Assistant Professor of Health & Exercise Science

Southern Oregon University; Ashland (OR); On-site; USD 68,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Oregon University invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Health & Exercise Science. teaching will cover basic nutrition, sport/performance nutrition, and general health courses, with responsibilities in advising, curriculum development, and research.

The department emphasizes collaboration, accreditation pursuits, and student mentorship across programs.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in the discipline taught; ABD candidates may apply but degree must be conferred before start date.
• At least one year of higher education teaching experience.
• Evidence of teaching excellence and scholarly activities.
• Qualified to teach basic lower division nutrition, upper division sport/performance nutrition, and health courses.

Responsibilities

• Teach courses across Health & Exercise Science, including nutrition and health topics.
• Advise students, contribute to curriculum development, and engage in research and service.
• Participate in professional affiliations and broader university activities.

Skills

Teaching experience

Communication skills

Curriculum development

Scholarly activity

Education

PhD in nutrition, exercise science, kinesiology, or related field

ABD considered, degree conferred before start date

Job description

Position Summary

Position Summary: Date application must be received for priority consideration by: November 6, 2026 Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled: Job Family Group: Faculty Division/Department: College of Natural & Social Sciences/Health & Exercise Science Compensation Range: $68,156 - $72,330 (Instructor YIR 1-4) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement Faculty Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Code anticipated: 31.05, Health and Physical Education/Fitness FLSA Status: Exempt Appointment Basis: 9 month Time Type: Full-time Benefits Eligible: Yes Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes Work Location Type: On Campus Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

Position Description

The College of Arts & Humanities at Southern Oregon University (SOU) is seeking applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Health & Exercise Science. The Department of Health & Exercise Science serves approximately 150 students and continues to grow. We offer degree pathways in Human Performance and Strength & Conditioning, Clinical Exercise Science, and Health Education and Promotion. Our Human Performance and Strength & Conditioning pathway is accredited by CASCE, and we plan to pursue CAAHEP-CoAES accreditation. Faculty within the department teach and mentor students across all three areas while also collaborating with colleagues and programs throughout the university.

Teaching responsibilities will include coursework across the Health & Exercise Science program, with primary responsibilities in basic nutrition, sport and performance nutrition, and general health and well-being. Additional teaching assignments will be based on the candidate’s background and areas of expertise and may include courses in exercise and disease, exercise physiology, advanced exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, biomechanics, and/or care and prevention of injuries. Other responsibilities include advising, mentorship, curriculum development, research, professional affiliations as appropriate, and other responsibilities as assigned. We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. The start date is September 2027 and the position will be open until filled with priority deadline of November 6, 2026. Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The surrounding area is known for cultural offerings such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland International Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival. The region is noted for its unparalleled biodiversity and the university lies in close proximity to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Rogue Valley is renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking.

Minimum Qualifications

• Initial appointment at the rank of assistant professor requires a Ph.D. in the discipline taught; another appropriate terminal degree may also be considered.
• While ABD candidates are encouraged to apply, the degree must be conferred prior to the start date.
• Qualified to teach basic lower division nutrition, upper division sport/performance nutrition, and health courses.
• Applicants should have at least one year of experience teaching in higher education.
• Applicants should provide documented evidence of teaching excellence and scholarly activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in nutrition, exercise science, kinesiology, or related field from an accredited institution.
• More than three years of teaching in higher education teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students.
• Credentialed as a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Certification(s) from the National Strength & Conditioning Association Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP) or Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP) and/or Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC).
• Previous experience or knowledge with CAAHEP-CoAES accreditation.
• Ability to teach a wide variety of courses within the exercise science and related fields.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching and supervising student research, including students from diverse backgrounds.

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive (100%). The primary responsibilities of all faculty members are: teaching, professional development, and service. Teaching encompasses normal instructional activities beyond the teaching of assigned courses such as academic advising, working with students outside of class, posting and maintaining appropriate office hours, course and curriculum planning, etc. Professional Development includes maintaining currency in the discipline taught. Service includes program and institutional administrative, committee, and student support and retention activities. In addition, professorial faculty members are expected to participate in scholarly and/or creative activities, including formal research (whether in scholarship of discovery, scholarship of synthesis, scholarship of application, or scholarship of teaching), and in service to the university and beyond the campus, such as in professional organizations or other professionally related public service.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and technical communication skills and with a high degree of personal integrity and standards
• Ability to facilitate an innovative, transformative curriculum and pedagogy to enable students to be prepared for the future
• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist
• Demonstrated ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, sometimes under pressure and a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems
• Ability to independently analyze software functionality and design and document efficient/effective work processes
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with community leaders, business leaders, and donors to advance the mission and vision of the institution.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy
• Ability to take initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail
• Proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, internet/online systems (e.g., calendaring and email), social media platforms, Learning Management Systems, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere internally and externally, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds

Physical Demand

Regular teaching activities, including standing/sitting, lecturing, and using a computer.

Special Conditions

Workload expectations are outlined in the Association for Professors, Southern Oregon University (APSOU) Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19. Teaching assignments may include First Year Experience, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses. Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development. Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis. Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check. Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position classification is defined as exempt and is not subject to overtime regulations. The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Compensation

Any formally approved and authorized salary change shall automatically amend this contract.

Equal Opportunity and Diversity

SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources. Diversity Statement: Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

Land Acknowledgement

We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (https://www.ctsi.nsn.us/) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees

Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention. An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520. For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email [e-mail].