This week, we posted 6 volunteer online teaching and SME positions from University of the People, a tuition-free, fully online, accredited University open to anyone who wants to pursue a college education. According to the University’s mission statement, they are “dedicated to opening access to higher education globally for all qualified individuals despite financial, geographic or societal constraints.”
The president of the University of the People, Shai Reshef, gave a TED talk which outlines why he hopes that the University of the People will move higher education away from “a privilege for a few to a basic right, affordable and accessible for all.”
Most online instructors at University of the People are volunteers, and they are currently listing open volunteer positions in the following disciplines: Computer Science, Biological Sciences, and Business. See our listings on AdjunctWorld for more information.
Most of the adjunct instructors in our community are looking for paid work. However, there are a few benefits of pursuing a volunteer teaching opportunity at this philanthropic university.
- Be a part of a global humanitarian movement. The mission of this school sharply contrasts with the controversial for-profit trend and offers an opportunity for instructors to take their expertise and share it with knowledge-hungry students who may not otherwise get such an opportunity.
- Gain online teaching experience. For those of you who are stuck “needing experience to get experience” for paid jobs which require online teaching experience this is a great opportunity to gain it. This experience in the context of a giving-rather-than-getting mentality would make a good line in an online adjunct’s CV.
- Get Moodle LMS training. The University of thePeople uses Moodle LMS and while they ask for Moodle experience from their applicants, they also mention that they will train instructors on this widely-used learning platform. Since Moodle experience is a line-item in many online job descriptions, this is certainly a big advantage to working for this school.
If you decide to pursue this opportunity, let us know how it pans out for you and as always, if you’d like to discuss please comment below!
Patricia Antoine
This concept of free global college degrees is transformational. I have been searching for an area that could use my health science bacground, and this seems to fit my idea for voluntary service to humanity.
Brooke Shriner
I agree – so much to benefit both the student and the eager instructor!