"Assistant Professor of Practice, Spanish & Portuguese (CT)"

Position Highlights

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese in the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona seeks to fill a full-time in-person career-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor of Practice in Spanish. This position is set to start at the beginning of the fall semester in August 2026. This career-track appointment is not eligible for tenure. The successful candidate will lead the Spanish language program in different modalities, engage in data-driven strategic planning, and collaborate across programs to enhance teaching effectiveness and support student success. Candidates should provide evidence of teaching excellence, experience with curriculum development, program administration, and ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds. A Ph.D. in Spanish, Second Language Acquisition, or a related field is required at the time of appointment. Review of candidates will begin on November 1, 2025.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities to bring the humanities to the forefront of the University of Arizona's life and mission through a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

Duties & Responsibilities

The successful candidate will assume a pivotal role in promoting and enhancing Spanish language instruction, leading the lower-division Spanish language program. Key responsibilities will include supervising and training graduate student assistants and instructors; supervising course coordinators; collaborating with fellow program directors; and continuing to develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive language curriculum that aligns with innovative pedagogical practices. Active participation in recruitment, retention efforts, and community engagement is of utmost importance at the University of Arizona, in the College of Humanities and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The successful candidate will be expected to work on the Main Campus in Tucson, AZ.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Arizona is a dynamic academic community dedicated to innovative teaching and research that is rooted in the rich cultural landscape of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. We pride ourselves on intellectual rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and mentorship for students at all levels of our curriculum. Our academic programs include BA, MA, and PhD degrees in Hispanic Linguistics and in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Cultures. We also boast nationally recognized initiatives to enhance language learning and career readiness. Faculty have the opportunity to lead intensive language programs abroad in Latin America and Spain. Our department serves as a vital pillar of the College of Humanities' commitment to addressing the significant challenges of a rapidly changing world, while fostering engagement and collaboration among local and international communities and promoting effective communication and work ethics among individuals from a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

• Direct all aspects of the Lower Division Spanish Language Program, including curriculum alignment, scheduling, and program evaluation.
• Teach a maximum of 3 undergraduate courses per semester in Spanish. Train and supervise graduate teaching assistants and instructors in the Spanish Language Program, including leading orientation and regular meetings.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve program operations and effectiveness using robust data analysis.
• Collaborate with faculty, leadership, and staff to develop evidence-based pedagogical innovations and operational pathways.
• Periodically review the curriculum and maintain cohesion through alignment and assessment of course sequences, outcomes, and objectives.
• Participate in initiatives of recruitment and retention of Spanish minors and majors.
• Organize and participate in the Department's community outreach initiatives.
• Contribute to University initiatives that foster excellence by mentoring students from all perspectives and experiences, supporting career readiness to prepare graduates for impactful careers and lives of engaged global citizenship.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Evidence of strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Proven ability to mentor and supervise instructors and teaching assistants.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Spanish, Second Language Acquisition, or a related field in hand at time of appointment.
• Superior proficiency in Spanish and English.
• Demonstrated excellence and experience in teaching Spanish at the college level.
• A minimum of three years of experience in coordination and curriculum development in a Spanish language program.
• Demonstrated effectiveness and experience in recruiting and retaining undergraduate students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying best practices in language program direction.
• Proven excellence and experience in curricular innovation and use of technology-enhanced teaching.
• Experience analyzing programmatic data and making strategic recommendations for program development.
• Experience fostering community engagement and building partnerships beyond the university.
• Experience coordinating multi-modality instruction (in-person, hybrid, online).
• Experience supporting learners from a wide range of perspectives and experiences of a public land grant institution.

Rank

Assistant Professor of Practice

Tenure Information

Career-Track (CT)

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Academic

Job Category

Faculty

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

DOE

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required

Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies

1

Contact Information for Candidates

For any Technical/Administrative questions, please contact: Mary Portillo, Senior Business Manager at mary-portillo@email.arizona.edu. For any Academic/Position Details questions, please contact: Professor Dulce Estevez, Search Committee Chair at dulcee@email.arizona.edu.

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Four Additional Documents

Special Instructions to Applicant

Applicants should upload all materials through the University of Arizona Talent System: Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, One-page statement of language program leadership and teaching philosophy written in Spanish, One-page statement on the values and strategies to support recruitment and retention, One sample intermediate Spanish language course syllabus, Two recent teaching evaluations.