The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) at the University of Pittsburgh invites applicants to a pool of qualified temporary faculty to teach intensive online Russian language courses at multiple levels (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and/or 4th Year Russian, as needed) in Summer 2021. These courses may be offered through Pitt’s federally funded Project GO program, which provides critical language training for undergraduate ROTC students. The number and course level(s) of available positions will be determined during the Spring 2021 semester. Each faculty member will teach an eight-week course from June 14 to August 6, 2021, consisting of approximately five online contact hours with students each weekday (25 hours per week), for a total of 200 contact hours. All duties of these positions will be carried out remotely.
The salary for these positions will be in the range of $9,153-11,700. Temporary faculty may be entitled to certain medical insurance options; for more information, please contact the Benefits Section of the Office of Human Resources at the University of Pittsburgh. This position does not provide U.S. visa sponsorship.
To receive full consideration for any openings, please submit a complete application by January 2, 2021. Applications received after this date will be considered only if any available positions have not yet been filled. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and the hiring committee will contact candidates under consideration. The temporary faculty pool will remain open until April 1, 2021 to accommodate REEES’s instructional needs.
In addition to daily course teaching responsibilities, duties for these positions will include:
- Design a detailed course syllabus to be submitted by May 5, 2021 to the Lead Instructor for the Pitt Project GO program, who will provide feedback and forward the syllabus to REEES by May 14, 2021.
- Prepare detailed lesson plans, assign appropriate daily homework, and ensure prompt correction and return of assigned homework. Administer weekly quizzes and at least four graded tests, including midterm and final oral and written tests, and maintain careful records of student performance.
- Establish a collaborative and positive working relationship with all staff participating in the program, including instructors, REEES staff, and program staff at REEES’s overseas partner institution, Narva College of the University of Tartu (Estonia), which will provide virtual cultural programming for Project GO students.
- Participate in occasional classroom observations by the Lead Instructor, who will provide constructive feedback to improve the effectiveness of the program in attaining Project GO language proficiency goals.
- Prepare students to participate in online cultural programming in the target language (e.g., virtual excursions and lectures), to be arranged by program staff at Pitt and Narva College. To the extent possible, coordinate your classes with the content to be covered during this cultural programming.
- Converse with students in the target language as often as possible.
- Oversee students’ work on a final project.
- Be available for student consultations at least 1-2 hours weekly outside regular class time.
- Calculate and report students' final grades to REEES by August 13, 2021.
- Maintain a course folder containing all student handouts, quizzes, examinations, and examples of student work, electronic copies of which must be submitted to REEES upon the end of the program.
- Collaborate as needed with Pitt Project GO program staff to arrange administration of required language proficiency exams (OPI/OPIc tests and Online Flagship Reading and Listening exams) to all students during the initial and final weeks of the program.
Required qualifications:
- M.A. degree in Russian language and culture or a related field
- 1- year of experience teaching college-level Russian
Preferred qualifications:
- Ph.D. degree in Russian language and culture or a related field
- 2-3 years of teaching experience in an intensive Russian language program at the college level
- Online language teaching experience
- Experience with communicative and proficiency-based language teaching methods
- Familiarity with ACTFL and/or ILR proficiency testing and rating scales
- Evidence of commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
Application requirements:
- Updated curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter describing your interest and experience in Russian language teaching, particularly in an intensive and/or online format
- Contact information for two references
Application requirements: · Updated curriculum vitae (CV) · Cover letter describing your interest and experience in Russian language teaching, particularly in an intensive and/or online format · Contact information for two references