Assistant Professor of American Studies

California State University, Long Beach; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University, Long Beach seeks an Assistant Professor of American Studies to teach and develop courses, focusing on abolition, place, and community issues in Long Beach and Southern California.

The candidate will pursue an active research agenda, contribute to curriculum growth, and engage with regional scholarly networks.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in American Studies or related field by Aug 1, 2027.
• Evidence of undergraduate teaching ability.
• Demonstrated potential for research, scholarly, and creative activity.
• Commitment to working with diverse student populations.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in American Studies (core/electives).
• Develop curriculum on comparative frameworks of place, space, and abolition for Long Beach/Southern California communities.
• Maintain a research agenda leading to publication and program growth.
• Participate in regional/national American Studies organizations.
• Engage in service to department, college, university, and community.
• Support equity and inclusivity in teaching and research.

Skills

Teaching ability

Research potential

Diversity commitment

Interdisciplinary approaches

Education

Ph.D. in American Studies or related field

Job description

Assistant Professor of American Studies

Job No: 563443

Work Type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track

Location: Southern California: Long Beach

Categories: Bargaining Unit: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Job Search Category/Discipline: Faculty - Letters/Humanities, Appointment Type: Tenured/Tenure-Track, Time Basis: Full Time

Position: Assistant Professor of American Studies

Effective Date: August 17, 2027 (Fall Semester)

The Assistant Professor (2027-2028) classification salary is $74,652 to $158,688/per year; $6,221 to $13,224/per month (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $86,000 to $90,000/per year; $7,167 to $7,500/per month (12 monthly payments per academic year). The salary offered is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Application Deadline: Review of applications to begin December 14, 2026. Position opened until filled (or recruitment canceled)

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). CSULB earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2023, joining a distinctive group of colleges and universities who have been recognized for its commitment to Latine/x student success. CSULB is committed to serving diverse students and has established and actively supports the Black Excellence Collegium, dedicated to promoting Black excellence and advancing Black Student Success, and El Concilio for Latinx Success at the Beach, whose mission is to build capacity and promote inclusive servingness across initiatives and efforts for the benefit of all students. The President's Equity and Change Commission is dedicated to achieving inclusive excellence in our community and culture and throughout the university. CSULB's Beach 2030 University Action Plans prioritize engaging all students; expanding access to higher education; promoting intellectual achievement; building community; and cultivating resilience.

College of Liberal Arts

Department of American Studies

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in American Studies or related field at time of application or official notification of completion of the doctoral degree by August 1, 2027.
• Evidence of, or clear potential for, effective teaching at the undergraduate level.
• Demonstrated potential for successful research, scholarly, and creative activities.
• Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population, including those of low-socioeconomic status and first-generation students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise and experience in research and teaching in American Studies, including knowledge of its interdisciplinary American Studies aims, including its relationship to social movements inside and outside the academy.
• Experience successfully working with populations demographically and/or socioeconomically similar to the CSULB student body to promote the success of our diverse student populations, including recruiting, retaining, and empowering Black students and students of color.
• Experience mentoring or supporting students using inclusive and culturally relevant teaching strategies in a diverse classroom.
• Ongoing or potential research projects that can foster student involvement. Demonstrated potential for successful course and program development including grant writing.
• Demonstrated ability to support the growth of the American Studies program and to form cross-disciplinary and community partnerships.
• Specific areas of interest for this search include interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches to abolition studies and social and racial justice, broadly conceived, through lenses including but not limited to, land, housing, environment, policing, carcerality, borders, and placemaking; race and gender in relation to critiques of capitalism; and community-engaged scholarship and action-oriented research.

Duties

• Teach undergraduate courses, including current core and elective courses as well as other American Studies courses in a specialty area. (Mode of instruction may include in-person, hybrid, online, and/or combinations thereof).
• Assist American Studies and the College of Liberal Arts in developing curriculum on comparative frameworks of place, space, and abolition with a focus on the communities of Long Beach and Southern California that have amplified these issues in the context of their historical antecedents, as well as such communities that have demonstrated new pathways for advocacy and justice.
• Maintain a research agenda leading to publication that supports the curriculum and research agenda. Collaborate with program faculty to continue the growth of CSULB's American Studies Program and its curriculum.
• Participate in regional and national American Studies organizations.
• Participate in service to the department, college, university, and community.
• This position is part of a cluster hire that attends to the need for CSULB faculty whose teaching and research addresses issues of equity and inclusivity, especially issues of concern to Black communities.
• CSULB seeks to recruit faculty who enthusiastically support the University's strong commitment to the academic success of all of our students, including students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. CSULB seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the People of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students a rich variety of expertise, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Information on Excellent Benefits

Information on excellent benefits package available to CSULB faculty is located here: CSU Employee Benefits

Employment Requirements

A background check (including a criminal records check and telephone reference check with most recent employer) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant's current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.

Pursuant to the CSU Out of State Employment Policy, hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California is prohibited effective January 1, 2022. By prohibiting employment outside of California, the CSU also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently from a business location outside of the United States. Exceptions to the Policy are limited to approved and documented purposes for conducting CSU business outside of California.

All employees who assign and/or oversee work are responsible for ensuring that compliant work controls and procedures consistent with Federal, State and local regulations and University policies are implemented and maintained to provide for the protection of individuals and to safeguard the environment. Everyone is expected to comply with applicable Environmental Health and Safety regulations and University policies, programs and procedures.

All university program and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Consistent with CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy, as well as state and federal law, CSULB provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. To access CSULB's full statement on Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment, please visit Equity and Compliance.

Contact Information

Requests for information about the process and the position should be addressed to: Dr. Brett Mizelle, Director, California State University, Long Beach, American Studies Program, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840-1601, 562-985-4424 or [e-mail]

Application Requirements

• Letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications
• A statement about your knowledge and practice of interdisciplinary American Studies approaches and methods in your research and teaching (approximately one page, single-spaced)
• A Student Success Statement about your teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population (maximum two pages, single-spaced). For further information and guidelines, please visit: Student Success Statement
• CV
• Names and contact information for three references (to be contacted for confidential letters of recommendation should you reach the semi-finalist)
• Evidence of teaching excellence, as shown by course syllabi, assignments, and assessments
• Writing sample, preferably a maximum of 25 pages
• Finalists should be prepared to submit an official transcript (e-transcript preferred, if available)