"Assistant Professor in Early Childhood"

Assistant Professor in Early Childhood

Job Class Code:

FLSA:

Posting Number: FRGV1950

Location: Brownsville, Texas

Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:

Tenure Status: Tenure Track

FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:

To begin in Fall 2026, the Department of Human Development and School Services is actively engaged in collaborating with both the university and Rio Grande Valley communities to move the university forward.

The Department of Human Development and School Services at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) College of Education and P-16 Integration seeks applicants for an Assistant Professor tenure-track position in the Early Care and Early Childhood Studies undergraduate and graduate programs. UTRGV is a distributed institution with campuses and offices throughout the Rio Grande Valley and may be assigned work, including face-to-face instruction, at multiple campuses.

We seek a colleague who shares our passionate commitment to highly effective teaching in early care and early childhood education, has relevant experience in the field, is dedicated to conducting research that will benefit the field and community, and is willing to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in traditional, blended, and/or online formats. Responsibilities and expectations will also include seeking external funding for research and training; recruiting, advising, mentoring, and supervising students; and providing service to the institution at the department, college, and university levels, to the community, and to the profession. UTRGV faculty are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to student success and to advancing the university, college, and program missions, as well as a commitment to UTRGV's guiding principles.

About the College of Education and P-16 Integration

The College of Education and P-16 Integration offers teacher preparation at the undergraduate level and, master's programs in Counseling, School Psychology, Special Education, Educational Technology, Educational Leadership, Early Childhood, Reading and Literacy, Bilingual Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and Teacher Leadership. Two Ed.D.s are also offered in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction with several specialization areas. The College of Education and P-16 Integration is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), by the Counsel for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

For more information about the College of Education and P-16 Integration, please see the following website: https://www.utrgv.edu/cep/

Department Background

The Department of Human Development and School Services houses programs in early care and early childhood studies (certification and non-certification programs) at the undergraduate level and at the master's level. With full-time faculty members in four program areas, we operate collegially as we explore and support each other in early childhood education, school psychology, educational assessment, and special education in the southern regions of the US. We provide our students with dynamic place-based and online instruction and value extensive field-based experiences.

The Early Childhood program houses two undergraduate degree pathways and one Master's program. Students can graduate with a Bachelors of Art in Early Care and Early Childhood Studies with teacher certification or without certification. Both undergraduate pathways focus on the development of children birth-8 years of age, developmentally appropriate practice, and child-centered teaching/learning approaches. The certification program prepares teachers for EC-3 classrooms, while the non-certification program prepares professionals for a variety of careers that focus on early childhood development, including private educational settings. The MEd program provides advanced studies in child development, with a focus on early language and literacy development, developmentally-appropriate practice, research, and advocacy for early childhood education. https://www.utrgv.edu/hdss/about/department-profile/index.htm

Minimum Qualifications:

• An earned doctorate in early childhood education or a closely related field from an accredited institution, or ABD with designated completion date by September 1, 2026.
• Knowledge of the accreditation standards of the National Association of the Education of Young Children.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering academic achievement in early childhood education.
• Commitment to working in an environment devoted to collaboration, collegiality, professional development, diversity, scholarly inquiry, student learning, civic responsibility, and respect for all people.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:

The successful candidate should be able to teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate early care and early childhood education courses including foundations of early childhood education, infant and toddler development, play and learning, early childhood methods courses in science and mathematics, language & literacy development, creative arts, child guidance, young diverse multilingual learners, developmentally appropriate practices, and supervision of practicum students.

Preferred Qualification:

• Three years teaching experience in early childhood classrooms.
• Valid EC-3 Texas certification or other equivalent state certification.
• Knowledge of the Texas Education Agency EC-3 standards and competencies.
• Knowledge of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience

License or Certification Required?: No

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: 09/01/2026

Open Date: 12/04/2025

Special Instructions to Applicants: Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application. Security sensitive: All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact Dr. Steve Chamberlain at steve.chamberlain@utrgv.edu.

Additional Information: UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.