American Indian Studies: Environmental Justice and Sustainability Assistant Professor

California State University, Fresno

College of Social Science

American Indian Studies / Women's Studies Program

http://www.fresnostate.edu/socialsciences/

American Indian Studies/Ethnic Studies: Environmental Justice and Sustainability

Assistant Professor

Tenure Track
Fall 2023 (August 2023)

The Fresno region is home to eight federally recognized tribes, sixteen state registered tribes, and a vast and energetic urban Indian community. American Indian Studies is committed to advancing American Indian students and tribal communities through educational and community service excellence. AIS faculty partner with tribal and tribal-serving agencies, leading urban Indian health organizations, and collaborate with local, regional, state, and national organizers to produce robust educational platforms to foster wellness, self-determination, and political enfranchisement through curriculum and service in the areas of law, cultural preservation, community development, STEM, arts, digital humanities, and land/water systems projects serving American Indian peoples, families, tribes, and tribal organizations.

California State University Fresno’s American Indian Studies invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in American Indian Studies in the College of Social Sciences (COSS) to begin in August 2023. We seek candidates from American Indian Studies/Native American and Alaskan Native Studies (AIS/NAANS)/Ethnic Studies and related fields whose teaching and research emphasize Tribal Environmental Justice and Sustainability. Specific topics can include but are not limited to: traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), environmental stewardship, cultural burning and maintenance of water resources, Indigenous lifeways, hunting, fishing, medicinal and agricultural practices, cultural resources and sacred site preservation, impacts of environmental degradation on tribal communities and lands, and direct political action. Candidates should demonstrate a capacity to teach about California American Indians and Northern hemispheric Native Americans. Global Indigenous Studies and transnational expertise are welcome.

American Indian Studies is dedicated to advancing the self-determination of American Indian peoples and tribes. California State University Fresno is a Carnegie Award recipient for community service, and was recently designated an R2-research university. We seek outstanding candidates who are eager to engage in tribally-based teaching, research, and community collaborations and whose expertise will shape the growth of the American Indian Studies program. Successful candidates will demonstrate engagement in Ethnic Studies, Decolonial, anti-colonial, and tribal-centered research. Candidates should also demonstrate a commitment to collaborate with campus and regional, state and national tribal partners in the fields of their expertise.

Candidates should expect to contribute and participate in American Indian Studies development, teaching AIS majors and minors, supporting student research and fieldwork, and contributing to the General Education curriculum including Ethnic Studies Area F. The AIS faculty work with programs across campus and tribal community partners to offer students opportunities for personal and professional growth. AIS faculty also have opportunities to provide advanced mentorship in the American Indian Honors Program and the AIS Internship Program; additionally, there are opportunities to work with individual students in the McNair Program, the College of Social Sciences Honors Program, and more. Campus and community partners extend Fresno State’s reach to eight federally recognized tribes, sixteen non-federally recognized or state registered tribes, and tribal-serving and urban Indian organizations.

Successful applicants may develop curriculum and teach in the following American Indian Studies/Native American and Alaskan Native Studies (AIS/NAANS)/Ethnic Studies and fields related to Tribal Environmental Justice and Sustainability. Candidates must also demonstrate preparedness to develop courses in areas of their expertise and who are qualified to teach at least three out of the five major/minor required core courses:

AIS 5: American Indian History (precolonial tribal histories, cultural epistemologies, political formations, and sciences and technologies)

AIS 10: Introduction to American Indian Studies (survey)

AIS 50: Contemporary Life in American Indian Communities (sovereignty movements)

AIS 101: American Indian Law (federal-Indian law)

AIS 103: California American Indians (precolonial and contemporary cultures and political systems)

Qualifications:

Required Education (from an accredited institution or foreign equivalent.):

An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in American Indian Studies and/or Ethnic Studies, or another closely related discipline with demonstrated research and teaching experience in AI/NAAN/ES fields. Fields of expertise may include interdisciplinary training relevant to Environmental Justice, Sustainable Development and TEK.

Applicants nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) may be considered. For employment, the doctorate must be completed by 8/1/2023.

Required Experience:

Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as working effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds

Demonstrated commitment to building collaborative and productive relationships with American Indian tribes, tribal communities, and/or tribal serving organizations

An excellent record of scholarly work in addition to an active/compelling research agenda

A dedication to teaching

A commitment to build and develop collaborative relationships with department faculty and local and regional educators, educational institutions, and community-based education organizations

Previous research, scholarship, and teaching in the areas of American Indian precolonial and contemporary epistemologies, sciences, and ecologies; traditional ecological knowledge (TEK); environmental stewardship; cultural burning and maintenance of water resources; Indigenous lifeways; hunting; fishing; medicinal and agricultural practices; cultural resources and sacred site preservation; impacts of environmental degradation on tribal communities and lands; and direct political action.

Preferred Experience :

A PhD in American Indian/Native American Alaska Native Studies and/or Ethnic Studies with an emphasis or degree in Environmental Studies and focus in Environmental Justice and Sustainability.

Additional expertise in Indigenous Studies and transnational studies

Effective teaching and mentorship of American Indian students

Application Procedures: To ensure full consideration, applicants should submit all application materials by the review date. The committee may elect to review applications submitted after this date. All positions automatically close on March 31, 2023. Apply online at http://jobs.csufresno.edu

Application Review Date: Friday, December 2, 2022

Attach the following:

1. A cover letter specifically addressing the candidate’s required experience and preferred qualifications
2. A current curriculum vitae
3. Diversity statement that demonstrates commitment and potential to contribute to Fresno State’s goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion through personal experience or perspective, scholarship, teaching, or service (2-pages maximum)
4. Teaching philosophy statement (2 pages maximum)
5. Names and contact information of three professional references

Candidates invited for an on-campus visit must submit by mail/e-mail within the designated deadline. The Search Chair will send information and requests for these items:

1. Official and official transcripts
2. Three current letters of recommendation

Committee Information:

Search Chair: Dr. Leece M. Lee-Oliver
Director of American Indian Studies, College of Social Sciences
Women's Studies Program
Email: lleeoliver@mail.fresnostate.edu

About Fresno State:

California State University, Fresno is an engaged University. We focus on broadening students' intellectual horizons, fostering lifelong learning skills, developing the leaders of tomorrow, promoting community involvement, and instilling an appreciation of world cultures. We nurture cultural competence by celebrating the rich diversity of the campus community and welcoming the participation of all. Members of the University community work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. For information on the University's commitment and dedication to creating a university known for its integrity, civility, equity, respect, and ethical behavior, visit: http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/diversity

The campus is ranked 36^th in the nation by Washington Monthly ; ranked 3^rd by U.S. News & World Report in graduation rate performance for public institutions; and, ranked 41^st in the nation in MONEY Magazines 50 Best Public Colleges . The campus is classified as an R2 “Doctoral Universities – High research activities” university per Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Tenure-Track Faculty members gain a clear path to tenure through the University's Probationary Plan Process. For additional information, please visit: www.fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/procedures/facultyrtp/ . We value our commitment to the success of our faculty by providing services from the Center for Faculty Excellence to Research and Sponsored Programs.

About the College and Department

Our Program: American Indian Studies (https://socialsciences.fresnostate.edu/ais/index.html) is an interdisciplinary program that offers students opportunities to study the governments, nations, cultures, social and political structures in American Indian societies and American Indian societies within the context of the United States. Under the guidance of its first Director, American Indian Studies is so named to reflect the self-determination efforts of the American Indian Movement. Today, AIS maintains that commitment in the classroom and community. The AIS Program's curriculum prioritizes American Indian scholars, cultural-intellectual systems, traditional knowledge, sciences, and epistemologies. We engage pedagogical and leadership methodologies to provide all students with diverse learning experiences to grow their understanding and competency in American Indian Studies. Our program is host to an American Indian honors program and internships that prepare students to live and work in American Indian, Indigenous, and diverse communities locally and globally through direct experience with tribes and tribal-serving organizations.

The interdisciplinary nature of American Indian Studies allows students to gain an understanding of the core fields of American Indian Studies and also create degree programs that serve their unique academic and professional goals. American Indian Studies curriculum intersects the fields of history, law, education, philosophy, anthropology, economics, cultures and languages, media studies, health and wellness services, environmental, and women and gender studies and with the Fresno State Library (https://library.fresnostate.edu/) and the California Water Institute (http://www.californiawater.org/).

The College of Social Sciences at Fresno State offers a broad and exciting range of majors, minors, and certificates that help us understand our world: from the study of history, political, social, and cultural issues, to projections for our future, our degree programs are designed to develop essential skills necessary to adapt to a constantly changing world and to provide leadership for the new millennium.

Our Faculty

Tenure-Track Faculty members gain a clear path to tenure through the University's Probationary Plan Process. For additional information visit www.fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/procedures/facultyrtp/ . We value our commitment to the success of our faculty by providing services from the Center for Faculty Excellence to Research and Sponsored Programs. Tenure Track faculty are provided a mentor through the Fresno State Faculty Mentorship Program. AIS also provides opportunities for faculty mentorship and development with dedicated colleagues, affinity groups like the American Indian Faculty and Staff Association, the Women of Color Faculty Coalition, and national associations.

Territorial Acknowledgement

The Fresno State campus sits in the midst of the San Joaquin Valley, a valley rich in the traditions and representation of Native American peoples and cultures. We are grateful to be in the traditional homelands of the Yokuts and Mono peoples, whose diverse tribal communities share stewardship over this land.

Other Campus Information

Salary placement commensurate with experience within ranks established by the CSU Salary Schedule .

In compliance with the Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Fresno has made crime-reporting statistics available to applicants, students, and employees online at www.fresnostate.edu/police/clery/index.shtml. Print copies are available by request from the Campus Police Department.

A background check (including criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily for this position. Any offer of employment may be withdrawn, or employment may be terminated based upon the results of the background investigation.

The person holding this position is considered a "limited reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements outlined in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment. You can obtain a copy of this Executive order by accessing the following website: http://www.calstate.edu/eo/EO-1083.html.

California State University, Fresno is a smoke-free campus. For more information, please click http://fresnostate.edu/adminserv/smokefree/index.html

California State University, Fresno is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, or protected veteran status.

Advertised: 21 Sep 2022 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: 31 Mar 2023 Pacific Daylight Time