Assistant Professor - Botany

Job ID: 290718

Location: Georgia College & State Univ

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

About Us

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) is the state's designated public liberal arts university, where students learn the essential skills to compete in a fast-paced and technology-driven global society. The university prepares students for successful careers, leadership in communities, problem solving and life-long learning through personalized attention in a residential setting with opportunities for a variety of transformational experiences through its award-winning, high-impact practices. One of only three selective universities within the University System of Georgia and a top 10 ranked public university in the Southeast, GCSU offers undergraduate degrees in more than 40 majors, more than 30 graduate programs, doctorates in education and nursing, professional certificates, and continuing education programs.

As a member of the prestigious Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), GCSU is committed to fostering a liberal arts environment that values academic preeminence, interdisciplinary inquiry and an inclusive learning community. GCSU enjoys a strong reputation for academic excellence and nationally ranked programs according to US News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Colleges of Distinction - among other ranking sources.

Georgia College & State University takes great pride in combining the educational experience of a private liberal arts college with the affordability of a public university. Faculty and staff are dedicated to student engagement and experiential learning through high-impact practices such as internships, service- and community-based learning, leadership development, study abroad opportunities, mentored undergraduate research and a capstone project that fosters intellectual curiosity, reasoned inquiry and critical thinking.

The university's beautiful and historic campus is located downtown in Milledgeville, Georgia, a charming, diverse college town of approximately 19,000 residents in Central Georgia, and only 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. Milledgeville is also the home of noted American author and alumna, Flannery O'Connor, '45, and the college community enjoys many exciting literary arts programs at O'Connor's former home, Andalusia, a National Historic Landmark owned by the university. Milledgeville is located on the banks of beautiful Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee, allowing faculty, staff and students to take full advantage of the environmental and recreational benefits of being part of a lake community. For cultural, educational and leisure opportunities beyond Milledgeville - Macon and Atlanta are located within easy driving distances.

Georgia College & State University is dedicated to protecting academic freedom in addition to supporting freedom of expression as outlined in the University System of Georgia's Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom policy and its Ethics Code of Conduct. For more information, visit us online at gcsu.edu.

Department Information

The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Georgia College & State University offers undergraduate majors in Biology and Environmental Science, with concentrations available in Marine Sciences and Biomedical Sciences. The department also offers an M.S. program in Biology with both thesis and non-thesis options. Our 29 full-time faculty members support approximately 395 undergraduate Biology majors, 112 Environmental Science majors, and 26 graduate students. To learn more about our programs, faculty, and student opportunities, please visit http://www.gcsu.edu/biology/.

Job Summary

The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Georgia College & State University invites applications for a tenure-track position in botany/plant biology to begin August 2026. The colleague in this position will teach courses in support of the core curriculum as well as upper-division courses in the candidate's area of specialization at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Required classes will include Botany and Plant Systematics. We envision potential courses will complement our course offerings and the existing faculty expertise in 1) Phycology and plant cell biology: 2) Forest science and landscape and wetland ecology, and 3) Plant structural biology as it relates to systematics of fossil and extant plants and traditional plant taxonomy. Dependent on the applicant's background, we are interested in classes like economic botany, physiological ecology, mycology as it relates to plant function, phylogenetic systematics or other related areas/courses. Successful candidate is expected to engage students in research and/or creative activities.

Responsibilities

Faculty - Teaching/Instructing

Teaching Responsibilities

• Full-time instructional load teaching in areas of expertise within the academic discipline
• Regular course meetings and instruction
• Mentoring Students
• Other teaching responsibilities

All Georgia College faculty share the responsibility of teaching our core curriculum and providing foundation courses for majors and non-majors alike. Faculty also contribute to the Georgia College core curriculum by teaching topical freshman (GC1Y) or sophomore seminar (GC2Y) courses.

Faculty - Service to Institution

All faculty are expected to support the advancement of the department, college and university mission by providing service to the institution. Service may be at the department, college, university, community and/or disciplinary level. Duties include service on college-level and university-level committees, advising students regarding career options, and support of department-level outreach activities.

Service to the Institution

• Committee memberships and offices
• Programs directed and advised
• Participation in special programs or projects
• Other service in the institution

Faculty - Professional Development

Faculty are expected to conduct research and develop within the profession.

Academic Achievement/Professional Development

• Publications (editing, citations)
• Presentations at professional meetings
• Publication; peer reviewed scholarship
• Current work in circulation or in progress
• Grants received or applied for
• Membership and participation in professional organizations
• Other professional service of development activities

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements

• Ph.D. in Botany, Plant Biology, or a closely related field (ABD candidates with degree completion by August 1, 2026, will be included).
• Must meet SACSCOC accreditation requirements stated in C.S.3.7.1 (www.saccsoc.org (faculty credentials)) for teaching Botany and Plant Biology related classes.

Required Experience

• Candidates with expertise in botany/plant biology as demonstrated by publication record.
• Ability to work collegially and effectively with university students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least two years of experience teaching undergraduate courses with at least one year as instructor of record
• Record of and commitment to engaging undergraduates and graduate students in research
• Develop a plant biology research program that takes advantage of our existing facilities, including Lake Laurel and Andalusia.
• Contribute to the development of resources being renovated in Herty Hall, including the herbarium and future development of resources for maintaining living plant collections.
• Record of methodological innovation and creative teaching strategies, particularly those that deliver authentic research experiences to students in the classroom

Required Documents to Attach

• Cover Letter
• CV
• Teaching Philosophy
• Research Statement
• Unofficial Transcripts
• List of References

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES

• Build positive student relationships and provide mentorship
• Engage in continuous professional development
• Manage multiple courses and administrative responsibilities
• Solve problems and make data-driven decisions
• Collaborate with colleagues and participate in service
• Demonstrate leadership and take initiative
• Adapt to changing institutional needs
• Maintain accurate records and meet deadlines

KNOWLEDGE

• Subject matter expertise and current disciplinary trends
• Curriculum design and program outcome alignment
• Assessment methods and student learning measurement
• Accreditation standards (SACSCOC and discipline-specific)
• Academic policies, procedures, and ethics
• Adult learning principles and adaptive learning styles
• Educational technology and learning management systems

SKILLS

Teaching:

• Course design and delivery
• Learning activity development and facilitation
• Technology integration and LMS proficiency
• Instructional adaptation

Assessment:

• Valid assessment instrument development
• Constructive feedback provision
• Data analysis for instructional improvement

Communication:

• Clear verbal and written communication
• Professional presentation abilities
• Active listening and collaboration

Technology:

• Discipline-relevant software proficiency
• Multimedia and presentation tools
• Basic troubleshooting capabilities