Vbms Teaching Coordinator

**VBMS Teaching Coordinator**:
**Primary Purpose** The teaching coordinator’s primary role is to coordinate, supervise and teach laboratory/tutorial components of the undergraduate courses offered in VBMS, particularly, but not limited to, the areas of VBMS 260 Form and Function and VBMS 324/325 Animal Physiology I/II. The teaching coordinator provides leadership with respect to teaching and acts as a resource to faculty, staff and students.

**Nature of Work**: Reporting to the Department Head, the incumbent works independently in a deadline-oriented manner and demonstrates professional judgment to ensure the smooth development and delivery of laboratory/tutorial sessions. This position works across several undergraduate laboratory environments with competing needs, and so requires the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines. This position may also require input and assistance with development of a new undergraduate program. The position is also responsible for the management of any ethics and risk associated with the use of animals, and with laboratory safety and as such must develop productive relationships with the appropriate administrative units. Some animal handling may be required.

**Accountabilities**:

- Plans, coordinates, supervises, and executes course laboratories and tutorial sessions, ensuring that students’ and faculty’s program goals and expectations are met.
- Leads and coordinates the logistics of labs and tutorials and student groupings for each lab
- Assists the course director and faculty with Canvas course site related matters
- Teaches effectively during laboratory/tutorial sessions and supports faculty in ensuring a high standard of teaching. On occasion, teaching a few lectures, such as in VBMS 324/325 and/or assisting with VBMS 208 Biomedical Rounds or OSCEs may be required of the coordinator.
- Develops and maintains a high level of knowledge/expertise in appropriate areas of the teaching curriculum, as well as awareness of current advances in the academic area.
- Supports the success of instructional efficiency through effective recruitment, training, and supervision of graduate teaching assistants.
- Develops course materials and evaluation methods based on best practices to ensure students are able to grasp concepts and utilize information correctly.
- Researches and creates effective new lab material and exercises with inclusion of new research and ideas into course content, in collaboration with faculty.
- Develops and marks, or supervises the marking of, students‘ assignments, quizzes and examinations in a timely and accurate manner.
- Evaluates and re-structures teaching lab needs in collaboration with departmental technicians, assists with laboratory preparation as necessary, and ensures equipment is well-maintained and fully functional.
- Prioritizes and addresses emerging issues in consultation with the Department Head, faculty, staff and graduate student teaching assistants as necessary.
- Participates actively, effectively and collaboratively as a member of VBMS instructional staff and on Departmental and College committees as appropriate.
- Provides accurate and timely advice to staff, faculty and students in the specific areas of physiology and microscopic anatomy, administration, and IT training and support.
- Ensures knowledge of, and compliance with, University and department safety protocols and policies when using labs to ensure the safety and well-being of students.
- Ensures knowledge of, and compliance with, University animal ethics protocols and policies to ensure the safety and well-being of animals used in the laboratories.
- Prepare documents to meet organizational and federal regulations.
- Participate in 1st year curriculum scheduling to ensure logistic flow of academic contents.
- Routinely meets deadlines.

**Qualifications**
**Education and experience**: The incumbent requires a PhD degree in biological/life/animal sciences, kinesiology, cell biology, or human health-related field, and teaching or related experience in biological sciences, including development of teaching materials. Supervisory experience is an asset.

**Skills**: The position requires strong organizational and management abilities; effective teaching skills; ability to research and develop new teaching material in collaboration with faculty and technical staff; computer skills including learning new software programs, digital imaging and virtual microscopy; ability to efficiently train and supervise graduate student assistants. Strong interpersonal communication skills are necessary to ensure that productive and positive relationships are developed and maintained with faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and other colleagues. Some situations may be stressful, requiring tact and diplomacy, flexibility and good judgment. The ability to work independently with mínimal supervision and in a deadline-oriented manner is essential. The incumbent works in office