Assistant Professor - School of Information - Youth Information Ecosystems, Critical Technology

San Jose State University; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

San José State University’s School of Information seeks an Assistant Professor of Youth Information Ecosystems, Critical Technology Studies, and AI Literacy starting in August 2027.

The successful candidate will explore how children, adolescents, and emerging adults engage with information, digital technologies, social media, artificial intelligence, and networked environments with emphasis on equity, access, identity, learning, participation, and well‑being.

Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Library and Information Science, Information Science, Informatics, Information Studies, Instructional Design, Education, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in youth information behavior/practices, media/digital literacies, emerging technologies, teacher/school librarianship, and critical technology/social media studies.
• Ability to provide curricular thought leadership for the Teacher Librarian Program.
• Evidence of the capacity to develop and maintain an active program of research, scholarship, and/or professional engagement focused on youth and information, media, technology, and learning.
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population.

Responsibilities

• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in areas related to critical technology studies, multiliteracies, teacherlibrarianship, and information practices.
• Provide curricular thought leadership for the Teacher Librarian Program.
• Develop and maintain an active program of research, scholarship, and/or professional engagement.
• Mentor and advise students from diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
• Teach and collaborate across the School of Information's programs and certificates.
• Participate in service activities that support the School, University, profession, and broader community.
• Participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• Demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a highly diverse student population through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Skills

youth information behavior

media/digital literacies

emerging technologies

teacher librarianship

critical technology studies

curricular leadership

Education

Earned doctorate in Library and Information Science

or closely related field

Tools

Canvas LMS

Job description

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor - YouthInformation Ecosystems, Critical Technology Studies, and AILiteracy

School/Department Name: School of Information

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience,and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annualsalary range: $100,000 - $110,000

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the highereducation sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’sexcellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 17, 2027

Application Deadline: November 19th, 2026 (Applicationsaccepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The School of Information at San José State University is pleasedto announce a search for Assistant Professor of Youth InformationEcosystems, Critical Technology Studies, and AI Literacy beginningin August 2027. We seek a scholar and educator whose work examineshow children, adolescents, and emerging adults engage withinformation, digital technologies, social media, artificialintelligence, and networked environments, particularly in relationto issues of equity, access, identity, learning, participation, andwell-being.

The successful candidate will contribute to the School's mission ofpreparing information professionals to serve diverse communities inan increasingly complex information landscape. In addition toadvancing scholarship and teaching related to youth, information,media, and technology, the successful candidate will providecurricular leadership and strategic vision for the TeacherLibrarian Program, strengthening its relevance in a rapidlychanging educational and technological environment while expandingits national and international reach. The School of Information(iSchool - SJSU - School ofInformation - Information Science School) preparesprofessionals who organize, preserve, analyze, protect, teach, andimprove access to information across communities and institutions.

Our new faculty member will join a scholarly community with:

• thousands of students and a broad global alumni community
• one of the largest and most diverse schools in the informationfield
• fully online graduate programs that support workingprofessionals
• an ALA-accredited MLIS program
• an emphasis on access, equity, community service, digitalliteracy, and ethical technology
• working on problems connected to information access, AIliteracy, digital preservation, cybersecurity, and socialjustice.

The School of Information and San José State University valueinstitutional excellence and are committed to advancing equitythrough research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation collegestudents and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we areboth a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American andNative American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments thatfacilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seekteacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces formutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for allstudents. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningfulconnections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broadercommunities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of InstitutionalExcellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share howyour lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSUcommunity—particularly in relation to student success. A guide towriting this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Required Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Library and Information Science,Information Science, Informatics, Information Studies,Instructional Design, Education, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in several of the following:
  • youth information behavior/practices
  • media/digital literacies
  • emerging technologies
  • teacher/school librarianship
  • critical technology/social media studies.
• Ability to provide curricular thought leadership for theTeacher Librarian Program.
• Evidence of the capacity to develop and maintain an activeprogram of research, scholarship, and/or professional engagementfocused on youth and information, media, technology, andlearning.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivityto the educational goals of a socially and economically diversestudent population as might have been gained in cross-culturalstudy, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional experience as a school librarian, teacherlibrarian, school library coordinator, educational technologyspecialist, or related educational leader.
• Evidence of scholarship, research, or professional leadershiprelated to artificial intelligence, critical technology studies,youth and technology, digital citizenship, platform studies,information ethics, educational technology, or the future of schoollibraries.
• Experience developing partnerships with schools, districts,educational agencies, professional associations, libraries,community organizations, or international educationalinstitutions.
• Potential to contribute to interdisciplinary research andteaching initiatives related to AI, information science, education,ethics, technology policy, or human-centered technologydesign.
• Demonstrated expertise needed to shape the future of teacherlibrarianship at a time of significant technological and socialchange.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in areas related tocritical technology studies, multiliteracies, teacherlibrarianship, and information practices.
• Provide curricular thought leadership for the Teacher LibrarianProgram.
• Develop and maintain an active program of research,scholarship, and/or professional engagement.
• Mentor and advise students from diverse professional andacademic backgrounds.
• Teach and collaborate across the School of Information'sprograms and certificates.
• Participate in service activities that support the School,University, profession, and broader community.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually indepartment, college, and university committees and other serviceassignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the CanvasLearning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience inunderstanding the needs of a student population of great diversity– in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion,economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, genderidentity, and academic preparation – through inclusive coursematerials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are consideredmandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and NeglectReporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements setforth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policyand Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwidepolicy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a CampusSecurity Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Acttraining and to immediately report Clery incidents to theinstitution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assignedand required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA,Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health andSafety). The President may recommend or require compliance withsafety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activitiesof the campus to continue.

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair or SearchCommittee Chair: Dr. Kristen Radsliff; [e-mail] .

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a finaladministrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years onlyafter a determination is made that they meet the minimumqualifications for the position, and before an offer of employmentis extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of theapplication process must also sign a release form that authorizesthe release of information by the applicant’s current and/or formeremployers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations ofmisconduct.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in theState of California and requires establishing an on-campuspresence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof ofeligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completionof background and reference checks (including criminal records andprior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offerof employment, which may be rescinded if the background andreference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it isdiscovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsifiedinformation. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background andreference checks may affect the continued employment of a currentemployee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's PublicUniversity

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovativeregions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23‑campus California State University(CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, SanJosé State is an essential partner in the technological, economic,cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area,and California. SJSU is a top‑200 school nationally in researchfunding and second highest in research productivity in the CSUsystem. Cutting-edge research, world‑class scholarship,student‑centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment tosocial justice, allow SJSU to provide life‑changing opportunitiesand advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis ofAge, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, GenderExpression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status,Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion,Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, andVeteran Status. This policy applies to all San José StateUniversity students, faculty, and staff as well as Universityprograms and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made forapplicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policyand Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR)is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policystatements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information,crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, andinformation about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASRalso contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José StateUniversity locations for the three most recent calendar years. Apaper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting theOffice of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by emailat [e-mail].

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual FireSafety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for firesthat occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for thethree most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safetypolicies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. Apaper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting theHousing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email [e-mail].