Nord University

Through research, education and social engagement, Nord University contributes to the creation of a sustainable future.In cooperation with society, business and industry in Northern and Central Norway, our 11,500 students and 1,350 staff promote innovative solutions and knowledge-based practice, both locally and internationally.Nord University has four strategic focus areas: blue and green growth, sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, societal security, and health, welfare and education.

The Faculty of Education and Arts (FLU) educates the teachers of the future, from kindergarten to upper secondary school and in sports and the arts subjects. Our candidates play a key role in knowledge-based development of society, both regionally and nationally. We shall contribute to developing a praxis field about which we are passionate, which is why our research approach is profession- and praxis-oriented. The Faculty offers a PhD in Science of Professions. The Faculty of Education and Arts has 3,500 students and 350 employees in Levanger, Bodø and Nesna.

About the position

The Faculty of Education and Arts (FLU) at Nord University in Levanger, invites applications for a full-time, permanent position as Associate Professor in English Language Teaching (ELT) effective from 01.01.2024 (or as soon as possible thereafter negotiated with the successful candidate). Within this broader focus, we invite candidates with a primary specialization and competence – within the educational context of teacher education programs offered at the faculty- in one or more of the following relevant fields: English Didactics, English Language Teaching, TESOL, ESL Education, TESL, TEFL, Teaching English to Young Learners, English Language Education, English Applied Linguistics, or English Language Acquisition or a closely related field appropriate to the position. The position encompasses, in varying proportions, teaching, research, administration, university service, and outreach efforts.

The English Department at Levanger campus is part of the Faculty of Education and Arts of Nord University and offers a dynamic, collegial, and pluralist academic working environment. Our mission in terms of teaching, research, outreach and service is to advance our understanding and practice of English teacher education, English learning, English teaching, and English language from a range of linguistic, pedagogical, sociocultural and psychological perspectives. Our international faculty are committed to educating and mentoring pre-service and in-service teachers of English. They are recognized nationally and beyond by their diverse and applied research involving a wide spectrum of research methods and approaches. Areas of specialization of the department include classroom discourse, conversation analysis, second language acquisition, Vygotskian sociocultural theory, dynamic systems theory, English didactics, teacher education, outdoor education, drama methodology, children’s literature, TESOL, and applied linguistics.

The position is located in Levanger campus of Nord University. Since classes are taught face to face on a regular basis, residency in Levanger or within commuting distance and being present at and accessible to the institution daily is required for this position. The academic community at Nord University is divided into several campuses, so collaboration between academic staff at the faculty regardless of geographical location is important. The position may also involve work at other campuses/study sites of the Nord University. Some teaching and supervision might be online which means that the successful candidate must have good IT knowledge and experience of online teaching and supervision.

The application is to be written in English. Supporting documentation must be in English, Norwegian or other Scandinavian languages.

Duties and responsibilities

The position involves teaching and supervision of students’ research projects at Bachelor and Master’s levels in Teacher Education Program and within relevant study programs for school grades 1-7 and 5-10 as well as other programs of study offered by the faculty
The position entails designing, planning, teaching, examination, coordination, and grading of courses that pertain to English individually or as part of a team as required. The department puts weight on research-based teaching of high quality, but the successful candidate must be prepared to also teach, supervise, grade, and examine outside his/her niche research area, especially at the first cycle (undergraduate) level
The position includes research and development work, as well as dissemination and outreach
The successful candidate will actively pursue cutting-edge research within his/her field of specialization and publish regularly in reputable and recognized national and international publication outlets
The successful candidate will actively contribute to the development of larger research projects and applications for external funding in synergy with other academic staff, as well as furthering and developing research collaboration with national and international partners
The successful candidate will participate in, and expand partnerships with area schools and supervise our pre-service and in-service teachers to foster excellent field and practicum experience
The successful candidate will make contributions to the design, review, renewal, and development of relevant programs, courses and curricula
The successful candidate will provide academic counselling and professional advice to students concerning their studies and professional development
The successful candidate will be expected to join and actively contribute to one of the research groups of the faculty
The successful candidate will take on any other responsibilities in line with the level and nature of the position as assigned by the faculty

The language of teaching and supervision for this position is English. Administration in the faculty is conducted in Norwegian.

If the successful candidate does not have linguistic competence in Norwegian at the time of appointment, s/he must acquire Norwegian language skills corresponding to the B1 level within a three-year period from the appointment start date. The Norwegian proficiency requirement is to be documented by the Bergen Test or an equivalent approved test. Nord University may support, to a certain extent, Norwegian language learning of the successful candidate contingent on conditions.

Qualification requirements

For employment as an Associate Professor in English Language Teaching (ELT), an earned Norwegian doctoral degree is required within the relevant field of study or an earned equivalent doctoral degree from abroad that is accepted as a Norwegian equivalent, or competence at a similar level documented by academic publication of the same scope and quality at the time of application
Relevant fields of study for the purposes of this search includes English Didactics, ELT, TESOL, ESL Education, TESL, TEFL, Teaching English to Young Learners, English Language Education, English Applied Linguistics, English Language Acquisition or a closely related field appropriate to the position
A strong, established record of scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications and presentations in reputable and recognized forums, as appropriate to the candidate’s career stage
Minimum 2 years of documented full-time teaching experience within the Norwegian school system or other relevant and equivalent documented teaching experience from school contexts in other countries. This requirement may be replaced in whole or in part by a combination of (a) an earned school English teacher certification or two years of documented teaching experience in English teacher education programs at tertiary level, and (b) a high quality doctoral dissertation and/or some high quality peer-reviewed research articles which are focused on investigating learning and/or teaching English in classroom contexts. The expert committee will assess this requirement
Evidence of effective teaching at undergraduate and/or graduate levels in English Language Teaching or a relevant field
Teaching experience from university/college and skills in respect of planning, implementation, evaluation and development of teaching and supervision. Due to an amendment in Regulations from 1 September 2019, Nord University have implemented supplementary provisions on educational competence. For further information please refer to Nord University’s website. A successful candidate who is unable to provide documentary proof of adequate professional educational competence when employed must acquire such competence over the course of a two-year period. Nord University offers such a course in University Pedagogy which covers this requirement.

Applicants who can document that their doctoral thesis is submitted for examination and are awaiting its outcome will be considered for the position, but the doctoral degree must be conferred by the date that a job offer is made to the successful candidate.

Preferred Qualifications:

Documented English subject school teaching credential/certification
Documented evidence of working with and training pre-service and/or in-service English teachers
Active participation in national or international professional organizations, relevant conferences, and research communities relevant to the position
A strong and documented track record of supervising Bachelor, Master’s and/or Doctoral students’ research projects
Serving on the editorial boards of recognized international journals, book series editorship experience, and experience of serving institutional-level committees relevant to the position
Documented experience and/or competence in teaching two or more of the following subjects at tertiary level (preferably in English teacher education programs): Teaching English to Young Learners, Research Methods in English Language Teaching, Language Testing and Assessment, Bilingualism and Multilingualism, Educational Linguistics, Sociolinguistics for Language Teachers, CALL, Digital Games and Internet Applications in Language Education, Discourse Analysis and Text Linguistics, Language and Culture in English Education, Language Planning and Language Education Policy, English Phonetics and Phonology, Multimodal Literacies, Multiliteracies Education, Teaching English through Literature, English-Speaking Cultures, World Englishes, Psycholinguistics for Language Teaching & Learning, Course and Syllabus Design for Language Education, Integrating Language and Content in English Education, Materials and Curriculum Development, Psychology of Language, Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetorical Approaches to Literary Texts, Multicultural Studies, and Corpus Linguistics in English Teaching
Documented experience working in partnership with local schools, education agencies, school districts, or higher education institutions
Documented good IT knowledge, experience of online teaching, and appropriate familiarity with the use of various digital tools
Excellent teamwork and communication skills and the ability to contribute to a constructive and inclusive working environment.

In the evaluation and ranking of qualified applicants, emphasis will be placed on the following criteria:

Special emphasis will be placed on strong, innovative, and sustained track record of relevant peer-reviewed publications in top tier journals within the last five years. Quality, impact, and scientific depth and breadth of publications will be given priority over quantity of publications
Strong and documented track record of high-quality teaching and academic supervision at Bachelor, Master’s, and/or Doctoral levels from tertiary settings
University pedagogical/postgraduate certificate in higher education or equivalent qualifications from a university or a relevant professional practice certification
Extensive breadth and depth of knowledge in the field of English Language Teaching
Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English at C2 level or equivalent documented by an internationally recognized English proficiency certificate (e.g., IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) or equivalent) or by submitting published work in English such as a doctoral dissertation or research articles published in international journals which the expert committee will assess
Quality and scientific depth of doctoral dissertation as well as the degree-granting institution’s reputation and ranking in the pertinent research area
Documented experience with international research networks, research project management, participation in research projects and a record of applying for and/or securing external research and teaching funding
Good intercultural competence and skills in communication and collaboration with students and colleagues
Individual qualities that can contribute positively to the workplace environment and personal suitability for the position

We offer

The position is compensated according to Norwegian government regulations, code 1011 for associate professor. Salary by agreement.

Advantages within the Government Pension Fund for borrowing, insurance and pension.
Creative and collegial working environment
A workplace with steady progressive development
Flexible working hours
Active university sports team

General information

The person who is appointed must abide by the applicable laws, agreements, and directives. The responsibilities and duties associated with the position may change with future reorganization at Nord University.

The public sector workforce is expected to reflect the diversity of the population in general. Nord University therefore encourages qualified candidates with disabilities, gaps in their CV, immigrant backgrounds or different life experience to apply.

If applicants indicate they have disabilities or gaps in their CV, their details may be used anonymously for the purposes of governmental annual review.

Contact information

Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting :

Leader of Language and Literature Educational Group May Rotvik Tverbakk, e- mail: may.l.tverbakk@nord.no, tlf: +47 75 51 77 38
Coordinator of the English Department, Associate Professor Saeed Karimi-Aghdam, e-mail: saeed.karimi.aghdam@nord.no,tlf: +47 74 02 29 09

Application process

Applicants will be reviewed by an expert evaluation committee. Promising shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview and will be asked to deliver a trial lecture in English. Interview and trial lecture are decisive for the appointment.

Application

Please submit your application and supporting documentation via the recruitment portal www.jobbnorge.no

The application must be sent electronically before 31.05.2023.

The electronic application must include the following:

A cover letter (maximum 3 single-space pages – in English)
A complete curriculum vitae composed according to good scientific practice
Copies of diplomas and certificates including transcripts from Bachelor, Master’s and Doctoral degrees
Complete copies of up to 10 of the applicant’s most relevant peer-reviewed publications. Applicants are requested to prioritize 5 of the most important works with a synopsis of each published work and comment on prioritizing. The doctoral dissertation must be attached as one of these works
A complete and numbered list of all scientific and other publications with clearly marked publication dates and relevant specifics. If any published work submitted consists of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavors, the extent and percentage of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly specified
A statement of current and projected research interests (maximum 3 single-space pages)
A statement of and reflections on teaching/mentoring experience, teaching skills, pedagogical training, and teaching philosophy (maximum 3 single-space pages)
Evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as course outlines and student evaluations)
Documentation of other activities and experiences which the applicant considers relevant to the position and desires to be considered in the assessment
List of three references (full name, relation to candidate, affiliation, email, and phone number).

Please note the following:

1. All documentation which is to be considered must be uploaded as an attachment to the application

2. Complete electronic application and documentation must be submitted before the application deadline

3. No additional documentation will be accepted after the deadline

4. Incomplete applications will not be processed further

5. The application is to be written in English

6. Supporting documentation must be in English, Norwegian or other Scandinavian languages

7. If you are invited for the interview and trial lecture, you must bring original/certified copies of certificates, diplomas, and transcripts submitted electronically on www.jobbnorge.no for vetting by the HR department

8. If needed, the successful candidate will be asked to send his/her degree certificates and transcripts for accreditation by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) before assuming the position.

After the application deadline has passed, a public application list will be prepared and sent to all applicants. Please note that information concerning the applicant may be made public, even after a request to be excluded from the application list is made. Applicants who still request confidentiality must state the reason for this clearly in the application. Applicants will be notified in advance in the event of disclosure.

Ref.nr. 30175353