Earth Science; Lab Instructor

Instructor Position at Palo Verde College

Palo Verde College (PVC) is a publicly supported two-year community college serving approximately 7,000 students annually through in-person, online, correspondence, and hybrid modalities. Located in Southeastern California, PVC is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and is deeply committed to equity, access, and student success.

As part of this cluster hire, Palo Verde College seeks dedicated, equity-minded faculty to provide primary face-to-face instruction for incarcerated students at Ironwood State Prison (a level 2 facility). Additionally, faculty may also teach incarcerated learners across five additional CDCR sites through correspondence and Canvas-based instruction, as assigned.

These positions are full-time, tenure-track faculty roles intentionally designed for the Incarcerated Education Program, reflecting PVC's long-standing leadership in this space and its commitment to strengthening the Rising Scholars program, which PVC helped initiate and continues to proudly advance.

Faculty hired through this cluster will:

• Have a primary teaching assignment at Ironwood State Prison, delivering face-to-face instruction in a level 2 secure institutional setting.
• Teach additional CDCR sites statewide through correspondence and Canvas-based instruction, or main campus students, as program needs require.
• Work within CDCR protocols, including clearance requirements, safety procedures, restricted materials, and technology limitations.
• Participate in specialized onboarding, including CDCR clearance, institutional orientation, and Rising Scholars program support.
• Collaborate closely with Instruction, Rising Scholars staff, and CDCR partners to ensure instructional continuity and student success.

PVC is committed to transparency and preparation. Faculty selected for these roles will receive structured onboarding, training, and ongoing institutional support to help them succeed in this unique and rewarding teaching environment.

Disciplines in this cluster include:

• Psychology
• Earth Science (with lab)
• Communication Studies

Palo Verde College is deeply committed to expanding access to higher education for justice impacted students. Through the Rising Scholars framework, PVC works to ensure that incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students experience:

• High academic expectations paired with meaningful instructional support
• Culturally responsive and trauma-informed pedagogy
• Respect, dignity, and belief in their academic potential

Faculty in this cluster are expected to embrace the PVC values of equity-minded teaching practices, demonstrate cultural humility, and contribute to an educational environment that affirms students' lived experiences while maintaining academic rigor.

This opportunity is best suited for faculty who:

• Are motivated by social justice, educational equity, and access
• Are prepared for the realities of teaching in a correctional setting
• Value transparency, structure, collaboration, and mission-driven work
• Believe in the transformative power of education for incarcerated learners
• Are committed to ongoing learning in culturally responsive pedagogy

The instructor will teach classes within the approved discipline(s). In addition, the instructor shall be responsible for creating, maintaining and updating curricula relevant to the assigned instructional area. Further, the instructor will participate in all appropriate faculty functions, including non-teaching assignments, office hours, and committee meetings. This position may require day, evening, weekend, correspondence and on-line assignments.

Duties and responsibilities include: