Pacific Lutheran University
Posting Number: 0602935
Recruitment Type: Open to All Applicants
Position Type: Faculty
Benefits Status: Benefits Eligible
FLSA: Exempt
Hiring Range: $50,000-$55,000 per year + benefits package
Location
Tacoma, WA 98447
Department: Political Science Department
Closing Date
Review of application materials will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Work Schedule: Full-time, contingent Visiting Assistant Professor position available September 1, 2025. The academic year is from September to May. Classes begin on September 2, 2025. New Faculty Orientation will take place on August 20 and 21, 2025. This is a one year appointment with the possibility of renewal beginning in 2026, depending upon performance and enrollment.
General Description
The Department of Political Science at PLU invites applications for a one year visiting assistant professor of American politics. The Department of Political Science (https://www.plu.edu/academic-programs/program/political-science/) offers Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minors in political science and pre-law. Faculty in the department are collaborative and routinely use active learning throughout the curriculum. Diversity is a core value and foundational concept in the Department of Political Science at PLU, and we are committed to building and supporting an inclusive and diverse faculty, staff, and student community.
We seek a candidate with broad training in American politics, with areas of specializations open. The successful candidate will be an excellent and committed teacher responsible for teaching both lower- and upper- division courses in American Government that complement the department’s course offerings. Candidates must have a strong interest in working with undergraduate students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Specific courses will be assigned based on expertise, course availability, and departmental need. There is a six-course teaching responsibility for the academic year. In addition, all department faculty are expected to contribute to the First- Year Experience Program as needed. Teaching during our January term is also expected.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
- Teach a full six course (24 credit) load annually.
- Contribute to academic advising.
- Provide service to the department as needed.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of effective and inclusive teaching techniques and strategies, such as providing students with up-to-date, relevant, and level-appropriate content and using interactive, student-focused pedagogical approaches.
- Strong disciplinary knowledge base in American Government.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Willingness to collaborate and engage with other department and university faculty.
- Commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching, liberal arts education, and the ability to work with a diverse student body.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Political Science. ABD will be considered, but the degree must be completed by September 1, 2025.
- Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States on hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship.
Preferred Qualifications
- Teaching experience and/or pedagogical training at the undergraduate level.
Special Instructions to Applicants
To apply, please submit your application and upload the following materials:
1. Letter of interest;
2. Curriculum vitae;
3. List of three references;
4. Statement of teaching philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods that you use to help students achieve them, and how you assess student learning. This statement should also explicitly address how you create an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity.
Additional materials may be requested. For questions or more information, please contact Professor Maria Chavez (chavezml@plu.edu), Chair of Political Science.
Other Information
Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.
Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2023-24 academic year, 41.0% percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 50.0% percent self-identify as students of color; and 36.0% percent are Pell Grant-eligible.
Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,700 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.
PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty-shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu. Click here for detailed benefits information.
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