"Assistant Professor in Practice in Early Childhood"

Assistant Professor in Practice in Early Childhood

Job Class Code:
FLSA:
Posting Number: FRGV1949
Location: Edinburg, Texas
Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position: 3 years
Tenure Status: Non Tenure Track
FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:
The Department of Human Development & School Services at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) College of Education and P-16 Integration seeks applicants for an Assistant Professor in Practice non-tenure track position in the Early Care and Early Childhood Education Programs 2025-2026. The Department of Human Development & School Services is actively engaged in collaborating with both the university and Rio Grande Valley communities to move the university forward. 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 commitment to early care and early childhood education, has diverse experience in early childhood education, is qualified to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in traditional, blended, and/or online formats, and supervise university students in early childhood settings. Responsibilities will also include recruiting, advising, and mentoring students; serving on department, college, and university committees; and engagement in grant writing activities. 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 early childhood 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 BA 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, child development or a closely related field from an accredited institution, or ABD with designated completion date by September 1, 2026.
• Knowledge of the Head Start Standards.
• Strong understanding of multiple early childhood systems such as Head Start, public or private early childhood education centers, as well as public preschools, and public primary education programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering academic achievement.
• 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:

• Experience teaching at the Early Childhood and Early Elementary levels.
• Valid early childhood certification or other equivalent state certification.
• Knowledge of the accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
• Knowledge of the Texas Pre-K Guidelines and Skills (TEKS).

Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
License or Certification Required?: No
Number of Vacancies: 1
Desired Start Date: 09/01/2026

EEO Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

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.