"Assistant Professor, Renewable Contract, School of Library & Information Sciences"

Job Details

The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) seeks a student-focused faculty member for a nine-month, non-tenure-track, renewable contract as an assistant professor in Applied Informatics, particularly analytics and design to begin August 16, 2026.

Position Summary & Responsibilities:

This position provides an exciting opportunity for a passionate scholar and educator to teach in our growing Bachelor of Science in Informatics program and contribute to our online Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) curriculum. We are at a thrilling juncture with a new facility, growing student body and faculty at all ranks, and supportive administration dedicated to social aspects of information.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can maintain an agenda of research and scholarly publication relevant to their area of expertise and are passionate about developing and teaching courses that address the technical and applied dimensions of informatics and information science, with emphasis on one or more of the following areas:

• Data Analytics and Visualization
• Web and Mobile System Design and Development
• Ethical and Responsible Data Science
• Applied Machine Learning and AI

The candidate will contribute to the ongoing development and refinement of the Informatics curriculum, and may assist in the design of new undergraduate offerings, including potential tracks or majors in data science and applied computing. All candidates are expected to engage in service to the School, College of Communication and Information Sciences, the University, and relevant professional communities.

This teaching-focused position is based on a 3-year renewable contract cycle with opportunities for promotion. Successful applicants will display the ability to be an active and involved member of a highly collaborative faculty team. The standard teaching load for renewable contract faculty members is four courses per semester, with the option to teach during the summer for additional pay.

Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Dr. Laurie Bonnici at lbonnici@ua.edu.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Prior to hiring, the final candidate must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and submit “official” university transcript(s) of all graduate-level coursework.

About the School

The School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) offers an ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program, an Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in the book arts, an undergraduate major (BS) in informatics, undergraduate minor in informatics, undergraduate minor in book arts, educational specialist degree (in collaboration with the College of Education) in school library media, and doctoral courses that contribute to a multidisciplinary doctorate in Communication and Information Sciences.

Required Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Informatics, Data Science, HCI, Computer Science, Information Science or a closely related field (must be earned by the appointment start date).
• Evidence of successful instruction at the undergraduate, graduate, or professional development levels.
• Commitment to work with students, colleagues, and partners with a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and levels of experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of successful undergraduate course development in technology areas, including system design and development, especially Web/mobile system design and development
• Student mentorship experience.
• Three (3) years of professional and/or teaching experience.
• Experience in delivering courses through various modalities including online/face-to-face
• Involvement in relevant professional associations.

Application Instructions

Applicants must apply online at https://careers.ua.edu/jobs/search/college-of-communication-information-sciences and submit the following required materials.

1. Cover letter highlighting your overall match for the position
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Names and contact information for three references
4. Statement of Teaching Philosophy