Professor Appointment vs. Teaching Fellowship

Professor

Professors’ primary duty at DRBU is to teach in its programs, which has the following several distinctive features: 

  • The BA and MA programs have an all-required and sequentially-built curriculum that consists of a series of discussion-centered seminar-style classes around small cohorts of students (10-15).
  • Professors lead these seminar discussions without assuming authority based on their field or discipline expertise.
  • Professors teach across the curriculum, sometimes in areas that are not their previous or current areas of academic preparation.
  • Professors collectively determine all instructional matters such as content, methods of teaching, learning objectives, and methods of evaluation and assessment.
  • Professors participate in the governance of the programs and the university, the latter together with administrative faculty through the plenary power of the faculty meeting.

A new professor is appointed on a full-time basis, and is expected to teach three to four courses per semester (up to twelve credit-hours of classroom time). In addition to effective teaching in DRBU’s programs, a professor has the following secondary responsibilities:

  • To provide adequate evaluation and feedback to students, including but not limited to grading student work and participating in semesterly student conferences.
  • Advise and make themselves available, to a reasonable extent, to students. This includes but is not limited to formally advising BA students on their senior essays.
  • Contribute to other instruction-related activities such as those related to assessment of student learning and the University’s accreditation.
  • Serve on standing and ad hoc faculty committees. 
  • Attend all required faculty functions, including but not limited to faculty meetings and retreats, and matriculation and commencement exercises.
  • Contribute to the DRBU community as a responsive, collegial, and civil member.

New DRBU professors receive a one- or two-year non-permanent appointment, which establishes the possibility, but not the presumption, of its renewal and the eventual granting of a permanent appointment. DRBU professors receive reappointments and a permanent appointment based on satisfactory reviews. 

Teaching Fellow

DRBU Teaching fellowships are one- or two-year, full-time, and non-renewable appointments for exploring teaching at this unique institution. With the exceptions of faculty and institutional responsibilities, Fellows share the same responsibilities as full-time professors. DRBU may offer an opportunity to transition to the professor track at the end of the fellowship to those fellows who demonstrate excellent teaching; strong commitment to DRBU’s model and programs; and collegiality as a member of the community. 

Do I have to choose which one of two to apply? Do I need to apply to these positions separately?

No, you don’t have to choose one position to apply or apply to both separately. Toward the end of the hiring process, DRBU will offer successful candidates either type of appointment. 

DRBU will evaluate each applicant holistically based on the following criteria:

  • A good beginning understanding of DRBU’s programs
  • Sincere interest in learning and engaging with DRBU’s programs
  • Demonstrated or potential competence in leading small, seminar-style classes
  • Willingness to teach across the two programs’ curricula
  • Ability to work in a learning community as a civil and collegial member