Program Director & Instructional Assistant Professor

Program Director & Instructional Assistant Professor

The University of Florida’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (Department) invites applications for the position of Program Director of the online Master of Urban and Regional Planning (Online MURP) program and Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department.

The Department, located within the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, launched the first fully online delivery of a graduate planning degree in the fall semester of 2012. To date, the Online MURP is the only fully accredited online planning program in the country. The Department designed the three-year, part-time graduate degree program for working professionals. With more than 90 graduates and approximately 100 current students enrolled across the United States and the world, the Online MURP parallels the Department’s on-campus Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. The Online MURP also shares courses with an independent online Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems that the Department’s GeoPlan Center offers. The Online MURP is financially self-supported, meaning the state of Florida does not fund the program.

The Department seeks an enthusiastic, innovative, and highly organized individual to lead the Online MURP as Program Director and to teach online and on-campus courses in the Department as an Instructional Assistant Professor.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Program Director is responsible for academic administration and strategic development of the Online MURP, including but not limited to program administration, curriculum supervision, student recruitment and retention, marketing and promotion, and managing strategic planning and initiatives.

The Program Director reports directly to the Chair of the Department and works with the Chair on fiscal administration of the Online MURP. The Program Director supervises the Online MURP staff—currently an Associate Program Director and an Administrative Specialist— and collaborates with the coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems. The Program Director liaises with the university’s Office of Distance Learning and other relevant university departments regarding regulations and opportunities concerning distance learning, particularly within the context of self-supported programs.

The Department seeks a dynamic and diligent leader who is committed to online education, who will foster growth and productivity through administrative skills and strategic planning consistent with the core values of the Department, and who will contribute to the teaching, scholarship, and outreach of both the Online MURP and the Department. The Program Director will teach four courses per year in the Department. This is a 12-month, non-tenure accruing, faculty position in the Department.

The Online MURP prepares tomorrow’s planning leaders to be ethical, socially-engaged members of their communities who make local and global positive impacts through urban and regional planning. Applicants should share the Department’s vision for online education to occupy a unique space in overcoming the digital divide while providing the best learning experiences for the next generation of planning professionals around the world.

Academic and Program Administration
–           Oversee course development and revision. Periodically review the online curriculum and coordinate with the Department Chair and faculty to ensure the integrity of the program and seek opportunities for program enhancement and expansion.

–           Manage student retention and recruitment, including the application review and approval process in coordination with the Graduate Coordinator for the MURP. 

–           Consult with the university’s Office of Distance Learning on regulations, policies, and opportunities for self-supported distance-learning programs.
–           Oversee Online MURP staff and conduct regular evaluations.
–           Coordinate with Department chair to create the schedule of courses for each semester and appoint lead instructors for the courses. Identify, secure, and supervise adjunct faculty for courses as needed.

–           Engage with Online MURP students. Plan and coordinate student events, such as new student orientations and information sessions.

–           Collect and analyze Online MURP metrics and course evaluations to ensure an ongoing standard of excellence in the Online MURP. Provide data and evaluation reports to the Department, the College, the University, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, the Planning Accreditation Board, Planetizen, the American Planning Association, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and other entities as appropriate.
–           Develop a strategic plan for the Online MURP, which includes academic and fiscal administration, marketing and recruitment, and plans for on-campus and online program integration and alignment.
–           Coordinate with the Department’s GeoPlan Center on course offerings that the Online MURP shares with the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems.  

–           Manage Online MURP Master’s Research Projects

–           Manage MURP student internship program

Marketing and Recruitment

–           Represent the Online MURP within the school, college, university, profession, and community.
–           Oversee marketing and promotion of the program. Lead efforts to connect with alumni and professional communities for the purposes of marketing the program domestically and abroad.
–           Manage student recruitment and retention.

Fiscal Oversight
–           Manage the Online MURP finances consistent with a self-supported program model.
–           Maintain the fiscal health of the Online MURP.
–           Work with the Department chair to prepare annual budgets, budget justification, and budget projections.

Teaching
–           Teach 4 courses per year in the Department, which may be taught concurrently on-campus and online. This assignment may be adjusted based on the amount of administrative responsibilities. Course assignments will be based on needs and areas of expertise.

Department Administration

–           Other duties the Department chair assigns.

$80,000 – $90,000

The candidate must have a graduate degree in urban and regional planning, landscape architecture, or a related field. Experience with online education is required.

Graduate degree in urban and regional planning and Professional planning or community development experience, with AICP or other relevant credentials.

As candidates complete the standard online application, the following items should be uploaded:

• Letter of interest inclusive of the applicant’s

• • Administrative experience, including experience in online education.
  • Teaching philosophy and pedagogies, a list of courses of interest in teaching, a list of courses taught including evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., teaching evaluations), and instructional trainings and certifications received.
  • Academic leadership, professional experience, and community service in relation to future academic goals.
  • Past and future contributions to our understanding of the complex issues in the academy, the profession, and communities.

• Curriculum vitae
• List of references, including affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses.

• • Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit three letters of reference. Submittal instructions will be provided upon notification of shortlisted candidates.

Please address any questions to the search committee chair, Dr. Kristin Larsen, [email protected] .

Review of applications will begin April 16, 2023. The proposed start date is August 16, 2023.

The selected candidate will be required to provide official transcripts to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ .

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.