"Assistant or Associate Professor of Politics and Public Affairs/American Politics"

The Department of Politics and Public Affairs (PPA) at Denison University invites applications for an open rank, tenure-track position in American politics beginning Fall 2026. We seek applicants whose research and teaching emphasizes policy analysis at the federal, state, or local level. The successful candidate must have the demonstrated ability to teach one of our introductory courses (either PPA 102/Introduction to Policymaking in Democracies or PPA 132/Introduction to Theorizing About Political Life: Normative Issues Common to Democratic Systems), as well as a rotating set of upper division courses in policy analysis and American politics. Candidates with an expressed interest in or experience with managing a Moot Court or Mock Trial team will be given preference.

The Politics and Public Affairs program provides our students an integrated view of politics emphasizing links between theory and practice. Our major is structured as a learning community, where undergraduates pursue a track of interest in International Affairs, Policy Analysis, or Government and Legal Affairs, and have multiple opportunities to share their knowledge with peers. Our majors must complement classroom experiences with a department-approved off campus learning component. We seek a new colleague who shares our enthusiasm for this approach to teaching about politics and public affairs. As a department, we work hard to ensure our students hear and consider diverse perspectives, and we welcome applicants who contribute to that diversity. We graduate approximately 40 seniors each year. The PPA program is also an integral part of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) major at Denison, whose students take at least four classes in our department.

All instructors are expected to regularly teach introductory classes (~24 students) that serve PPA majors/minors as well as the general education requirements of the college’s curriculum; successfully teaching introductory classes requires teachers who relish the challenge of instructing both skeptical and interested students. All instructors regularly teach upper division classes (~20 students) in their area of interest, as well as required PPA major courses such as sophomore and senior seminar. The teaching load is 5 courses per academic year (3/2). Denison is a fully residential campus where all classes are held in-person and on-campus.

Applicants should provide evidence of teaching effectiveness from college-level courses. We seek to hire a new colleague with broad training in the study of politics. The successful candidate is expected to have significant interest in and demonstrated ability to effectively teach undergraduates in a liberal arts setting and contribute to the integration of the theoretical with experiential elements of our major. Independent teaching experience (beyond TA) is preferred.

Successful candidates are expected to maintain an ongoing research agenda; thus, applicants should show promise of a strong publication record. The prospective teacher-scholar also will support the University's commitment to liberal arts education, be an effective advisor to a range of students, be an active participant in departmental and university governance, and develop a program of research leading to peer-reviewed publication.

Denison is a highly selective, residential liberal arts college enrolling approximately 2,400 students from across the nation and around the world. The college is located in the village of Granville, 30 minutes from Columbus, Ohio, the state capital, which hosts a wide range of cultural and artistic opportunities. Granville offers an excellent public school system and easy access to outdoor activities. A supportive environment for teacher-scholars who value both classroom and research excellence, Denison offers extensive support for its faculty, including an annual professional development account, competitive professional development funding, a one-semester research leave after a successful pre-tenure review. The college also offers opportunities for student-faculty research collaboration, stipends for supervising summer-research students and a range of workshops and mentoring programs to develop our strengths as teacher-scholars. Denison offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including tuition benefits to attend Denison or other affiliated colleges and a generous retirement contribution.

Candidates are required to have completed a Ph.D. in Political Science or closely-related field by start date.

Review of applications will begin on Sept. 15. To ensure full consideration, completed applications should include the following: Cover Letter, Curriculum vitae, Graduate level transcript [official or unofficial], Teaching Portfolio, which should include a 1) teaching statement that lays out the candidate’s teaching philosophy, interests, and experience; and describes how they cultivate a classroom culture where students encounter and critically evaluate diverse perspectives on important questions, and where open, civil dialogue is encouraged as part of the learning process, 2) Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., teaching evaluations or other artifacts), 3) an introductory syllabus for public policy making in democracies (PPA 102) or political theory (PPA 132), and 4) an upper division syllabus that demonstrates policy analysis expertise, Research Statement that lays out the candidate's scholarly interests and plans, A writing sample, Contact information for three letters of reference.

Denison University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected classes.