Occupational Therapy Assistant (Ota) Instructor - Tenure Track

Position Summary

Green River Community College is seeking an innovative and creative Occupational Therapy Assistant Instructor. Primary teaching responsibilities include instruction in the OTA program and overseeing the Clinical Education program as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC). This assignment is in the Health Sciences, Education and Wellness Division.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Green River College is committed to enhancing and supporting a diverse campus environment, incorporating principles of equity in order to promote inclusive practices. Diversity is understood in terms of intersectional identities defined by culture, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, social class, disability, religion, veteran status, immigration status, and age. Given the diversity of our student population and service areas, we encourage applications from faculty, staff, and administrators with demonstrated experience and expertise in supporting, sustaining and serving people from a wide range of backgrounds and collaborating effectively with others.
About the College:
The student body at Green River College is made up of approximately 34% Academic Transfer students, 30% seeking Career-Technical Education (which include the bachelor's in applied sciences degree), 11% enrolled in College Readiness courses, and 24% in Continuing and Community Education classes. Green River College has four campuses, including the main campus in Auburn, with satellite campuses in Kent, downtown Auburn, and Enumclaw. Green River programs serve high school graduates, Running Start students (dual enrollment in local high schools and the college), those seeking retraining for the workforce, international students, students learning English as a second language, and Continuing Education students. Green River's service areas are increasingly ethnically diverse, comprising African Americans, Africans, Asian Americans, Asians, Latinx, Latin Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Middle Eastern Americans, among other communities.

Position Responsibilities

The AFWC is responsible for the management of student fieldwork program. This includes finding and maintaining community partners (sites) who meet the criteria for a fieldwork site, assessing sites for appropriateness for the fieldwork experience as well as their personnel, and assigning and monitoring students in Level 1 and 2 placements and coordination and communication with fieldwork sites. The AFWC is also responsible for ensuring current fieldwork sites continuously meeting expectations of a fieldwork placement per accreditation standards. The number of total placements per academic year is dependent on the total student enrollment in the program. The AFWC receives general supervision from the OTA Program Coordinator.
In addition to teaching, responsibilities include program marketing, program specific advising, recruitment, involvement in curriculum review and revision, and ensuring that accreditation standards specifically for fieldwork are in compliance. Faculty members are expected to be involved in division and campus meetings and committees, and in activities associated with program growth, professional development and support of the Occupational Therapy profession.
The College welcomes individuals to apply who have a commitment to teach at a community college, have the ability to utilize a variety of methods and modes of instruction to include background in Education Methodology and Classroom Assessment, experience with online course assessment programs and teaching in an online format. ensure student success and who work well with students, colleagues and other staff in a team environment. Given the diversity of our student population, we encourage applicants who can adapt instructional methods to a wide range of student backgrounds and interests.
Fieldwork Coordination:

• Contact and establish an adequate number of fieldwork sites to assure that students will be offered the diversity and breadth of experiences needed for entry-level job preparation.
• Document the criteria and process for selecting fieldwork sites, to include maintaining memoranda of understanding, complying with all site requirements, maintain site objectives and site data, and communicate this information to students.
• Arrange for the placement and assignment of students enrolled in Level I and II fieldwork courses.
• Develop fieldwork objectives in collaboration with the fieldwork sites.
• Maintain communication with established fieldwork sites and clinical instructors through visits, telephone calls, e-mail and written correspondence to monitor student's progress and fieldwork needs.
• Collaborate with the clinical and course instructors in assignment of final grades for students.
• Plan and coordinate an annual Clinical Instructor's meeting to be held on campus.
• Work closely with program director, course instructors in order to seek feedback to place students in appropriate fieldwork sites.
• Work closely with the OTA/PTA coordinator to ensure database accurately reflects mandatory requirements, updated contracts and personnel.

Program Coordination:

• Work with students, course instructor and/or clinical sites to resolve problems as they arise in a manner that considers the student's specific needs, college policies, accreditation guidelines and the profession's standards.
• Provide data and reports to the OTA Program Coordinator as requested for inclusion in ACOTE biannual reports, state and college surveys and databases, reports to advisory committee, etc.

Instructional:

• Instruction in the following formats face to face, online and hybrid formats and maintain office hours for consultation with students needed to reflect current employment and clinical practices in compliance with the accrediting agency (ACOTE).
• Ensure course content meets Accreditation Standards.
• Collaborate with the faculty to provide learning opportunities and continuing education to prepare and enhance fieldwork educator's knowledge and skills.

Other Duties:

• Participate in fieldwork educational support groups at both the state and national level.
• Participate in professional/volunteer organizations which include membership in AOTA.
• Attend all Occupational Therapy faculty department meetings as requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduate of an accredited OT or OTA program who is licensed or eligible for licensure in WA State.
• Bachelor degree in OT or related field
• Experience supervising COTA practitioners.
• 2 plus years of practice or its equivalent in varied clinical settings.
• Minimum one year classroom or clinical teaching experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree
• Member of the AOTA
• Member of WOTA
• Credentialed Clinical Instructor
• Prior experience in Academic or Clinical Instruction
• Demonstrated familiarity with the Occupational Therapy community within the Puget Sound Area in order to develop relationship with local community partners

Supplemental Information

This is a full-time Tenure Track position beginning fall 2024, continuing with annual nine-month contracts. The salary will be determined according to the candidate's educational background, teaching experience and applicable work experience.
This position has been designated as a bargaining unit position represented by The Green River United Faculty Coalition.
At this time, Green River College is not sponsoring for H1-B Visas.
The Green River College nursing department requires all faculty hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, as required by our clinical partners for clinical experiences.
All offers of employment are subject to background checks. (Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.)
Green River College is a tobacco free campus. For more information on the tobacco policy, please visit the following link: https://www.greenriver.edu/campus/policies-and-procedures/general-administrative-policies/ga-2-tobacco-use-policy/
Jeanne Clery Statement: Notice of Availability of Annual Security and Fire Safety Report-- Green River College's Annual Safety and Fire Report is available online at https://www.greenriver.edu/campus/campus-safety/clery-act/, containing mandated information about current campus policies concerning safety and security issues, required statistics, and other related information for the past three calendar years. To obtain a paper copy of the report, please call 253-288-3350.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: Green River College does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, gender orientation, age, marital status, religion, disability, genetic information or on any other unlawful basis. The college is committed to preventing and stopping discrimination, including harassment of any kind and any associated retaliatory behavior.
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Vice President of Human Resources, 12401 SE 320th Street, Auburn, WA 98092-3622, (253) 288-3320. To receive this information in an alternate format, please contact Disability Support Services at (253) 833-9111, ext. 2631; TTY (253) 288-3359.