Job Description

The Department of Forest Management at the University of Montana invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor (non-tenure track) in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). We encourage applications from individuals with a passion for undergraduate education and high-impact learning practices. We also encourage applications from those that can bring professional experience in GIS into the classroom and help connect students with career opportunities in geospatial fields.



The successful candidate will teach undergraduate courses with environmental applications to support our GIS Certificate program and the full complement of undergraduate degrees at the University of Montana. They will also advise students undertaking internships and directed research involving GIS. Teaching responsibilities will include large, laboratory-based GIS courses at the introductory and intermediate levels, as well as upper-division GIS courses in the candidate’s area of specialization (such as advanced cartography, web GIS, spatial analysis, enterprise GIS, etc.). Service responsibilities for this position include serving as the Coordinator for UM’s GIS certificate and providing technical support in GIS to students. This role includes coordinating course offerings and working closely with the GIS Certificate Committee on curriculum development, student recruitment, and program assessment and promotion. There is no expectation of a research program within the 1.0 FTE profile, but the candidate is expected to remain current on the state of GIS applications, science, and technology, and to help coordinate GIS infrastructure and support GIS use by students and faculty.



This position is part of a cluster hire of new teaching-oriented faculty in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation (FCFC) intended to create a supportive network of junior faculty with a primary teaching focus. While each position will be rostered in a department, as is true for all faculty, the college is highly interdisciplinary and has multiple programs that promote collaboration across departments in both teaching and research. Additional information can be found at http://umt.edu/environment. While these positions are not tenure track, we have the expectation and intent that successful candidates will be long-term members of the faculty. Salaries for each of the new positions are peer-competitive, and the positions are each being structured as academic year appointments, providing the opportunity to pursue additional compensation options in the summer, as desired. Such opportunities may include formal summer teaching as well as participation in high impact learning such as student internship programs and/or other experiential portions of FCFC degree programs.



The Department of Forest Management (DFM) comprises a multidisciplinary faculty focused on developing the foundation and tools necessary for sustainable management of forest landscapes. DFM occupies a unique position in FCFC as steward of a nationally accredited professional degree in Forestry that has served students since 1913. The Forestry major has added 160 new students since Fall 2022 and is approaching an enrollment high mark last seen in the 1990s. Beyond the burgeoning undergraduate program, DFM is active in basic and applied research with noteworthy productivity in fire and water sciences, remote sensing, forest ecology, and silviculture. DFM faculty direct the Montana Climate Office, The National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis, and The Wilderness Institute, each with significant outlays in infrastructure, grants and contracts, staff, postdocs, and graduate students.



The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.



Position Details

Title: Assistant Teaching Professor
Schedule: Full time academic year position beginning fall semester 2024
Benefits: Medical Insurance/Mandatory Retirement Contribution/Professional Development/Partial Tuition Waiver/Wellness



Required Qualifications

An M.S. or Ph.D. in geography, forestry, ecology, or related field.
Proficiency with a range of GIS software (including ArcGIS Pro) and techniques (such as programming, web GIS technologies, and 3D-4D visualization).
A desire and ability to teach and a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education.
A record of effective collaboration, with a commitment to ethics, openness, collegiality, and diversity.


Preferred Qualifications

Three or more years of professional experience in GIS.
Professional certification (e.g., GISP, USGIF GEOINT, and/or ASPRS).
Experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate students.
Experience with multiple teaching modalities, including hybrid and online instruction.
Experience with high-impact learning practices, including service-learning, community-engaged teaching, internships, and other types of experiential learning.
Ability to connect students to professional opportunities and career pathways.