"Instructor - Criminal Justice - Non Tenure Track"

Description

The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Central Missouri invites applications to join our faculty, starting in August 2026. Applicants holding a master's degree in a criminal justice and/or criminology or related field. Candidates with demonstrated skills and experience in teaching crime analysis, juvenile justice, and/or law are highly desired.

The Criminal Justice and Criminology Program is housed in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. The program currently has 12 full-time faculty positions with approximately 335 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate students.

The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public regional comprehensive institution with one of the oldest and most respected Criminal Justice programs in the nation. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, the campus is conveniently about 40 minutes from the suburban Kansas City area. Warrensburg is home to approximately 20,000 residents. The successful candidate will teach criminal justice and criminology courses, work with student organizations, develop curriculum, foster disciplinary contacts, recruit students, and assess course results, among other responsibilities. Faculty within the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at the University of Central Missouri support the university's mission of providing student-centered, high-quality education and are committed to student success. This includes high-quality teaching, career advising, collegiality, and communication. Additionally, faculty members provide service to their program, department, and university, and engage in professional development activities. During contractual employment, faculty members are expected to be available to assist, engage with, and respond to the needs of students, colleagues, the department, college, and institution.

Examples of Duties

Teaching

The primary responsibility of the faculty is to deliver high-quality instruction in their respective content areas, regardless of the format of delivery. This entails adequate preparation for courses, effective course design and instruction, and fair and timely evaluation/feedback of student progress. To ensure quality teaching, faculty must be committed to students' success and to the ongoing assessment of the curriculum and student learning.

• Keep current in your discipline.
• Organize courses to facilitate quality student engagement and high-impact practices.
• Assist department/school chairs with scheduling of classes that meet the needs of students.
• Comply with departmental, college, and university standards concerning the academic quality and integrity of their classes.
• Keep current in their use of technology by attending university training sessions and other professional development opportunities.
• Be available to meet students outside the classroom by scheduling office hours in both physical and electronic formats, including in-person and virtual office hours, before or after classes.
• Assist with department and college assessments and be proactive in making curriculum modifications based on assessment feedback.

Professional Development

The strength of a university rests on the knowledge and skills of its faculty. Faculty must stay current in their field of expertise/teaching area, which may include:

• Presentation of work at local/state/regional/national conferences.
• Active membership and/or office holding in professional organizations at the local/state/regional/national level.

Service

A faculty member's expectation is to serve the department, college, and university community. Examples include:

• Attending department/college/university meetings
• Engaging in committee work that will advance the department/college/institution.
• Assisting with student recruitment.
• Participating in graduation and convocation ceremonies.

Communication

Faculty should communicate effectively and in a timely manner with students and colleagues at all levels of the institution. This implies an understanding of the communication hierarchy within departments, colleges, and administrative levels.

• Cultivate a collegial atmosphere when interacting with other faculty/staff within their own department, the college, and the university.
• Be responsive and timely. Respond to student phone calls and email messages within university guidelines.

Typical Qualifications

Education:

• A minimum of a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and/or Criminology or a closely related field is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of three years of professional experience is required.
• Effective communication in both spoken and written English is required.
• Resume/Vita should support the candidate's ability to teach courses in crime analysis, juvenile justice, and/or law, and other related courses required.
• Prior teaching experience at the college or university level, advising students, and working with student groups preferred.
• Experience teaching online preferred.

Supplemental Information

Reviews of applications will begin March 2, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We accept applications from qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, or abilities. Minorities, women, disabled, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Interested applicants should submit 1) a letter of application; 2) a resume/vita; 3) names and contact information, including e-mail of three (3) professional references on the faculty profile; and 4) unofficial copies of transcripts showing completed degrees. Official transcripts and three letters of reference will be requested prior to finalizing the appointment.

The University of Central Missouri requires that all faculty applicants complete the on-line faculty profile at schooljobs.com/careers/ucmo.

Search Committee Chair contact information:

Dr. Betsy W. Kreisel
University of Central Missouri Criminal Justice & Criminology
Dockery 102C Warrensburg, MO 64093
Email address: kreisel@ucmo.edu
Telephone: (660) 543-8601 Fax: (660) 543-8306

Special Instructions:

Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.