Assistant Professor, U.S. Politics Political Science, Tenure-Track

The Department of Political Science at The College of Wooster invites applications for a tenure-track position in U.S. Politics at the level of Assistant Professor, beginning in August 2025, pending final administrative approval. We are looking for a broadly trained specialist in U.S. Politics with a Ph.D. in Political Science (ABD considered) or in a closely aligned field. We are especially interested in scholars whose work critically examines U.S. politics, with a preference for scholars whose research includes political behavior. Areas of focus could include (but are not limited to): the politics of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and other historically marginalized groups or minoritized populations; voting rights and voting behavior; campaigns and elections; democratic political theory; social justice and political movements; civil rights and/or civil liberties; and/or law and justice.

The department has seven full-time faculty members and graduates approximately 40-45 majors annually, many of whom pursue advanced study or careers in public policy, law, research, political campaigns and public service, or a wide variety of social justice and community organizing initiatives. Current faculty research areas include: disaster, healthcare, nuclear energy, and foreign policy processes and outcomes; environmental policy and public goods provision; political leadership within international organizations; political violence and human rights advocacy; and language, rhetoric, and political philosophy. For more information, please see: https://wooster.edu/area/political-science/. In addition, members of the department contribute to various programs across campus and we are interested in candidates whose research and teaching could connect with College curricular priorities such as Social Justice and/or Power, Privilege, Race, and Ethnicity; quantitative literacy; and/or interdisciplinary programs or majors at the College, such as our Statistical & Data Sciences, Urban Studies, Africana Studies, or Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies majors.

The College of Wooster is an independent college of the liberal arts and sciences with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. We enroll a racially, socioeconomically, and culturally diverse student population of approximately 2,000 undergraduate students, of which 6% identify as Latine; 9% as Black/African American; 4% as Asian; 4% as multiracial; and 61% as white. Fourteen percent (14%) of our students are studying on international visas. Twenty-three percent (23 %) are Pell-eligible and 12% are first-generation college students. We are interested in hiring faculty who can contribute to the intellectual vibrancy of the community through culturally relevant pedagogy, curricular diversity, intercultural fluency, and a commitment to ensuring equitable outcomes for racially and ethnically minoritized and marginalized student groups.

The successful candidate will demonstrate their ability to teach introductory and upper-level courses in their area of specialty and supervise undergraduate research projects as part of the College’s Independent Study (I.S.). All faculty teach courses accessible to non-majors and contribute to the First-Year Seminar Program. The teaching load is 5.5 courses per year, which includes credited mentoring for senior independent study projects.

We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy, or by state, local, or federal law. All offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a criminal background check and verification of the legal right to work in the United States as required by federal law. The College of Wooster is committed by policy and practice to diversity, equity, and inclusion. For more information on our nondiscrimination policy visit: https://www.wooster.edu/info/nondiscrimination.

Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, evidence of effective teaching (including syllabi and summaries of student evaluations), a research statement, unofficial graduate transcripts, and contact information for three references for letters of recommendation. In your letter of application (2-3 pages), in addition to highlighting teaching and research-related areas of expertise, please describe your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion including information about your understanding of these issues (with special emphasis on inclusive pedagogical approaches), your philosophy and/or record of activities to date, and your specific plans for advancing these efforts as a member of The College of Wooster Faculty. Please also provide contact information for three references through Interfolio by the application deadline. Letters of recommendation will be solicited prior to the first round of interviews for those candidates selected. Applications received at http://apply.interfolio.com/158129 by January 5, 2025 will receive full consideration. Please contact Désirée Weber (dweber@wooster.edu), Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Political Science department, with any questions.