Assistant Professor - African American Studies at San Jose State University in San Jose, California

Job Description:

Job no: 506913

Work type: Instructional Faculty - Tenured/Tenure-Track

Location: San José

Categories: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Faculty - Social Sciences, Tenured/Tenure-Track, Full Time

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor

School/Department Name: African American Studies

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. See Benefits Summary for details about the CSU's excellent employment benefits.

Target Start Date: August 2022

Application Deadline: January 15, 2022 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of African American Studies at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of assistant professor in the area of urban sociology or at the intersection of race and the economics of inequality to begin August 2022. The successful candidate will concentrate on the study of Black urban and/or suburban communities with a research focus in any of the following areas: contemporary Black social movements, intergenerational socio-economic mobility, Black youth studies, labor economics, racial inequality, stratification economics, or the sociology of urban Black America.

The Department is particularly interested in candidates who center and incorporate interdisciplinary approaches within Black Studies or intersectional Black Feminist/Womanist perspectives into their research and teaching. The successful candidate will join a growing department with a reputation for excellence in teaching and scholarship and is expected to teach and develop courses in his/her/their areas of expertise and contribute to other related areas of the curriculum. S/he/they will also collaborate with the Ethnic Studies Collaborative.

Established in 1969, the Department of African American Studies offers a BA degree, minors in African American and Black Women's Studies, and a new teaching certification degree through the Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education Scholars Program program where students can earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching and be certified to teach History, Social Science, and Ethnic Studies in California public high schools. Additionally, the Department of African American Studies offers courses in the university's General Education program. This includes American Institutions and Ethnic Studies.

The Department of African American Studies and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university's commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

Required Qualifications

We welcome candidates with a Ph.D. in African American/Africana/Black Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Economics, or a related field. A.B.D. candidates may be considered. Ph.D. must be conferred by the start of the appointment.

Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Strong record of teaching excellence and a record of service


• Demonstrated research productivity


• Willingness to examine and participate in professional development around instructional, relational, and classroom practices to more effectively engage and support historically underserved students


• An understanding of how historical patterns of exclusion within higher education influence student participation and outcomes.
  
  
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will teach and developing undergraduate and graduate courses in specialty areas


• The candidate will participate in General Education and program assessment


• The candidate will maintain an active research agenda


• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.


• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity - in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation - through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest


• curriculum vitae


• 
  diversity statement
  


• statement of teaching interests/philosophy


• research plans


• three references with contact information
  
  
  
  

Inquiries may be directed to the Search Committee Chair: Dr. Travis D. Boyce travis.boyce@sjsu.edu

Conditional Offer

Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Proof of immunization against COVID-19 or proof of a medical or religious exemption and compliance with testing protocols is required for employment. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley - one of the most innovative regions in the world - San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. The 2020 #1 Most Transformative University in the nation according to Money Magazine, San José State is an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. This cutting-edge research, combined with its world-class scholarship, student-centered learning opportunities, and experiential and interdisciplinary programs, allows SJSU to provide transformative opportunities that advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Advertised: November 23, 2021 (9:00 AM) Pacific Standard Time

Applications close: Open until filled