Assistant Professor of Sociology

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS

Full-Time

The Department of Sociology invites applications for a full-time (9-month), tenure eligible position (#998075) at the rank of Assistant Professor for Fall 2022, with a primary specialty area related to health disparities, health equity, and/or the social determinants of health.  The ideal candidate’s teaching and/or research scholarship will focus on health in Latinx and/or other underrepresented communities experiencing systemic health disparities in the United States. Candidates must have an interest and/or ability to teach classes across the curriculum including courses such as Introduction to Sociology, Health & Lifestyles, and Medical Sociology, with the potential for developing other courses related to their specialty area that could expand our Sociology of Health offerings.  Secondary research and/or teaching focus is open, though an emphasis on racial/ethnic inequality or disability studies is preferred.

Primary Responsibilities will include:

• Teaching three courses per semester, including the potential for interdisciplinary teaching opportunities contributing toward Latinx Studies, the Tilford Diversity Certificate, the Women’s Studies Program, and/or the Aging Studies Program.
• Engaging in on-going social scientific research scholarship leading to publication, with the potential for generating external grant-funding over time. Opportunities exist for collaboration with current faculty members as well as potential involvement with the WSU Institute for Health Equity Advances: Education, Research, and Technology.
• Contributing service to the department, college, university, and the profession or community, including activities related to recruitment and retention of students.

A start-up package (contingent on funding) may be available over the first-three years to aid the candidate in pursuing their program of research. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Sociology or closely related field by time of appointment.
• Evidence of or potential for effective teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. (Modes of instruction may include in-person, hybrid, remote, or any combination thereof).
• Strong methodological skills (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research designs).
• Demonstration of scholarly potential or a record of publication and/or external grant funding.
• Good oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds in an urban-serving environment.
• Ability to mentor student scholarship by supervising undergraduate and graduate student research and applied projects.
• Ability to contribute to core coursework (such as research methods, statistics, and/or theory) at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Applicants should submit:

• A brief letter of interest discussing qualifications for the position
• CV
• Teaching Statement/Philosophy, with evidence of teaching effectiveness if available
• Research Statement, with sample(s) of scholarly writing
• Diversity Statement
• Names, phone number, and email addresses of three professional references. (References will be notified and asked to upload recommendation letters to the system).

All materials must be submitted using Wichita State University’s People Admin online employment site (http://jobs.wichita.edu) and complete packets must be submitted for full consideration.  Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled, however, the priority deadline for completed applications is December 1, 2021.    

Conditions of Employment:

Offers of employment are contingent upon the submission of an official transcript from the doctoral granting institution indicating successful completion of doctoral degree by time of employment as well as the completion of a satisfactory criminal background check as required by the Kansas Board of Regents policy.   

About Wichita State University:

Wichita State University is a metropolitan university located on a beautiful 330-acre main campus within the urban environment of Wichita, Kansas.  WSU serves more than 15,000 students and is distinctive for opening career pathways through an emphasis on applied learning and research experiences. Located within the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Department of Sociology offers both B.A. and M.A. degree programs and contributes heavily to the university’s General Education curriculum.  Please visit our home page at wichita.edu/sociology for more information about the Sociology Department. 

All employees of Wichita State University are expected to support the WSU Vision, Mission and Values and to help foster an environment rich in diversity of culture, thoughts and experience.  Candidates for faculty positions should be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively educate and empower a diverse student population. Wichita State University does not discriminate in its employment practices, educational programs or activities on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran.