"Assistant Professor of Psychology - Tenure-Track"

Summary

The Psychology Department at Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position with a specialty area in clinical, counseling, health, school, or community psychology, clinical social work or related field, beginning July 1, 2026. Applicants should possess or be close to completing a doctorate degree. For a more experienced candidate, a shortened tenure clock may be possible. Licensure in Pennsylvania is not required at the time of hire, but the successful candidate will be expected to become licensed in PA by the end of their second academic year for those with professional degrees.

The Psychology Department participates in a wide range of interdisciplinary programs including Neuroscience, Human Resource Management, Gender and Women's Studies, Forensic Science, Conflict and Resolution Studies, and Child Development and Education. Our teaching generally takes an interdisciplinary approach to the mind, brain, or human experience, with an emphasis on empirical methods. The successful candidates will be expected to teach introductory psychology, psychopathology, psychological assessment, a seminar in psychotherapy and counseling, potentially health or community psychology, and other upper levels courses in their area of specialty. In addition, the successful candidate will have opportunities to develop courses around interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary interests and to contribute to the First Year Seminar program and other interdisciplinary programs at the college.

Over time, the successful candidate will actively engage in academic advising, service, and departmental citizenship as we work together to advance the college's mission. However, we value the time, effort, and energy it will take to adjust to campus and the tenure-track role. We protect our first-year faculty's time by requiring no advising duties nor committee work during your first year here. In addition, we have been successful at having only a single new course preparation a semester for first year faculty. We also share our course syllabi, activities, and materials as you develop your courses. Teaching, like other skills, can always be improved, which is why we include peer observations as part of our mentoring process for new faculty members. In addition to offering constructive feedback to the faculty member being observed, the observer inevitably discovers at least one new idea to try in their own classes. We grow in our teaching through collaboration and idea-sharing, and we will ensure that you are well supported to succeed in teaching our increasingly diverse undergraduate student population.

Our community matters here. That is why all first-year faculty are paired with a faculty mentor external to the department, so that you can meet more of our wonderful colleagues and expand your community from day one. We value the interdisciplinary aspect that comes with a liberal arts education; learning the perspectives and experiences from your colleagues in other departments can only serve to make you a better professor.

We have some start-up grant availability and lab space to continue your research, scholarly activity, and professional development. Opportunities to include undergraduate students in your research is rewarded through guided research courses (PSY-315). Whether your work is theoretical, basic, or applied science, critical or mainstream, whether you publish in academic journals or software packages, we value the diversity of scholarship within our faculty, and will work to reward all of your labor.

There are a multitude of ways to excel as a professor here at W&J, and the process of research is just as important as the product of said research. If part of your professional development plans include licensure and you are not yet licensed, we are prepared to work with you on that process by helping to identify opportunities for supervised internships in the local community. If you are licensed and your professional development plans include maintaining a small professional practice, we have connections in the community that may facilitate this process.

At Washington & Jefferson College, we are constantly working to ensure that all forms of diversity and inclusion are valued and acknowledged on our campus. Our Strategic Plan 2030 includes a priority to "promote resilience, well-being, and an inclusive community, preparing students to become innovative, adaptable leaders," and we welcome applications from candidates who would help us fulfill this goal.

We are seeking a colleague who brings their own perspective to our collective efforts to teach and mentor young people from a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Pursuant to the College's vision for cultivating an inclusive community, the search committee asks all applicants to address in their teaching statement how their past and/or potential contributions might serve to build W&J's commitment to teaching and mentoring our growing diverse population; and how their experience and interests blends with interdisciplinary areas of study.

Application Instructions

Candidates should submit a cover letter addressing how their experiences/qualifications meet the job description, CV, a teaching statement and evidence of teaching excellence such as peer and student evaluations, and a sample syllabus to https://washjeff.applicantpro.com/jobs/. Applicants should be prepared to provide three confidential letters of recommendation on request. It is recommended that all documents be in PDF format and uploaded at one time. To upload more than one document on the application, please choose file then upload files until all documents are showing in the submitted documents area. Any questions about uploading documents may be directed to hr@washjeff.edu. Questions regarding the position should be addressed to Professor Elizabeth Bennett at ebennett@washjeff.edu. Review of application materials will begin December 12th, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.