Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution (NASNTI) Post-doctoral Fellowship
University of Minnesota, Morris
Job Opening Number 321031

Institutional Background:

The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) makes its home on a 121-year-old campus on the western edge of the state and is one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the nation.  The small, close-knit campus emphasizes faculty/student collaboration in research, study abroad, and service learning.  Deeply rooted in the tall grass prairies of Minnesota, the campus also has advanced sustainable, environmentally friendly initiatives that have grown to levels of national leadership and touch nearly all aspects of campus life.

A member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, (COPLAC), Morris is an undergraduate-focused residential liberal arts community that provides a rigorous academic experience preparing its students to be global citizens who value and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship. The student body of approximately 1900 students is supported by 120 faculty members with a student/faculty ratio of 15/1.  The Morris campus is the most ethnically diverse in the University of Minnesota system with 27 percent students of color (of which 18 percent are American Indian students) and 11 percent international students.

Morris culture is characterized by an unwavering commitment to the liberal arts and undergraduate education as well as, by the particular traditions it has developed in pursuing that mission.  The community believes in the values of shared governance (embodied in its official policy-making body, an inclusive Campus Assembly), and it recognizes the heritage of its campus (which originally began as an American Indian boarding school) with a vigorous commitment to diversity. With a vibrant sense of community in and out of the classroom, Morris aims to integrate curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular aspects of the student experience, and it reaches outward to the broader community with collaborative enterprises and service-learning initiatives. A distinct campus within the larger University of Minnesota system, Morris combines the benefits of an intimate, student-centered community with many of the resources and opportunities of one of the nation’s largest universities.

 Job Description:

The NASNTI Post-doctoral Fellowship is part of the Native American Student Success (NASS) program at UMM. Funding for the program is through the US Department of Education Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution program supporting Native American students in higher education. Through the fellowship, we seek to support scholars of the Liberal Arts who are committed to advancing the perspectives of American Indian/Alaskan Natives through their creative activity, teaching, research, service or mentoring of students. The postdoctoral scholar will begin in fall 2018 and will be housed in one or more of the following academic disciplines within the following divisions:

• Humanities (Art History, Studio Art, Music, Theatre Arts, English, Communication, Media and Rhetoric, Philosophy, World Languages)
• Science and Math (Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Geology, Environmental Science)
• Social Science (American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, Economics and Management, History, Human Services, Political Science, Sociology, Environmental Studies, Latin American Area Studies, African and Black American Studies)
• Education (Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Sport Studies and Athletics)

The NASNTI Post-doctoral Fellowship is for one year with the possibility of a one-year renewal. Post-doctoral fellows typically teach two courses per year, work closely with faculty mentors inside and outside of their disciplines, and mentor student scholars.  The fellows will also share their expertise with the university community and participate in selected activities to support student learning, persistence and success.

Qualifications:
Candidates must have completed their PhD or other terminal degree no more than three years before the starting date (August 2018). Candidates who have not yet had a tenure-track faculty position will have priority. Awards include a competitive salary, benefits package, and travel funds for conference participation.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes. Serious candidates are encouraged to request official transcripts to help expedite the hiring process.

Salary: Commensurate with experience; Excellent Benefits.

Closing date: The position(s) will remain open until filled.

Review of applications will begin February 1, 2018. Electronic submission of all application materials must go through the University of Minnesota Human Resources website at http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/ Job ID number 321031.

 Please submit:

• letter of application,
• curriculum vitae,
• sample of scholarly or creative work,
• statement of teaching philosophy,
• sample syllabus for lower division course (and upper division course, if available),
• statement about commitment and experience teaching and mentoring Native American students and/or students from communities that have historically been underrepresented
• three letters of recommendation.

Morris values diversity in its students, faculty, and staff.  Morris is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our community through their teaching, research, and /or service because we believe that diversity enriches the University experience for everyone.

 Any offer of employment is contingent upon the receipt of official academic transcripts and the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

 The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  To request disability accommodation or material in alternative formats contact UMM Human Resources, 320-589-6024, Room 201, Behmler Hall, Morris, MN.