Learning Assistant And Instructional Lab Coordinator

The Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for the position of Academic Coordinator (AC) from May 2024 through June 2025, with the possibility of renewal, depending on performance and budget constraints. Applications will be kept active for consideration until the position is filled. Upon starting the position, the successful candidate will be required to be physically present in the Santa Barbara area to commute regularly to campus.

The department is looking to hire a passionate Academic Coordinator (AC) who will manage our Learning Assistant (LA) program, TA assignments, and Physics Study Room, and assist the Instructional Lab Group (ILG) to run, maintain, and improve instructional labs for UCSB undergraduate students. Working closely with the staff, faculty, grads, undergrads, and Academic Coordinators of ILG, the new hire will maintain a scholarly and inclusive culture while performing a variety of educational and administrative duties. This position will be split as 60% LA Coordinator (LAC) and 40% Lab Coordinator (LC).

Learning Assistant Coordinator

The objective of the Learning Assistant Program is to bring the interactive and collaborative environment typical of a small-enrollment class to the large-enrollment upper-level and introductory physics major courses. Undergraduate students who have already performed well in a course are trained to actively help the next class of students succeed while receiving course credit for their training. Creating active-learning-based small group discussions within a large course has been demonstrated to improve the quality of physics education substantially, increase student understanding of and satisfaction with the coursework, and increase the level of understanding and teaching skills of the Learning Assistants.

The duties and responsibilities of the LAC involve managing undergraduate LAs, undergraduate Readers, graduate TAs, and the PSR. Tasks specifically include but are not limited to:

• Recruiting LAs and Readers through advertising, information sessions, and personal engagement efforts quarterly and yearly.

• Developing informational resources for LAs, students, and faculty regarding logistics and pedagogy surrounding LAs, TAs, and the PSR.

• Actively participating in training Physics LAs and developing strategies for improving LA effectiveness.

• Managing the Physics Study Room (PSR), including scheduling office hours, supervising LAs, TAs, and tutors, and implementing improvements to the PSR.

• Coordinating with students, faculty, and staff on LA training within specific courses and the LA program as a whole.

• Working towards improving department climate and diversity gaps in the context of LAs, TAs, and the PSR.

ILG Lab Coordinator

The Academic Coordinator will also provide general support to the Instructional Lab Group. The ILG is in charge of the development, maintenance, and administration of all undergraduate instructional laboratories and the associated coursework. AC responsibilities within the ILG include, but are not limited to, working both independently and also with other faculty & staff to:

• Participate in the development, assembly, repair, and implementation of lecture demonstrations and lab equipment.

• Actively participate in the training of faculty, grads, and undergrads regarding safety issues and operation of demonstrations and lab equipment.

• Creating, testing, maintaining, and updating laboratory manuals for various instructional lab courses.

• Creating engaging content, including videos and online materials.

• Joint oversight of TAs, including weekly training, and monitoring of performance.

• Managing the TA roster and Gauchospace (Moodle) web page for each course.

• Facilitating communication among TAs, staff, and faculty.

• Direct involvement with course execution, such as dropping in and assisting with curriculum completion and questions beyond the scope of TA expertise.

In addition, the AC serves as a mediator between students and faculty in lower division courses, providing helpful and timely feedback regarding administrative details, material and room availability, and additional technical support.

The distribution of work will vary by week based on the quarterly schedule. Though there is a wide range of duties associated with the Lab Coordinator position, the AC will not be responsible for all of these duties simultaneously.

The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community.