The College of Engineering at Texas A&M University is recruiting 45 to 70 instructors to support the college’s First-Year Experience course, CLEN 181: Engineering Learning Community & Student Success Seminar.
Background
We are preparing to offer the Engineering Learning Community & Student Success Seminar (CLEN 181) to serve 2,100 first-year general engineering students in the fall 2024 semester. Formally launched in 2020, the College of Engineering’s expansion plan for CLEN 181 is aligned with the university’s Student Success Initiative and movement toward offering a common First-Year Experience (FYE) for all First Time in College (FTIC) students at Texas A&M University. CLEN 181 is certified as a Hullabaloo U First-Year Experience course through Texas A&M University’s Office for Student Success.
About the Course
CLEN 181 is a zero-credit seminar graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. The purpose of the seminar is to welcome first-year general engineering students to Texas A&M and assist them with their transition and integration into the College of Engineering. In the seminar, students will be exposed to opportunities and resources available to them during their undergraduate career at Texas A&M.
For your reference, view a sample copy of the course syllabus for Fall 2023 (please note this file is on a google drive and might not be fully compliant for accessibility).
Benefits of Teaching CLEN 181
- Receive a $500 bursary (per course section) that will be disbursed for your use for professional development. Note: Instructors have the option to facilitate up to two sections of CLEN 181.
- Receive a letter/certificate from the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs confirming service to the College of Engineering.
- Have an impact and connect with Texas A&M engineering students. As a CLEN 181 instructor, you will be a touch point for your students every week throughout their first semester in general engineering and will be able to ensure they are equipped for success during the rest of their time at Texas A&M. You will be an integral part of their transition to college.
- Stay connected to the engineering student experience. Connecting to real first-year engineering students can help put your role as a teacher/administrator/practitioner in perspective. You will be able to work with students in a group setting and hear their common concerns during their first semester.
- Expand your network of faculty and staff. With over 50 CLEN 181 instructors and 350 Hullabaloo U instructors representing various campus offices and departments, instructors have the opportunity to experience a greater connection to the Texas A&M community.
- Engage in professional development opportunities. Instructors have the opportunity to engage in student learning strategies, become more familiar with the transitional needs of first-year students and learn things they can apply to their other responsibilities.
Desired Characteristics for Instructors
We are seeking professionals in engineering and/or student affairs who are:
- Committed to advancing the success of students in engineering.
- Comfortable with facilitating engaging, interactive sessions relevant to general engineering students’ academic and professional development.
- Invested in forming an engineering community and fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
- Willing to serve as a representative of the College of Engineering and as an important resource to our first-year general engineering students.
- Aware of campus resources and student-support services.
Instructor Responsibilities
In accordance with standards established by the university's Office for Student Success, CLEN 181 instructors are responsible for the following:
- Must commit to serving as an instructor for a semester-long, 0-credit hour transition to a college course. Sections are composed of approximately 25 first-year general engineering students and meet weekly for 50 minutes.
- Facilitate weekly well-organized presentations, class discussions and activities on various topics. Lesson plans, activities and facilitation guides will be available to you. In addition, mandatory content modules for four weeks of the semester will be provided to you by the university's Office for Student Success. The college’s Coordination Team for CLEN 181 will provide additional instruction materials for the remaining course content.
- Develop a rapport and a safe relationship with new engineering students.
- Communicate accurate and timely information to students about academic and student resources.
- Be accessible and willing to assist students as they navigate their first year in general engineering, and make referrals to appropriate resources for issues that are beyond your scope of expertise.
- Abide by all curriculum guidelines such as learning outcomes, required content, etc.
- Conduct provided assessments and return completed surveys/artifacts to the university's Office for Student Success.
- Attend required training workshops led by the Office for Student Success. Instructor training will consist of:
- Hullabaloo U Instructor Symposium: Wednesday, May 15, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- New Instructors must also complete a New Instructor Workshop.
- The New Instructor Workshop is a 5-hour in-person workshop to be offered on several date options in May/July or online modules to complete at one's own pace.
- For more information on instructor training, refer to the OSS website.
- Attend a CLEN 181 instructor briefing session led by the College of Engineering on Friday, July 26, 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. in ZACH 299. Instructors may also attend remotely and synchronously via Zoom. However, in-person attendance is highly encouraged to foster greater interaction. Please complete the RSVP form to help us plan for the session.
- In the fall, meet weekly with the Peer Mentor assigned to your section to coordinate and plan course components.
- Provide your Peer Mentor with leadership development opportunities to achieve their goals as a co-facilitator and co-contributor inside and outside of the classroom.
Minimum Requirements
Instructors for CLEN 181 must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Hold at least a bachelor’s degree
- Status as a current College of Engineering employee (faculty and full-time staff)
- Have worked at Texas A&M for a minimum of one year (August 19, 2024) OR at least 6 months if you previously attended Texas A&M as a student
- Completion of required training workshops
- Approval by the instructor’s supervisor or department head
Application Process
The application cycle to be considered as an instructor for the college’s First-Year Experience Course (CLEN 181) for Fall 2024 is now closed.
More Information
Thank you for considering this opportunity to play an important role in the success of our first-year general engineering students. For additional information or questions, please contact a member of the Coordination Team for the College of Engineering's First-Year Experience Course.
- Elissa Morris, Senior Lecturer, First-Year Engineering Program - elissam@tamu.edu (lead for Instructor questions)
- Laura Olivarez, Director, Engineering Advising Services - laura.olivarez@tamu.edu
- Andrea M. Ogilvie, Assistant Dean, Student Success - aogilvie@tamu.edu (lead for Peer Mentor questions)