Today@Dal

Teaching Assistant -- Summer Session

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS B3H 4R2

POSTING DATE:                      May 27, 2022

APPLICATION DEADLINE:      June 10, 2022, or until position is filled

POSITION:                               TA110 – ENVI5005 Field Skills for the Environmental Sciences

DEPARTMENT:                        School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University

LOCATION:                             Halifax (Studley Campus) and Harrison Lewis Centre (transportation provided)

RATE OF PAY:                        According to the CUPE Agreement ($2,530 gross pay)

WORK ASSIGNMENT:  One Teaching Assistant position is available to assist the instructors with the summer class ENVI5005 Field Skills for the Environmental Sciences. This class provides graduate students with an overview of skills needed for professions in the environmental sciences and resource management including forest ecosystem classification, freshwater sampling, flora & fauna identification, ecological community assessments, and more. The course runs from August 8-September 4, 2022, with the field portion being held at the Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre (Port Joli, NS) from August 20-27. The TA should be available to assist the instructors with preparatory work from August 10-20 and will be expected to be present for the entirety of the field portion. Transportation will be provided.

Duties will include but are not limited to:

1.     Organizing logistics for the field portion of the class including soliciting student dietary requirements and meal planning.

2.     Communicating regularly with the instructors using a Microsoft Teams group in the lead-up to the field portion of the course.

3.     Assisting with preparation of field exercise instructions.

4.     Cataloguing and packing gear, ensuring its safe use in the field, and being responsible for return to its designated storage in clean and intact fashion at the conclusion of the course.

5.     Providing in-field demonstration of, and assistance with, techniques associated with field sampling in the environmental sciences (please indicate which techniques you are proficient with in the cover letter).

6.     Modeling healthy, safe fieldwork behaviour and ensuring students are completing exercises in a safe fashion.

7.     Coordinating students to complete required logistical duties on-site (e.g. developing and ensuring students are adhering to schedules for cooking, field station cleaning, gear storage, data sheet management, etc.).

8.     Participating in post-class administration as necessary.

REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION: The TA must be entering at least the second year of a graduate program at Dalhousie University and should have previous fieldwork experience. A positive attitude, an inclusive mindset, and an orientation towards safety is a must. Research or teaching experience in environmental science or a natural science discipline is an asset. Some field work experience is an asset. The TA must be able to attend the field portion of the course in full and work long days (10-12 hours). Must have up-to-date certification in Standard First Aid and CPR, and a valid Nova Scotia driver’s license. Wilderness First Aid certification (or above) is an asset.

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume by email to: Dr. Alana Westwood (a.westwood@dal.ca). If you have further questions about the positions, please email Alana.

All offers of employment as a part-time academic are conditional upon sufficient student enrolment in the course and approval by the University.

Dalhousie University is committed to fostering a collegial culture grounded in diversity and inclusiveness. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons, persons with a disability, racially visible persons, women, persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity.