Assistant Professor of Computer Science, full-time, tenure-track
Saint Mary's College of California
Application
Details
Posted: 21-Aug-24
Location: Moraga, California
Type: Full-time
Internal Number: 5545535
Assistant Professor of Computer Science, full-time, tenure-track
Location: Mathematics & Computer Science Open Date: Aug 12, 2024 Deadline:
Description:Saint Mary's College invites applications for one tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor to start in July 2025. Candidates in all areas of Computer Science and related fields will be considered, with preference given to those whose area of research is Cybersecurity.
The Computer Science program at Saint Mary's College is rapidly growing; the applicant will have the opportunity to advance and guide this growth, including teaching and supporting the development of a graduate program in Computer Science (and, if applicable, a certificate in Cybersecurity) as well as exploring potential synergies with fields such as computational biology.
Saint Mary's currently provides robust undergraduate Computer Science courses in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. Due to burgeoning student interest, a diverse group of departments formed a Computer Science Steering Committee to support the Computer Science program within our Lasallian, liberal arts context. A founding program director was hired in 2021 to launch undergraduate degrees in computer science.
Fall 2022 saw the launch of both the BS and BA degree in computer science. In our high-touch environment, we aim to provide students with a strong foundation in computer science within the context of a liberal arts education. Along with strong critical thinking skills, our students develop competencies in social and cultural understanding and a sense of civic responsibility. The successful candidate will value close interactions with our enthusiastic student body and provide impactful, student-centered pedagogy. Being mission-oriented, the computer science program is also explicitly focused on increasing diversity and addressing the lack of diversity in the profession as it stands today, developing teaching and mentoring approaches that support students from diverse backgrounds to have successful careers in computing and technology.
This is a unique opportunity to not only launch a faculty career in computer science, but also have significant input in the future development of coursework and programs in this area.
Responsibilities:
Continued pursuit of scholarship and research.
Developing a research program focused on supporting research experiences for undergraduates.
Participation in College governance and service.
Participation in departmental support and service.
Development of an innovative undergraduate curriculum aligned with the College's three traditions.
Participation in the development of a graduate program in Computer Science, and teaching courses in the graduate program
The regular teaching load is approximately 5-6 courses per year, and the successful candidate should expect one course release for their first year.
Saint Mary's faculty are expected to maintain an active scholarly agenda and demonstrate intellectual growth and significant achievement appropriate to their field. All faculty also contribute to the mission in alignment with the Saint Mary's College Transformation 2028 strategic priorities and as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and interdisciplinary programming.
All faculty serve the College and community in many ways, such as academic advising, student and community outreach, participation in departmental and College-wide committees, and the development and assessment of the College's Core Curriculum. Faculty are also encouraged to teach in the College's Core Curriculum, January Term, and Collegiate Seminar programs.
Institutional Background
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, Catholic, comprehensive and coeducational university that engages students in rigorous critical thinking, promotes social justice, and educates for human fulfillment consistent with its liberal arts, Catholic and Lasallian traditions. The de La Salle Christian Brothers, the largest teaching order of the Roman Catholic Church, guide the spiritual and academic character of the College. An outstanding, committed faculty and staff who value shared inquiry, integrative learning and student interaction bring Saint Mary's heritage to life. Located on a stunning 420- acre campus in the Moraga Hills outside of San Francisco, Saint Mary's is known for its rigorous liberal arts education and its high quality graduate programs, including business, education, counseling, leadership, and the arts. Saint Mary's has a diverse student body of approximately 4,000 students, and the College's practices and policies reflect a commitment to inclusive excellence and a community in which all are valued, respected and supported. For more information about Saint Mary's mission and history, see: https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/about-smc/our-mission
Salary Range
The salary range for this position is reflected in the Faculty Salary Scale, available here.
Qualifications:
A passion for educating undergraduates.
A commitment to excellence and growth in teaching
By the time of appointment, a PhD in a field related to Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence.
A record of publication, or the promise of future research activity.
Demonstrated record of teaching or teaching potential, such as past teaching experience or experience as a graduate teaching assistant.
Demonstrated record of research potential and an established vision for future research in areas pertaining to the cluster theme.
Desire to contribute to increasing diversity in the computing and data professions and supporting students from diverse backgrounds to be successful.
Demonstrated experience in mentoring underrepresented students in the sciences; or knowledge of ways that minoritized groups have been marginalized in computing and data fields and their applications, and approaches to address these issues.
Saint Mary's has a vibrant heritage as a liberal arts, Catholic, and Lasallian institution. These traditions are manifest in the work of our outstanding faculty and staff, who value shared inquiry, integrative learning, and student interaction both in and outside the classroom. Many Saint Marys students are first-generation-to-college, and the College has been designated a Minority and Hispanic-Serving Institution. We seek candidates who can engage and support students of color, women, and underrepresented groups, and who are interested in participating in initiatives that aim to increase inclusivity.
The foundation for everything we do at Saint Mary's is our mission: To probe deeply the mystery of existence by cultivating the ways of knowing and the arts of thinking. Recognizing that the paths to knowledge are many, Saint Mary's College of California offers a diverse curriculum that includes the humanities, arts, sciences, social sciences, education, business administration and nursing, serving traditional students and adult learners in both undergraduate and graduate programs. As an institution where the liberal arts inform and enrich all areas of learning, it places special importance on fostering the intellectual skills and habits of mind, which liberate persons to probe deeply the mystery of existence and live authentically in response to the truths they discover. This liberation is achieved as faculty and students, led by wonder about the nature of reality, look twice, ask why, seek not merely facts but fundamental principles, strive for an integration of all knowledge and express themselves precisely and eloquently. To affirm and foster the Christian understanding of the human person which animates the educational mission of the Catholic Church. Saint Mary's College holds... that the mystery which inspires wonder about the nature of existence is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ giving a transcendent meaning to creation and human existence. Nourished by its Christian faith, the College understands the intellectual and spiritual journeys of the human person to be inextricably connected. It promotes the dialogue of faith and reason: it builds community among its members through the celebration of the church's sacramental life; it defends the goodness, dignity and freedom of each person, and fosters sensitivity to social and ethical concerns. Recognizing that all those who sincerely quest for truth contribute to and enhance its stature as a Catholic institution of higher learning, Saint Mary's welcomes members from its own and other traditions, inviting them to collaborate in fulfilling the spiritual mission of the College. To create a student-centered educational community whose members support one another with mutual understanding and respect. As a Lasallian college, Saint Mary's holds that students are given to its care by God and that teachers grow spiritually and personally when their work is motivated by faith and zeal. The College seeks students, faculty, administrators and staff from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds who come together to grow in knowledge, wisdom and love. A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice and its commitment to the poor. Its members learn to live "their responsibility to share their goods and their service with those who are in need, a responsibility based on the union of all men and women in the world today and on a clear understanding of the meaning of Christianity." (From: The Brothers of the Christian Schools in the World Today: A Declaration).The foundation for everything we do at Saint Mary's is our mission: To probe deeply the mystery of existence by cultivating the ways of knowing and the arts of thinking. Recognizing that the paths to knowledge are many, Saint Mary's College of California offers a diverse curriculum that includes the humanities, arts, sciences, social sciences, education, business administration and nursing, serving traditional students and adult learners in both undergraduate and graduate programs. As an institution where the liberal arts inform and enrich all areas of learning, it places special importance on fostering the intellectual skills and habits of mind, which liberate persons to probe deeply the mystery of existence and live authentically in response to the truths they discover. This liberation is achieved as faculty and students, led by wonder about the nature of reality, look twice, ask why, seek not merely facts but fundamental principles, strive for an integration of all knowledge and express themselves precisely and eloquently. To affirm and foster the Christian understanding of the human person which animates the educational mission of the Catholic Church. Saint Mary's College holds that the mystery which inspires wonder about the nature of existence is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ giving a transcendent meaning to creation and human existence. Nourished by its Christian faith, the College understands the intellectual and spiritual journeys of the human person to be inextricably connected. It promotes the dialogue of faith and reason: it builds community among its members through the celebration of the church's sacramental life; it defends the goodness, dignity and freedom of each person, and fosters sensitivity to social and ethical concerns. Recognizing that all those who sincerely quest for truth contribute to and enhance its stature as a Catholic institution of higher learning, Saint Mary's welcomes members from its own and other traditions, inviting them to collaborate in fulfilling the spiritual mission of the College. To create a student-centered educational community whose members support one another with mutual understanding and respect. As a Lasallian college, Saint Mary's holds that students are given to its care by God and that teachers grow spiritually and personally when their work is motivated by faith and zeal. The College seeks students, faculty, administrators and staff from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds who come together to grow in knowledge, wisdom and love. A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice and its commitment to the poor. Its members learn to live "their responsibility to share their goods and their service with those who are in need, a responsibility based on the union of all men and women in the world today and on a clear understanding of the meaning of Christianity." (From: The Brothers of the Christian Schools in the World Today: A Declaration).