English Instructor (Full-time Tenure-Track Faculty Position)

Who We Are

The San Mateo County Community College District is committed to achieving educational equity for all students. As outlined in the District’s Strategic Plan, “success, equity, and social justice for our students are longstanding goals.” The District’s “Students First” Strategic Plan is focused on “Student Success, Equity and Social Justice.” We provide students with a rich and dynamic learning experience that embraces our commitment to provide quality education and promote life-long learning — emphasizing collaboration and engaging students in and out of the classroom, encouraging them to realize their goals, and to become global citizens and socially responsible leaders. When you join our San Mateo County Community College District team, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice. We achieve this through broad collaboration among faculty and classified staff, administration, students and community partners.

The College and the District

Cañada College is part of the San Mateo County Community College District and is designated as both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), enrolling approximately 10,000 students each academic year. Cañada College has a diverse student population that reflects the communities that it serves. For more than 50 years, Cañada College has provided enriching educational opportunities for the residents of San Mateo County. With the support and guidance from award-winning faculty and staff, residents can pursue certificates and degrees for career training or for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Cañada College offers hundreds of day, evening, and weekend courses in more than 40 quality instructional programs with a variety of innovative student support services. Detailed information about the student population, including data related to student success, can be found on Cañada College’s Office of Planning, Research, Innovation, & Effectiveness (PRIE)website.

Who We Want

We value the ability to serve students from a broad range of academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic backgrounds We prioritize applicants who demonstrate an understanding of the benefits that diversity brings to a professional educational community. The successful candidate will be an equity-minded individual who is committed to collaborating with faculty, classified staff, administration, students and community partners in strengthening the culture of equity and antiracism throughout the District. The San Mateo County Community District seeks employees who value mentorship and working in a collegial, collaborative environment, guided by a commitment to helping students achieve their educational goals.

An equity-minded individual is a person who already does or has demonstrated the desire to:

(1) Understand the importance of holding ourselves accountable as educators for closing equity gaps and engaging in equitable practices;

(2) Reframe inequities as a problem of practice and view the elimination of inequities as an individual and collective responsibility;

(3) Encourage positive race-consciousness and embrace human difference;

(4) Reflect on institutional and teaching practices and aim to make them more culturally responsive; and

(5) Strategically build buy-in and participation among colleagues for equity-related initiatives.

The San Mateo County Community District seeks employees who value mentorship and working in a collegial, collaborative environment, guided by a commitment to helping all students achieve their educational goals. All departments strongly encourage collaboration across disciplines to create inclusive, integrated, and interdisciplinary learning experiences. College faculty are expected to be knowledgeable about, and willing to use, different learning and teaching methods appropriate for the students whom we serve.

The Position

The College seeks a full-time, tenure track faculty member in English. The ideal candidate will share the College’s commitment to educating a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population.

Start date of this assignment: Fall 2025.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties below are representative of the duties of the classification and are not intended to cover all of the duties performed by the incumbent(s) of any particular position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the scope of work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this classification.

1. Teach basic skills, transfer-level composition and literature courses
2. Maintain expertise in current teaching methodologies and curricula and develop new instructional materials and techniques to meet the changing needs of students
3. Consult with students during regularly scheduled office and writing center hours
4. Assist in curriculum assessment and revisions and new course development
5. Participate in the development and/or selection of course materials, equipment, and technology that will enhance the offerings of the department
6. Participate as a member of department, division, and college committees
7. Perform other professional duties as required by contract and general institutional needs

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a Master’s or above in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR Bachelor’s in any of the above AND Master’s or above in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent (see below)
• Demonstrated cultural competence, sensitivity to, and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff as these factors relate to the need for equity minded-practice both within and outside of the classroom

Physical Requirements Equivalence to Minimum Qualifications

For persons applying for this position based on Equivalence, please answer the supplemental question on the online application indicating one of the following:

Degree Equivalence

The applicant possesses a degree(s) with similar content to those listed for the relevant discipline. The name of the degree is close to that specified on the Disciplines List but the degree either has a different title or area of expertise or the coursework is slightly different.

Academic Background Equivalence

Related to disciplines in which a Master’s Degree is not generally expected or available. The applicant must have completed at least 24 semester units of coursework in the academic field and must possess at least the equivalent level of achievement and the equivalent in breadth, depth of understanding, and rigor in each of the following:

i) a broad cultural education usually met by the general education requirements for any Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree, and

ii) a detailed study of the discipline in breadth, depth, and rigor, usually met by course work required for the degree major.

Professional Achievement Equivalence

The applicant must have completed the General Education requirements for that degree and show evidence of outstanding professional achievement and/or substantial training in the requested field. The applicant must submit substantial evidence, which demonstrates that his/her preparation, teaching experience, work experience, and ability are equivalent to those expected from a person who meets the minimum qualifications.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Preference will be given to candidates with:

1. Successful experience in teaching or evidence of preparation to teach transfer-level reading and composition, creative writing, critical thinking, and literature courses
2. Interest in or experience with cohort-based learning communities linked to other disciplines such as Puente, UMOJA, and STAR, COLTS
3. A Certificate in Teaching Post-Secondary Reading or experience integrating reading instruction into a composition course
4. A commitment to the role and purpose of the community college
5. Experience using equity-minded, antiracist and culturally-responsive teaching methods and curriculum to promote the success of all students
6. Experience motivating and empowering students from a broad spectrum of academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds
7. Training and experience teaching online and using technology in the classroom
8. A creative and engaging teaching style
9. Excellent oral and written communication skills
10. Ability to effectively use diverse assessment methods in the classroom

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent experience working with racially minoritized and other disproportionately-impacted students in the classroom and an understanding of how historical patterns of exclusion of these groups within higher education and particular fields shape patterns of participation and outcomes
• Willingness to examine and remediate one’s instructional, relational, and classroom practices to more effectively engage and support racially minoritized and other disproportionately impacted students
• Experience and skill with addressing inequity in the classroom and on campus
• Experience and expertise in culturally-responsive teaching in English
• Demonstrated ability to address equity gaps within English courses and classrooms
• Demonstrated knowledge of the implications of the Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Serving Institution designation for institutional, departmental and instructional practices

Faculty Benefits

Benefits include paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. The District pays all or a portion of monthly medical plan premiums (depending on the coverage) and pays all of the monthly dental and vision plan premiums for employees and eligible dependents. Additional paid benefits include life insurance, salary continuance insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program. Academic employees participate in the State Teachers’ Retirement System, a defined-benefit retirement plan through the State of California (no contributions to Social Security). Optional tax-deferred 403(b) and 457 retirement plans are also available. 

Open Date 02/11/2025 First Review Date 03/18/2025 Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions Summary

Required Application Materials

All applicants are required to submit:

1. A completed online District application form (go to https://jobs.smccd.edu to complete the application and to apply for this position)

2. A resume that details all relevant education, training, and teaching experience (including courses taught), and other work experience

3. Undergraduate and graduate academic transcripts (copies accepted)

Unofficial copies of all undergraduate and graduate academic transcripts may be submitted with the application; official copies will be required at the time of hire.

4. Your cover letter must include discussion of the following questions:

• What do you feel are the best strategies for supporting students who have been historically marginalized?
• Think of the most successful class you have taught. What were the key factors in creating that success for racially-minoritized and other underserved disproportionately disadvantaged students?
• How is your teaching approach culturally-responsive to the students you serve?

If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact:

SMCCCD Office of Human Resources

3401 CSM Drive, San Mateo, CA 94402

Tel.: (650) 574-6555 Fax (650) 574-6574

Email: smccdjobs@smccd.edu

Web Page: https://smccd.edu/humanresources/

Conditions of Employment

Prior to employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete the following:

1. Submit official transcripts (applies to all faculty or educational administrative positions)

Foreign Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs in order for it to be considered for the satisfaction of minimum qualifications. Foreign transcripts must be translated and evaluated by a U.S.-based credentials evaluation service. The District currently accepts evaluations from agencies approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

2. Submit verifications of prior employment

3. Satisfactory references

4. Successfully being cleared for employment through the background checking process

In addition to background checks, the District may review publicly available information about a candidate on the Internet. If a candidate is aware of incorrect or inaccurate information that is available on the Internet, the candidate is welcome to address such an issue with the Office of Human Resources.

5. Present original documents for proof of eligibility to work in the United States

6. Approval of your employment by the SMCCCD Board of Trustees

7. Provide a certificate of Tuberculosis exam for initial employment.

8. Have fingerprints taken by a Live Scan computer (Clearance must be received prior to first day of employment). Please note that the California Education Code requires, in part, that community college districts shall not employ or retain in employment persons in public school service who have been convicted of certain felonies, a misdemeanor drug charge (including alcohol offenses) or misdemeanor moral turpitude (sexual offense) crime. However, consideration may be given to those whose drug convictions occurred more than five years ago. A conviction for other crimes may not necessarily disqualify you from the job for which you may be applying.

EEO Statement

The San Mateo County Community College District is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to employ individuals who represent the rich diversity of cultures, language groups, and abilities of its surrounding communities.

Accommodations

Applicants who have disabilities may request that special accommodations be made in order to complete the selection process. Accommodation requests and a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act applicant procedures can be made by completing our: Applicant Reasonable Accommodation Request Form

Annual Security Report

San Mateo County Community College District’s (SMCCCD) 2024 Annual Security Report (ASR), required by the Clery Act, includes statistics for the previous three years (2021–2023) concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by SMCCCD; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from SMCCCD. The 2024 Annual Security Report also outlines various campus safety and security policies concerning crime reporting, prevention and response to sexual and gender violence, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, emergency response and evacuation procedures, and other matters. The Annual Security Report also includes important tips to help every community member remain safe and avoid becoming a victim of crime. The 2024 Annual Security Report is now available on the Public Safety website. You can also obtain a copy of this report by contacting the Department of Public Safety at the District Office or any of the three Campuses (650) 738-7000. The report includes information about criminal activity on our campuses, emergency procedures, and resources. 

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