Instructor / Senior Instructor

Arizona State University; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time, in-person Instructor or Senior Instructor position in SCETL, starting August 2027. This fixed-term nine-month appointment carries no tenure implications and includes benefits.

The teaching load centers on SCETL’s signature course, Great Debates in American Constitutionalism and Politics, with flexibility to offer related upper-division courses in constitutionalism/history or civic thought.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Political Science, History, or related field (or J.D.) with scholarly focus on American constitutional thought/history.
• Evidence of excellence in undergraduate teaching in American civic thought or constitutional history.
• Experience designing and delivering courses on American founding, constitutional institutions, and related topics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and teach undergraduate courses (typical 4/4).
• Deliver instruction in-person and/or online; supervise TAs and graders.

Skills

Socratic teaching

Public speaking

Curriculum design

Discussion facilitation

Education

Ph.D. in Political Science, History, or related field

J.D.

Job description

Instructor/ Senior Instructor

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time, in-person, benefits-eligible Instructor or Senior Instructor position in our scholarly track of American constitutional thought with an anticipated start date in August 2027. This is a fixed-term, academic year (nine month) appointment with no tenure implications. Subsequent academic year renewals (Aug. 16 to May 15) are contingent upon performance, availability of resources, and the needs of the unit. Candidates’ primary teaching obligation would be SCETL’s signature course “Great Debates in American Constitutionalism and Politics.” This course heavily focuses on the American Founding and American constitutional institutions (e.g. federalism, the separation of powers) and we are proud to fulfill the Arizona Board of Regents requirement for a course in American Institutions to help understand and appreciate American constitutional principles. There will also be opportunity for additional relevant upper-division courses in American constitutionalism, American constitutional history, or American civic thought, or civic thought more broadly. We would particularly welcome candidates who could supplement current department strengths by teaching courses on the American Founding, the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, Montesquieu, Religion and the American Civic Tradition, American Civil-Military Relations, the American Way or War (American military history), the Bible and Civic Thought, or the political thought of CS Lewis.

Instructor/ Senior Instructor

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time, in-person, benefits-eligible Instructor or Senior Instructor position in our scholarly track of American constitutional thought with an anticipated start date in August 2027. This is a fixed-term, academic year (nine month) appointment with no tenure implications. Subsequent academic year renewals (Aug. 16 to May 15) are contingent upon performance, availability of resources, and the needs of the unit. Candidates’ primary teaching obligation would be SCETL’s signature course “Great Debates in American Constitutionalism and Politics.” This course heavily focuses on the American Founding and American constitutional institutions (e.g. federalism, the separation of powers) and we are proud to fulfill the Arizona Board of Regents requirement for a course in American Institutions to help understand and appreciate American constitutional principles. There will also be opportunity for additional relevant upper-division courses in American constitutionalism, American constitutional history, or American civic thought, or civic thought more broadly. We would particularly welcome candidates who could supplement current department strengths by teaching courses on the American Founding, the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, Montesquieu, Religion and the American Civic Tradition, American Civil-Military Relations, the American Way or War (American military history), the Bible and Civic Thought, or the political thought of CS Lewis.

About The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

U.S. News and World Report has repeatedly ranked Arizona State University (ASU) as the most innovative university in the country ahead of Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. Contributing to that no. 1 ranking is the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership, which aims to create a new kind of leader by blending tradition and innovation, blending liberal arts and civic education. SCETL plays a leading role in the intellectual and civic life of ASU and the various communities that it serves. Because the academic mission of the School is to renew the nexus of classical liberal arts education and American civic education in a leading public university, the School’s courses aim to prepare thoughtful citizens and civic leaders for America’s constitutional republic, in civil society or public affairs, regarding domestic and international realities.

The School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL), entering its ninth year, is a growing academic and civic enterprise with two undergraduate majors and a minor, undergraduate certificates in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and Great Books in Political Thought, and two M.A. degrees in Classical Liberal Education & Civic Leadership and War & Strategy. The M.A. in War & Strategy launched in 2026 to serve the Department of Defense's Strategic Thinkers Program, a premier graduate-level initiative that prepares select mid-career officers and civilians for senior leadership in national security and defense strategy. The School also hosts an ambitious speakers' program – the Civic Discourse Project – and two Centers for research and public outreach. The Center for American Civics focuses on civic education, especially American political and constitutional thought, for a broad public and for higher education and particularly for K-12 schools. The Center for the Study of Economic Liberty pursues national and international research on economic thought, debates about markets, and policies affecting economic liberty. Additionally, the School supports the Mercy Otis Warren Initiative for Women in Civic Life and Thought, an initiative that seeks to draw attention to and support female thinkers who value and work within the expansive canon of Western social and political thought. See https://scetl.asu.edu/ for more information about the School.

About The College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of Arizona State University, committed to improving communities on a local, national, and global scale. We support the professional development and growth of our faculty and staff in their cutting-edge research to advance these aims. Within The College, our faculty engage with a large, curious student body, guiding them as they grow into socially aware, critical thinkers and writers able to succeed in a wide range of careers and to address the challenges of the twenty-first century. Advancing the success of our students remains our top priority. To learn more about The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, please visit https://thecollege.asu.edu.

About Arizona State University

ASU exemplifies a new prototype for the American public research university. As articulated in the ASU Charter, ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the communities it serves.

Essential Functions

• Develop and teach undergraduate courses (a typical course load is 4/4)
• Deliver instruction in-person and/or online
• Supervise teaching assistants and graders

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Political Science, History, or a related field, or a J.D., at the time of appointment
• Three to five years’ experience teaching college-level courses in American constitutional thought or American constitutional history
• Evidence of scholarly focus in research and/or teaching on American constitutional thought or American constitutional history
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching, including Socratic, discussion-based teaching
• Demonstrated evidence of organizational and communication skills
• Candidates with at least five years of successful teaching can be considered for the Senior Instructor position

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated record of successful, university-level, teaching experience as instructor of record in relevant courses in American civic thought and American constitutional thought, with primary emphasis on the American Founding and the Constitution’s structural and institutional features (federalism and the separation of powers)
• Experience teaching additional desired courses in American constitutional thought or history or civic thought
• Experience designing courses, including formative and summative assessments, and classroom activities
• Experience teaching online, with demonstrated commitment to serving and understanding the particular needs of online students
• Experience using a learning management system (e.g., Blackboard, Canvas)
• Demonstrated success in fostering discussion among various viewpoints and fostering student participation in expressing various views
• Interest in connecting teaching to civic education, constitutionalism, civic virtue, and the preparation of future leaders in America’s constitutional republic
• Demonstrated commitment to working with faculty, staff, students and communities to advance the principles of the ASU Charter