Occidental College, Los Angeles
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF URBAN POLICY & POLITICS
Department of Urban & Environmental Policy
Position Summary
The Urban & Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College invites applications for a teacher and scholar at the Assistant Professor level in Urban Policy and Politics, with a focus on Community Organizing, Labor Studies, Urban Political Economy, and/or Public Policy. The position will begin August 2023.
We are interested in candidates who understand urban and environmental problems as deeply linked, and whose research and teaching examine issues of economic and social inequalities, labor and community organizing, and the social, economic, racial, and gender dimensions of workplaces and the labor market. We are interested in candidates whose work considers the role of politics and policymaking at local, state, and national levels, and the challenges faced by policymakers to address existing inequities while also finding sustainable, and democratic solutions to environmental and economic injustice. We seek a scholar who approaches their work through interdisciplinary analysis and considers the role of labor and community organizing as an important response to and strategy to address inequality and to advance social justice.
Occidental faculty are committed teacher-scholars who bring research and creative discovery to life for students in classrooms, labs, studios, and mentored projects. They teach broadly in the curricula of their departments, advise students, carry out research and creative work, and provide departmental, college-wide, and external service. The primary responsibilities of the selected candidate will include the development and teaching of introductory and core courses in the discipline, including courses in your area(s) of specialization. Specific courses that include the introductory level department course (UEP 101), Community Organizing and Leadership, Community Internship/Practicum; and Urban Politics and Policy; the senior comprehensive seminar; and a college-wide first year seminar as well as developing new courses in Labor Studies and Public Policy Analysis. and/or a new course in their own area of expertise. The candidate will also be responsible for producing scholarship commensurate with the requirements for tenure and will be expected to develop a program of research that engages undergraduate students. Incoming faculty will be expected to contribute to and participate in the life and development of the department, advise students, serve on committees, and participate in the broader college and disciplinary communities.
We invite candidates from a range of disciplines, including sociology, political science, social work, social welfare, labor studies, urban planning, geography, applied economics, law, and public policy. In particular, we seek candidates with emphases from a range of disciplines in subfields of: race, gender, and work; urban politics; community organizing; and labor and globalization. Candidates are expected to hold the Ph.D. degree or terminal degree in their field, and must have completed or be completing their doctorate by fall 2023.
We are open to considering non-traditional candidates with extensive professional and community experience as well as a demonstrated record of research and teaching experience but who may not have a Ph.D. or other terminal degree but would prioritize engagement with students while bringing their extensive field experience into the academy.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated commitment to and excellence in undergraduate teaching. We seek an effective and engaged teacher able to explain the relationships between local and global aspects of our urban problems and how policy practitioners, advocates and researchers, along with government officials, can create practical solutions at the community, local, state, national, and global levels, and teach students to understand and apply ideas about urban politics and political economy, including issues of race, place, poverty, inequality, and policy in the context of a global political economy.
- A strong record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate to the level of appointment or demonstration of applied research and written policy analyses for nontraditional candidates; an existing research program with a plan to integrate undergraduate students into their research.
- Demonstrated experience in a range of practices (advocacy, community organizing, government, community engaged research, and public service) with preference for experience working on how policy and organizing impacts marginalized, low-income, and communities of color.
- Demonstrated experience in working collaboratively with colleagues
- Demonstrated potential for effective integration of technology into instruction
- Demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from minoritized and marginalized social groups
- Ability to balance excellent teaching, scholarship, and service
- Demonstrated commitment to the four cornerstones of the mission of the College: excellence, equity, community, and service
- Contribution to community engaged teaching and research, a central priority of the College’s strategic plan.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working collaboratively with local community organizations
- Industry experience
Application Submission Materials
You must submit a complete application package electronically to be considered. To apply, please send the following required materials to UEPurbansearch@oxy.edu:
- Cover Letter in which you respond to the required and preferred (if applicable) qualifications
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research Statement
- Teaching Philosophy Statement
- Commitment to Inclusive Excellence Statement. This statement provides your unique perspective on your past and present contributions to and future aspirations for promoting justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity in your professional career. This should include your demonstrated commitment to, past evidence of, and future plans for creating equitable opportunities for learning and mentoring especially for students from marginalized and minoritized groups. The purpose of this statement is to help the department identify candidates who have professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or willingness to engage in activities that could help the College contribute to its mission in these areas.
- List of three references with relevant contact information. If you advance to the finalist phase, you will be asked to have each of your three references submit a letter of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit should you move forward to this phase of the search. Do not submit these letters with your initial application.
Upon receipt of a complete application package, you will receive a preliminary questionnaire. You must complete this questionnaire to move forward in the search process.
Please direct all questions about the position to: UEPurbansearch@oxy.edu
Please direct all questions about the position to: UEPurbansearch@oxy.edu
Application Deadline
To be assured full consideration, your application materials must be received by October 3, 2022.
Click HERE for the full job posting.