Hi All! I'm hoping some more senior UoP instructors might be able to help me out. I currently teach a course in instructional design. I'm teaching my 6th session, and I've been solicited to teach a 7th, which I have also accepted. The course is okay, but it's really not my forte. I'd really like to do something else. When I was originally hired, I was told I'd be doing a social studies methods course. That would be right up my alley. However, after I went through the training they told me that the methods course wasn't available yet. As a result, the folks at UoP had me re-evaluated to see what other courses I could teach, and that's how I ended up doing the instructional design one. According to my UoP files, I'm able to teach about 6 different courses. Because I was originally hired for the methods course, I'd really like to do that one. However, I'm not exactly sure as to how to go about requesting to do this course instead of the instructional design one. Do either of you have experience switching the courses you teach? How do you go about doing that? Thanks, Matt
Contact the course scheduler for the dept. (usually the one who sends you out solicitations and contracts) and ask if you can get assigned one of your other approved courses the next time they are assigning them.
That seems simple. I always thought those solicitation emails were automated! haha I'm in week 2 of my current course, and I had already accepted a solicitation for the same course immediately following this session. I'll drop her an email though. Thanks! -Matt
Good luck! My scheduler always gives me back the same line when I ask him if I can teach different courses (that I am approved for): "these are scheduled on an as needed basis, and there is a system that we assign classes." I am not sure how that system works - however I did discover they actually schedule more than one instructor per course sometimes, and cancel the extra one at the last minute... fun policies there.
I received the same message several months ago when I asked about adding a second course. But about a month later, I received solitations for a course I'd never taught before. Its certainly worth a try.
UoP How in the world does someone get a job with them? I can't get past the screening on the website. I teach Ethics at en EDMC owned school now and have been an adjunct at Pepperdine in theior MBA so I SHOULD have some chance. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks,
Just keeping trying. I tried every few days for weeks before I got a bite. Now I've been full-time with 4 courses at a time for 2 years or so.
Thanks, I JUST got an E mail today asking em for some sort of on line interview. Do you like the position? Of course I have heard good and bad from friends who have taught there but for me its all about getting experience on the resume.
I think its great. I carry 4 courses that are off-set 1 week. I do it year-round and have only been skipped once. Once you do a course for a year, you could do it in your sleep. That doesn't mean that it isn't a positive experience for the students. It is. I often receive very positive feedback. It takes patience to get started as it can take some time (both in work-hours and in weeks) before you start getting paid.
So I posted this thread a few months ago, and I just wanted to add a little update. I have been facilitating CUR 524 - Instructional Design, and I was just asked to do MED 503 - Methods of Teaching Elementary Social Studies. I'm looking forward to the change! -Matt
I had something similar happen to me, but for another online university. I contacted the program chair and the scheduler. I was asked to resubmit documentation, an updated resume and I was approved to teach the course I was originally hired to teach. Often with large universities, recruiters are in and out fairly quickly, so one's credentials can get lost in the shuffle!
Matt, I'm glad to see that Phoenix allowed you the chance to teach something different. I began teaching MGT/350--Critical Thinking and taught it consistently for several sessions. I was hired by UOP online to teach courses in supply chain and operations management. It took 6 months or so, but I was able to begin teaching courses in supply chain. The courses come frequently and I'm glad to I was able to leave the plethora of papers behind (operations classes have shorter papers but more "problems" for the student to complete). Thanks,
Thanks, Rodney. That's precisely what I'm hoping for. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the Instructional Design course, but the major assignment for the class is a huge power point. I hate grading power points. The new class is a 3 week continuing ed course, and the assignments are smaller papers. I'm excited for that, but then again, after it's over, I may have a different opinion! -Matt
Just wanted to share... Today is the last day of my MED 503 course. It was the first time I facilitated it, and I really enjoyed it. It moved quickly, but I liked that. And to top it off, I just got an email saying that I was approved to do a new course CUR 510 - Teacher as Leader. That course isn't being offered yet, but they said I'd be in the rotation. I'm looking forward to it. -Matt
