The following provides some information about the Carleton College Biology Department hiring process, in particular what we are looking for in your application for our tenure track position in Animal Physiology. We have also included links to some useful resources. Please reach out to our administrative assistant Peter Stone (pstone@carleton.edu) if you have additional questions. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by September 1, 2025.
Prior to applying for the position, we encourage applicants to review the structure and curriculum of our department. The position will involve teaching five courses per year within our trimester system, including Human Physiology and Lab, and regular contributions to Energy Flow in Biological Systems (BIOL126), which is one of our introductory courses. The successful candidate will also develop an upper-level seminar related to their areas of expertise and research strengths. All laboratory courses benefit from the support of skilled technical staff.
Biology faculty are expected to develop an active research program with Carleton undergraduates that contributes to their sub-field. The College offers support for faculty research programs, including student stipends and support for grant writing. In addition, support for all aspects of faculty work is provided by College-wide and department mentoring programs, cohort activities for new faculty, Provost’s Office support, and extensive optional programming by our Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching.
The Application
To apply please complete the online application at https://carleton.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/CarletonCareers. Your application should include: 1) a cover letter that also speaks to courses (particularly new courses) that you could envision contributing to the current curricular offerings in the department; 2) a curriculum vitae; 3) a statement about teaching in an undergraduate liberal arts environment and how you would contribute to a college community that embraces a diversity of people and perspectives as one of its core values (2-4 pages); 4) a detailed description of your plans for research with undergraduate students (2-4 pages); and 5) After passing through an initial screening process, applicants may receive a request for the contact information for three references. We will contact your letter writers directly to request their electronic submissions.
1) Cover Letter and 2) Curriculum Vitae: In addition to discussing your interest in, and qualifications for, this position, your cover letter should discuss information about any prior teaching experiences that you have had. There are many ways to acquire teaching experience, including mentoring undergraduates and other graduate students, being a TA, etc. It is important to describe your previous experience in your cover letter and CV. In your cover letter please also mention any additional courses that you could envision contributing to the current curricular offerings in the department.
3) Statement about teaching in an undergraduate liberal arts environment and how you would contribute to a college community that embraces a diversity of people and perspectives as one of its core values: Your teaching statement is your opportunity to include discussion of your engagement with and efforts related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in your work. While these ideas might permeate all areas of your work, this is a place where you can highlight your thoughts on these important topics and discuss how they inform your teaching.
4) Contact information for writers of three reference letters: It is important that you explain to those writing recommendation letters for you that you are applying for a position where lab teaching experience is important, so that they can comment on your strengths as a teacher. Letters will be requested after our initial round of application review and must be received before we can extend an invitation for an on-campus interview, so please make your recommenders aware that they should submit their letters as soon as possible after receiving the request.
Graduate transcripts: Transcripts will be requested after interviews have concluded and before we make the hire. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If they are not in English, please provide officially translated versions.
Useful Resources
- Article: Obtaining a faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI)
- Tips for securing a Faculty Position (developed by the ACS)
- Information from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Inclusive Excellence Commission
- Teaching Resources from the American Society of Cell Biology
- On-Demand Videos from the American Society of Cell Biology
- Student-Faculty Research in Carleton’s Biology Department
The Biology department also owns or has access to shared research equipment, including:
- An Applied Biosystems QuantStudio 5 RT-PCR machine
- A Molecular Devices Spectramax iD5 flourescence plate reader
- A JEOL JSM-IT500HR scanning electron microscope
- A Zeiss LSM 900 confocal microscope
- A Zeiss Axioimager A1 flourescence research microscope with an Orca Fusion BT camera
- 4 Zeiss Axiosscope A1 student flourescence microscopes with Olympus DP74 cameras
- Two -80C freezers
- Assorted shakers, incubators, and centrifuge, and DNA quantification and gel imaging devices