How to Apply
Fill out the application here on UM jobs by clicking the Apply Now button below. Make sure you have the following materials combined into ONE PDF document before applying. Name the .PDF file as follows: Last Name.First Name.Course Number. For example: Doe.John.Environ421.
- a cover letter addressing interest and qualifications for the position
- a resume or curriculum vita
- copy of the undergraduate and graduate transcript (unofficial is fine)
- teaching history (list course and department)
- any available teaching evaluations
Verify your own course schedule against the schedule for the course to which you are applying as a GSI. All GSIs are required to attend the lecture and discussion times as posted. In Fall 2024, the ENVIRON 421 GSI posting had 32 applicants.
This posting is for ONE GSI position at 50% FTE.
Course Description
This course offers an introduction to the science, policy, and social issues around ecological restoration. We examine and discuss a multitude of restoration projects, including consideration of roles of agriculture, in urban, rural, and natural areas through the use of case studies, field work, field trips, and guest lectures. Field work is mostly conducted at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and is to participate in conducting standard restoration practices and learn to collect data for site inventory, monitoring, and assessing restoration success.
Responsibilities*
- Assistance Preparing Lab activities and Lab materials - Assistance with planning activities according to restoration projects taken place at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and the Arb, and at Island Park during the Fall semester (seed collection, prescribed burns, invasive plant species removals, stream bank stabilizations, monitoring of biodiversity of ongoing projects).
- Preparation of Lab materials - Assistance with acquiring and creating identification sheets for plant and invertebrate invasive / native species. Assistance with preparation of materials to conduct field activities and perform measurements at selected sites.
- Assistance during Labs - Assist with coordinating with practitioners. Assistance to demonstrate sampling, carry on sampling, technical aspects of compiling and analyzing data, and GIS exercises.
- Assistance with planning and coordinating course Team Projects - Assistance with identifying projects suitable to engage students in the time available during the course, and help students identify restoration goals and directing the student project process.
- Assistance with organizing group dynamics
- Review weekly reading reflections
- The course includes: a Volunteer Field Work experience (service learning) with a report reflecting the service work, and a Restoration Management Plan (RMP) and Children's book conducted by student teams. The GSI will assist reviewing the volunteer report, the RMP draft and final reports, as well as the book proposal and draft.
Required Qualifications*
- Good oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Previous coursework in Ecology, Restoration Ecology, GIS.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Applicants must be in good standing as a graduate student at the University of Michigan.
- If the language of instruction at a students undergraduate institution was not English, they must be evaluated by the English Language Institute (ELI) for English proficiency and either pass the GSI-OET or have this test waived by the ELI before they can be eligible for a GSI appointment in LS&A.
Desired Qualifications*
- Prior completion of courses in stream ecology, terrestrial ecology, woody plants, soil ecology
- Familiarity with Matthaei Botanical Garden programs.
- Proficiency using R (programming language).
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Contact Information
If you have questions about how to apply for the position, please email [email protected]. Please contact instructor for questions about job responsibilities-Sara Adlerstein-Gonzalez, [email protected]
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of Fourteen calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the fifteenth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
Decision Making Process
Faculty review applications for positions in their courses and indicate their ranked preferences. They are also asked to indicate whether they regard any applicants as unqualified and why based on the Required and Desired qualifications listed above. Faculty may look at previous teaching experience as a positive, but will not view a lack of teaching experience as a negative on an application.
Applications are NOT rolling. Faculty will not be provided with any applications until after the application deadline.
In the event that a student is ranked as the number one preference for multiple courses, they will receive multiple offer letters and have the opportunity to decide which offer they want to accept.
We anticipate all offer letters to be sent by Friday, April 18th, 2025. However, in the event that a position opens back up due to unforeseen circumstances after being filled, applicants information will be kept on file to be contacted with a potential offer letter
Selection Process
Instructors have access to their position description and selection criteria along with the applications for their course(s). Instructors review their applications and rank the candidates for each position. Once professors have submitted their top candidates, candidates are matched to the professors who selected them and sent offer letters.
GEO Contract Information
The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.