Assistant Professor, Native American/American Indian Studies

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; San Marcos (CA); On-site; USD 77,011 - 122,363; Full time

Job summary

Palomar College in San Marcos, CA seeks an Assistant Professor in Native American/American Indian Studies to teach a variety of courses across in-person, online, synchronous, and hybrid modalities, applying Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies.

The department serves nine of San Diego County’s tribes and is committed to expanding offerings and collaborations with campuses and tribal communities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies required.
• Master’s in Ethnic Studies and a BA in Native American/American Indian Studies also acceptable.
• Equivalency pathway if you do not meet the exact minimum qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Teach a variety of Native American/American Indian Studies courses in person, online, synchronous, and hybrid formats using Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies.
• Contribute to program growth, curricular offerings, and collaborations with campuses and tribal communities.

Education

Master’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies

Master’s degree in Ethnic Studies AND a Bachelor’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies

Combination of education and experience equivalent to above qualifications

Job description

Assistant Professor, Native American/American Indian Studies

Department: American Indian Studies Department

Palomar College

Date Opened: 07/13/2026
Close Date: 09/07/2026

Primary Function

The Assistant Professor, Native American/ American Indian Studies is primarily responsible for teaching a variety of courses in the discipline of Native American/American Indian Studies in person, online, synchronous, and hybrid modalities, utilizing Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies.

Palomar Community College serves nine of San Diego County’s 18 federally recognized tribes. Located on the lands of the Luiseño, Kumeyaay, Cupeño, and Cahuilla peoples, our program acknowledges and supports the sovereignty and rights of Indigenous Nations over their ancestral and traditional lands. The American Indian Studies Department is committed to growing its academic scope, curricular offerings and collaborations with its multiple campuses and departments, diverse local regions, and tribal communities.

The American Indian Studies Department welcomes applications from American Indian Studies/Native American, Indigenous Studies, Ethnic Studies, and related fields, with expertise in a wide variety of research, including tribal governance; sovereignty and federal Indian law; decolonization and Indigenization; environmental justice and sustainability; language and culture reclamation and revitalization; Native knowledge and epistemologies; art and cultural expression; and political movements.

Salary

Starting salary range: $77,011.42 - $122,363.70 annually.

Academic training and teaching experience will form the basis for salary computation as determined by placement on the regular salary schedule of the College. A maximum of step 8 at the appropriate salary grade will be awarded to new faculty.

For a salary estimate, visit www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/classifications/ and use the links in the Full-time Faculty section.

Benefits

• Insurance fully paid for employees and their eligible dependents: four medical plans, dental HMO, and the vision plan (additional plans are available that require employee buy up/monthly contribution)
• $80,000 employee term life/accident insurance policy (additional buy up options available)
• Employee long-term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – Free counseling, financial, legal, personal and professional development resources
• Additional buy up options available for other voluntary insurance benefits
• Enrollment in CalSTRS (California State Teachers Retirement System)

The estimated maximum value of this employer-paid benefits package is approximately $31,245.84 annually.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A Master’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies.
2. A Master’s degree in Ethnic Studies AND a Bachelor’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies.
3. A combination of education and experience that is at least the equivalent of the qualifications in either 1) or 2) above. You must complete and attach the Application for Equivalency form www.palomar.edu/hr/equivalency-app/, if you do not possess the specific minimum qualifications as stated above, which includes degrees that have not been awarded at the time of submitting the application.

Only coursework completed at, and degrees awarded by, accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered as satisfying the minimum qualifications. Coursework and degrees that are completed outside of the United States are required to have transcripts evaluated (evaluation to U.S. equivalency and a course by course analysis) by an appropriate U.S. credentials evaluation service. For a list of credential evaluation agencies accepted by Palomar College, visit the National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES) website at www.naces.org, or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) website at www.aice-eval.org.

Diversity Statement

Palomar College serves over 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds and we are proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our student body is rich in its diversity. Click here to see a quick overview of our student demographics on our recent Student Fact Sheet.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Palomar College is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).