"Assistant Professor Of Education"

POSITION SUMMARY:

Date application must be received for priority consideration by: November 1, 2025
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 16, 2026
Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
Job Family Group: Faculty
Division/Department: School of Education/Education Department
Compensation Range: $68,156 - $72,330 (Assistant Prof YIR 1-4) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement
Faculty Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Code anticipated: 13.01, Education, General
FLSA Status: Exempt
Appointment Basis: 9 month
Time Type: Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable
This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
Work Location Type: On Campus
Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

• Finalist Candidates for faculty positions shall provide copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the search committee at the time they are notified that they are a finalist.
• Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; (3) teaching philosophy; (4) names and contact information for three professional references. - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• To view SOU's very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://hrs.sou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_010125.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://hrs.sou.edu/working-at-sou/search-jobs/total-compensation-calculator/, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The School of Education at Southern Oregon University (SOU) is seeking candidates for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track, Assistant Professor in Education.

We are seeking a creative and curious colleague who will model exemplary teaching and engagement with our local and regional educational partners. Applicants should have the ability to teach in the areas of education and educator preparation, with particular need for expertise in the areas of early literacy and early childhood special education/early intervention. This faculty member will be a key contributor in our continuing efforts to ensure all educators are prepared to understand and meet the needs of our increasingly diverse student populations and to ensure all children have access to appropriate literacy education.

Teaching responsibilities include graduate and undergraduate courses and may include online courses or courses with hybrid delivery. Other responsibilities include supervising student teachers in field settings, advising,

curriculum development, research, program coordination, university and department service, professional affiliations as appropriate, and other responsibilities as assigned.

The School of Education is actively engaging in addressing and serving the needs of the growing diversity of its student body and the teaching workforce. We welcome applicants from a diversity of backgrounds.

We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. The start date is September 2026 and the position will be open until filled with priority deadline November, 1, 2025.

Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 2,500 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The surrounding area is known for cultural offerings such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland International Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival. The region is noted for its unparalleled biodiversity and natural beauty. The university lies in close proximity to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, mountain lakes, the Rogue River and the Pacific Crest Trail. The Rogue Valley is renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking and rafting.

Minimum Qualifications

• Initial appointment at the rank of assistant professor requires a terminal degree in Education (or closely related discipline), or ABD, from an accredited institution.
• Applicants should have at least one year of experience teaching in higher education
• Applicants should provide documented evidence of teaching excellence and scholarly activities.
• Applicants should have a minimum of three years teaching experience in early childhood or elementary public school settings.
• Applicants should have evidence of the ability to teach in a variety of courses appropriate to education as a discipline as well as to educator preparation, licensure programs

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Education, Curriculum and Instruction or related terminal degree from an accredited institution.
• More than one year of teaching in higher education teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students.
• Experience teaching in a variety of course delivery modalities
• Experience teaching Special Education in a public-school setting
• Demonstrated knowledge of early childhood development and education
• Familiarity with applicable state standards and curricular mandates
• Experience with teacher performance assessment instruments.
• Experience with program coordination administration.
• Experience working with in-service teachers for staff development and/or advanced licensure.
• Grant writing experience.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching and supervising graduate students, first-generation college students, and diverse student populations.

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive

(100%) The primary responsibilities of all faculty members are: teaching, professional development, and service.

• Teaching encompasses normal instructional activities beyond the teaching of assigned courses such as academic advising, working with students outside of class, posting and maintaining appropriate office hours, course and curriculum planning, etc.
• Professional Development includes maintaining currency in the discipline taught.
• Service includes program and institutional administrative, committee, and student support and retention activities
• In addition, professorial faculty members are expected to participate in scholarly and/or creative activities, including formal research (whether in scholarship of discovery, scholarship of synthesis, scholarship of application, or scholarship of teaching), and in service to the university and beyond the campus, such as in professional organizations or other professionally related public service

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and technical communication skills and with a high degree of personal integrity and standards
• Ability to facilitate an innovative, transformative curriculum and pedagogy to enable students to be prepared for the future
• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist
• Demonstrated ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, sometimes under pressure and a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems
• Ability to independently analyze software functionality and design and document efficient/effective work processes
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with community leaders, business leaders, and donors to advance the mission and vision of the institution.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
• Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy
• Ability to take initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail
• Proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, internet/online systems (e.g., calendaring and email), social media platforms, Learning Management Systems, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere internally and externally, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds

Physical Demand

• Regular teaching activities, including standing/sitting, lecturing, and using a computer.

Special Conditions

• Workload expectations are outlined in the Association for Professors, Southern Oregon University (APSOU) Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19.
• Teaching assignments may include First Year Experience, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
• Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position classification is defined as exempt and is not subject to overtime regulations.
• The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
• Compensation: Any formally approved and authorized salary change shall automatically amend this contract.