Assistant Professor - Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies

Assistant Professor – Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies
University of Massachusetts Boston

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies in the Leadership in Education Department to begin September 1, 2021. The successful candidate’s research and teaching expertise will be in pre-K to 12 urban education leadership with a specialization in social justice leadership and anti-racist leadership in urban schools, particularly in the U.S. context.

Faculty are responsible for teaching, research, and service that enhances CEHD’s community-engaged mission. Responsibilities include: 1) carrying out an active research agenda that makes significant contributions to the field of urban education leadership; 2) teaching graduate level courses in the Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy studies program and in the in Educational Leadership master’s/CAGS program; 3) advising doctoral students and serving on dissertation committees; 4) and contributing to service related to the university’s urban mission. This faculty position will also serve as an affiliate faculty member to the William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture. This affiliation will not be related to tenure and promotion but is an opportunity to collaborate on research and other activities with the Trotter Institute.

Candidates must possess an earned doctorate in education or a related field (awarded prior to 9/1/2021); a record of or potential for effective graduate teaching; and experience and/or a commitment to working in and fostering a diverse student, faculty, and staff environment. Candidates should have some experience working in pre-K to 12 urban educational settings; demonstrated experience conducting research that has an explicit racial/social justice focus and that can serve as a model of how research can facilitate change in education. They should be well prepared to bridge theory, research, and practice and to guide doctoral students in designing and conducting this type of integrated scholarship. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate capacity for conducting research using mixed methods and/or critical quantitative methods. Candidates should also demonstrate a potential for external grant funding for research.

The Department of Leadership in Education provides a dynamic environment for faculty and graduate students to engage in nationally-recognized research, especially in areas related to equity issues, school reform, organizational change in pre-K to 12 and higher education, education policy, leadership, and the social context of urban and higher education from local, state, national and global perspectives. The curriculum focuses on preparing pre-K to 12 urban school leaders and scholars who are committed to fostering, facilitating, and managing change in diverse settings, and on the preparation and certification of administrators. The Department is home to two doctoral programs: Higher Education and Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies. Both programs offer the PhD and EdD and enroll full-time working professionals with diverse backgrounds and work settings. The department is also home to a M.Ed./CAGS program in Educational Leadership and a new undergraduate program in Sport Leadership and Administration. All graduate programs are cohort based. The programs are highly regarded in the region and nation for successfully developing leaders in pre-K to 12 and higher education. Faculty have developed strong curricula in each program; they are active researchers whose scholarship has attracted national and international attention.

The department and CEHD are especially interested in candidates with sustained engagement with communities of color. Scholars of color are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Application instructions:

To apply, submit the following materials online at:

A letter of interest that: 1) describes the applicant’s research agenda; 2) explains how the applicant’s research and scholarship contribute to social justice leadership and anti-racist leadership in the field of urban education; and 3) indicates how the applicant’s teaching philosophy fits with a practitioner-focused doctoral program and the mission of the College and University. A current curriculum vitae At least two samples of scholarship published in academic venues such as peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and conference proceedings, or scholarly artifacts in the form of reports, digital publications, blog post, policy briefs, among other products Names and contact information for three academic references.

Inquiries about the position can be directed to Patricia Krueger-Henney (Patricia.Krueger@umb.edu)

Application review will begin on October 31th and continue until the position is filled.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

For more information, or to apply, please visit: https://employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us/job/506549/assistant-professor 

The University of Massachusetts Boston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, genetic information, pregnancy or a pregnancy-related condition, or membership in any other legally protected class. The University of Massachusetts Boston complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the university operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

UMass Boston normally does not provide H-1B visa sponsorship for non-academic positions.

The University of Massachusetts Boston is committed to providing a safe and secure environment that is supported by qualified employees for all of its students, faculty and staff to carry out the University's teaching, research and public service missions. As a condition of employment, the University will conduct appropriate background check reviews. For more information, please see the University of Massachusetts Boston campus policy and procedures for employee background reviews.