"Ethnic Studies Instructor"

Description

This position is to teach Spring 2026 courses.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE
Palo Verde College is a publicly supported 2-year college located in the beautiful Southeastern California desert. Yearly enrollment is approximately 7,000 students (full and part-time).

Palo Verde Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing an educational environment which affirms and supports diversity in its faculty, staff, and administration, and promoting an environment of inclusion. At Palo Verde College, we value every team member's contribution in achieving the mission of providing excellent educational programs and services that contribute to the success of our students and the vitality of the community we serve. We are looking for individuals who enjoy working collaboratively in an environment of diversity, culture, thinking, and learning.

Palo Verde College is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and proudly offers many programs to serve and support our diverse student body. College faculty are expected to be willing to utilize different learning and teaching methods appropriate to the students they serve. Palo Verde College expands access to higher education and learning opportunities by providing education via in person, online, correspondence education, hybrid classes, and interactive television (ITV) modalities. Further information on the College's distance education programs can be found in the College Catalog. In addition, Palo Verde College is committed to serving students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system through education. Resources for teaching classes for incarcerated or formerly incarcerated students are available through the Rising Scholar Network.

LOCATION
Palo Verde College is located in the City of Blythe at one of the busiest entrance points to California. The college is located in a desert oasis adjacent to the beautiful Colorado River and the Palo Verde Valley. Blythe, and the fertile Palo Verde Valley, is primarily a farming and ranching area. Boating, fishing and hunting attract many tourists. The Palo Verde Valley is centrally located between Phoenix and Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Mexican border. The valley's great climate, with more than 350 days of sunshine and mild winters, attracts thousands of winter visitors every year.

NATURE OF THE POSITION
The instructor will teach classes within the approved discipline(s). In addition, the instructor shall be responsible for creating, maintaining and updating curricula relevant to the assigned instructional area. Further, the instructor will participate in all appropriate faculty functions, including non-teaching assignments, office hours, and committee meetings. This position may require day, evening, weekend, correspondence and on-line assignments.

Examples of Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provides instruction in all areas of the assigned discipline(s)
2. Develops college curricula and associated course materials.
3. Prepares, evaluates, and revises course outlines and syllabi.
4. Participates producing, assessing, and evaluating student learning outcomes.
5. Participates in student recruitment activities.
6. Maintains organized sets of course and student records.
7. Serves on appropriate college and faculty committees.
8. Maintains campus office and duty hours, submits grades and reports on or before deadlines, attends faculty meetings, and participates in student activities.
9. Performs other duties associated with full-time employment.

Educational/Experience Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. The instructor shall meet the minimum qualifications required for the discipline, consisting of: a Master's in African American Studies, Black Studies, Africana Studies, Latino Studies, La Raza Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Asian American Studies, Native American Studies, or American Indian Studies; OR Master's in Ethnic Studies OR the equivalent.
2. Sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

PLEASE NOTE: Generally, a Master's degree is a minimum requirement for academic areas of instruction. Applicants who feel they meet the equivalent to the above-stated minimum qualifications must complete the Supplemental Questionnaire for Equivalency in order to be considered. The Supplemental Questionnaire application must be submitted in conjunction with the applicant's application. When completing the application, be sure to explain in detail how your qualifications are equivalent to the required minimum qualifications. All course work must be from an accredited college or university.

To obtain the Supplemental Questionnaire application please contact: Linda Martinez, Human Resources Technician II, linda.martinez@paloverde.edu.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Teaching experience, preferably at the community college level.
2. A firm commitment to the needs of students with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and levels of ability with multi-cultural teaching experience.
3. Additional academic preparation enabling instructor to teach in an additional discipline.
4. Ability to communicate curriculum meaningfully for students with diverse backgrounds.
5. Knowledge and understanding of the racial, socioeconomic, and academic diversity within community college populations, and how these factors relate to the need for equity-minded and culturally responsive practices in the community college setting.
6. Use of Ethnic Studies methods of inquiry, including but not limited to intersectionality, decolonizing methodology, anti-imperialist and abolitionist studies, and community-oriented activist action research.
7. Knowledge and application of the major epistemological considerations informing the discipline of Ethnic Studies, including relevant history and contexts of the field, contributing theories, and pedagogical approaches.
8. Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with colleagues across disciplines to design, revise, and implement new and existing curriculum and to advance the development of Ethnic Studies at the college.
9. Skilled in inclusive teaching practices, shared governance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and commitment to student empowerment, community engagement, equity, anti-racism, and social justice.
10. Ability to communicate effectively with students orally and in writing.
11. Ability to translate curriculum into meaningful learning activities and assessments for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
12. Commitment to educating a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population with course offerings intended for those who desire a deeper understanding of Ethnic Studies and its four discipline areas of study: African American/Black Studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Latina/o/x and Chicana/o/x American Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies.

Supplemental Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

1. The physical demands and work environment are typical of an instructional job in a classroom and office environment.
2. This assignment may include teaching classes for incarcerated students inside California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitations (CDCR Facilities).
3. The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, as listed above, with or without a reasonable accommodation.

CLASSIFICATION & SALARY

1. Full-time, tenure track academic position (177-day academic year).
2. Placement on the academic salary schedule will be determined by education and experience. The maximum initial placement shall not exceed Step 8.
3. The college offers an attractive package of fringe benefits including medical, prescription, dental, vision and life insurance.