the content area related to the teaching assignment, evaluating students’ work, assessing student outcomes, maintaining appropriate records, and holding office hours. The individual is expected to maintain an active, on-going program of scholarship appropriate to the discipline. In addition, this individual will provide service to the department, college, and university and is likely expected to provide service to the community and/or the profession. Other duties may be assigned by the chair or dean.

UWL will offer salaries commensurate with experience and qualifications. The target offer for this position is $61,000.

Position Type: Faculty/Instructional

Pay Basis: Academic

FLSA: Exempt

Is this position eligible for employment sponsorship, (H1B or PERM)?: Yes

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Geography or related field. ABD will be considered. Degree must be earned by the personnel review held in the spring of the first year.
• Qualified to teach introductory environmental geography courses
• Evidence of ability and commitment to conduct high quality research

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior teaching experience in Geography, Environmental Science, or related field
• Commitment to developing new introductory and upper-level courses in sustainable energy use and policy, natural resource management, climate change impacts, environmental economics, or environmental justice
• Commitment to face-to-face education, primarily at the undergraduate level
• Experience implementing inquiry, project, and/or technology-based active learning into teaching within the classroom and in the field
• Commitment to actively participate in service to the department, college, university, profession and community
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across teaching and service activities
• Commitment to student growth and development (e.g., academic, career, internship and research advising)

Physical Demands

Reasonable Accommodations
UWL provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [email protected] or 608.785.8013. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

All position descriptions are required to provide physical demands and working condition/environment and may not be published in the job announcement. For information on the physical demands and/or working conditions/environment for this position, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 608.785.8013.

Working conditions and environment

Office/ Classroom setting

Miscellaneous Information

Information about your benefits

Your benefits add an additional 40%+ to the overall financial package from the university.
Highlights include:

• excellent flexible health insurance with low co-pays and good coverage.
• paid holidays and sick days.
• sick leave may be converted at retirement to pay for health insurance post-work at UWL.
• after 5 years of employment, you become vested in our retirement system which ensures income post-career.
• benefits at UWL are highly competitive with local industry and some of the strongest in state and nation.

Learn more at: https://www.uwlax.edu/globalassets/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-info/fasl.pdf

Benefit eligibility is determined at point of hire. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Benefits are also pro-rated based on the appointment percentage.

Information about UWL and the Surrounding Region

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a top-rated, comprehensive University of Wisconsin campus, located in the beautiful Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. Known for scholarship, academic rigor, physical activity and a close-knit community, UWL remains dedicated to its century-old mission to train the whole person – “the mind and body.”
UWL has earned a strong reputation nationally for factors such as graduation rates, return on investment and great outcomes for low-income students. It is the No. 2 public college in Wisconsin on Forbes’ 2023 America’s Top Colleges list. And it is Wisconsin’s top-ranked public university with fewer than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of the Best National Universities.

UWL offers 130-plus degree programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels in the arts, social sciences and humanities; science and health; business; and education. UWL has three colleges: the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities, the College of Business Administration, and the College of Science & Health, as well as the School of Education and the School of Visual & Performing Arts. UWL has about 447 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, including 82% with doctoral or terminal degrees.

UWL has strong student success programs that have contributed to a strong retention rate. This fall, students returned to UWL at one of the highest rates on record with 86.5% of the 2022-23 first-year class retained – the highest mark in a decade and the fifth-highest mark in the past 50 years.

UW-La Crosse’s strategic plan Sustaining Excellence continues to move our community forward through its four pillars: increasing community engagement, achieving excellence through equity and diversity, investing in our people, and advancing transformational education. More information about the ongoing work of Sustaining Excellence is available at www.uwlax.edu/info/strategic-plan.

The UW-La Crosse campus is in southwestern Wisconsin, nestled in a residential area of the City of La Crosse and positioned as part of a larger metro area with a population close to 140,000. The area, known as the 7 Rivers Region, is famous for its exceptional natural beauty, which includes the Mississippi River on one side, majestic bluffs on the other, and views of rolling farmland and forested valleys in between. Abundant water, woodlands and varying terrain provide ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Only a couple of hours from Minneapolis or Madison, La Crosse enjoys the affordability and charm of small- town living with larger city benefits. Three colleges, two world-class medical institutions, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a restored 19th century downtown business district, and a number of galleries and art centers have made La Crosse a regional center for culture, entertainment, medical care, shopping, sports and recreation. More information about the La Crosse metro area can be found at Explore La Crosse and Choose La Crosse.

Learn more about UW-La Crosse here: https://www.uwlax.edu/human-resources/services/talent-acquisition-and-employment/finalist-welcome/

AA/EO Statement
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to apply. UWL, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status.

DEI Statement
UW-La Crosse’s diversity and inclusion efforts are guided by our adherence to Inclusive Excellence. We define Inclusive Excellence as “… our active, intentional and ongoing commitment to bridge differences with understanding and respect so all can thrive.” The goals of Inclusive Excellence are to increase the retention of diverse faculty, staff and students while encouraging a campus climate that is inviting and welcoming to all. UW-La Crosse strives to promote acceptance of all facets of diversity from racial/ethnic diversity to diversity of thought and experience. UW-La Crosse ranks 6th nationally among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWL Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://www.uwlax.edu/police/annual-security-report/ or contact the University Police Department at 608.785.9999.

SOE Affiliation: No

Division/College: College of Science and Health

Description of College / Department / Program / Division / Unit

The mission of the College of Science and Health is to provide an outstanding education in the diverse disciplines of science, health, and mathematics. The College is dedicated to student learning where enthusiastic faculty and staff intellectually challenge students in a supportive and professional environment. Fundamental to our mission is the belief in the value of education in the liberal arts and sciences and the creation of new knowledge. The College offers an outstanding academic and cultural environment for the university community and beyond.

Continuous Recruitment: Yes

Continuous Recruitment First Review Date: 12/04/2023

Special Instructions

Application packet should include:

• A letter of application that indicates your qualifications for the position, along with the areas in Geography and Environmental Science in which you are most interested and qualified to teach
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching philosophy
• A separate document with names and contact information for three references including: phone number, mailing address, email address, and a short statement regarding their professional relationship to the applicant.

Application deadlines
TO ENSURE CONSIDERATION: Priority consideration is given to those candidates who apply by the listed ‘First Review Date’. Applications received after that date may be given consideration at the discretion of the search committee. Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. Incomplete and/or late application materials may not receive consideration. If you have questions regarding this recruitment, or if you are not able to complete the application online due to a disability or system problem, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

Confidentiality of Applicant Materials
UWL is a state agency and subject to Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. UWL will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin’s Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of “final candidates” and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.

CBC & Reference Check Policy
All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a criminal background check, work authorization, and verification of education. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Position Contact Name: Colin Belby

Position Contact Email: [email protected]