Do you have a passion for online learning? Are you convinced that a deep and meaningful community can be created in the online environment when courses are designed with the Community of Inquiry mindset? Do you get excited about helping faculty connect their subject matter expertise to high-impact pedagogical strategies? Then welcome to Xavier University.
Xavier University invites applications for a full-time Instructional Designer. This role is anticipated to start in the beginning of January 2025. At Xavier, we are dedicated to fostering excellence in online and blended learning, grounded in the 500-year-old Jesuit tradition of academic rigor and personal care. We value equity, inclusion, and diversity at the core of our mission, striving to create an environment where all voices are heard, and multiple perspectives are sought out. As part of our collaborative Instructional Design & Technology (IDT) team, you’ll play a key role in supporting our fully online programs and courses.
You will be at the forefront of Xavier’s online learning initiatives, ensuring that courses meet institutional standards for quality and accessibility. As an Instructional Designer, you will lead faculty through course design and quality improvement processes, facilitate workshops, and oversee course review cycles. You will also serve as an instructor for our Introduction to Online Course Design (IOCD), helping faculty build engaging, accessible, and student-centered courses.
Collaboration is central to this role, as you will work with the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and Digital Media Services (DMS) to ensure all students, regardless of their learning environment, experience the deep sense of community and academic excellence that defines Xavier University.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide instructional design support to faculty members, with a strong focus on online and blended course design, quality improvement, and course reviews.
- Serve as an instructor for the Introduction to Online Course Design (IOCD), training faculty to design and teach online courses.
- Guide faculty through the instructional design process, utilizing backward design principles to align learning outcomes, assessments, and activities.
- Assist faculty in developing online courses, integrating technology resources, and adhering to quality standards, including community-building, coherence, and usability, with attention to Ignatian pedagogical principles.
- Lead faculty through the course quality improvement process and oversee the course review cycle.
- Ensure faculty create accessible instructional materials that meet compliance standards (ADA, Section 508) and support usability.
- Work with faculty to resolve copyright and fair use issues in online learning, ensuring compliance with intellectual property standards.
- Collaborate with the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and Digital Media Services (DMS) to develop and deliver faculty development programs, such as workshops, webinars, and book discussion groups, to promote effective online instruction.
- Develop training materials, including handouts, videos, and interactive learning objects, that support course design and pedagogy standards informed by Ignatian principles.
- Offer second-level support for faculty-related inquiries on technologies used in Xavier’s online and blended courses.
- Participate in planning sessions with the Instructional Design & Technology (IDT) team, contributing to data collection, evaluation efforts, and the course review process.
Typical work hours are in-person M-F 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, with occasional need for earlier or later hours. Hybrid scheduling, up to two days per week, may be available.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Bachelor’s Degree in instructional design or a closely related field.
- A minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience supporting faculty teaching online.
- Knowledge and application of instructional design theories, adult learning theories, and best practices for online course design.
- Demonstrated ability to work with and support a variety of people with varying skills, abilities, and personalities.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with faculty across disciplines and guide them through course design and development processes.
- Experience developing and delivering training programs in both online and in-person formats.
- Experience working with a learning management system and other instructional technologies.
- Experience developing effective training in online and on-ground modalities.
- Basic competencies with design and courseware authoring applications.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and timelines simultaneously.
- Familiarity with accessibility compliance issues including section 508 ADA compliance.
- Familiarity with copyright and fair use guidelines.
Preferred:
- A master’s degree in instructional design or a closely related field.
- Experience working in a post-secondary educational institution.
- Experience teaching online in higher education.
- Familiarity with Ignatian pedagogical principles.
- Experience in designing and leading faculty development programs, including workshops and affinity groups.
- Experience using the Instructure Canvas LMS.
- Experience with project management.
- Experience interpreting and applying copyright and fair use guidelines in the context of online learning and multimedia design.
- Basic competencies with design and courseware authoring applications.
- Basic competency in the use of HTML.
Xavier is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to enhancing equity, inclusion and diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
To ensure consideration, interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of three professional references on Xavier University's website. Candidates are asked to include with their cover letter a brief statement on how they might support/contribute to Xavier’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Review of applications will start on October 24, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position closes at the University's discretion.
BENEFITS:
Xavier University offers a wide array of complementary and affordable benefit options to meet the financial, educational, health, and wellness needs of you and your family. Eligibility varies by position and employment class.
- Comprehensive insurance plans including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.
- Tax advantaged accounts including health savings account, flexible spending accounts, and dependent care account.
- Financial security via life and long-term disability insurance, accident and illness insurance, and retirement savings plans.
- Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
- Tuition remission for employees and their eligible dependents.
