Assistant Professor – Political Science – Tenure Track

Position description

The Department of Government, Law, and International Affairs (GLIA) at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) is seeking qualified candidates to fill a 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in American Politics with an emphasis on U.S. Constitutional Law beginning August 2026. GLIA resides in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS).

Faculty in CAHSS support the University’s mission of providing a high-quality education and are committed to the success of their students.

Successful candidates should be prepared to teach undergraduate (and potentially graduate) courses in American Government, Public Law, Constitutional Law, as well as Civil Rights and Liberties. Preference will be given to candidates who can also teach Administrative Law, Trial Advocacy, and/or the American Presidency.

Additionally, candidates should be prepared to serve as the Coach of the UCM Mock Trial team (negotiated with the Chair as part of the teaching load or service).

Candidates must be committed to excellence in teaching and are expected to carry out a sustained research agenda in their area of expertise.

Candidates with a Ph.D. in Political Science are preferred, but ABDs in Political Science and J.D.s will be considered.

Examples of Duties

The faculty member’s job duties will include:

• Teach 9-12 hours per semester in consultation with the Department Chair.
• Coach the Mock Trial team.
• Conduct scholarly research in their area of expertise.
• Advise and mentor undergraduate Political Science majors who pursue a Legal Studies minor.
• Undertake service at the department, college, and/or university levels.

Teaching:

The primary responsibility of the faculty is quality teaching in their respective content areas, regardless of delivery format. This entails adequate preparation for courses, effective course design and instruction, and fair and timely evaluation/feedback of student progress. To ensure quality teaching, faculty must be committed to student success and ongoing assessment of curriculum and student learning.

• Keep current in your discipline.
• Organize courses to facilitate quality student engagement and high-impact practices.
• Assist department/school chairs with scheduling classes that meet the needs of students.
• Comply with departmental, college, and university standards concerning the academic quality and integrity of their classes.
• Keep current in their use of technology by attending university training sessions and other professional development opportunities.
• Be available to meet students outside the classroom by being available before or after classes and scheduling office hours in both physical and electronic formats, including in-person and virtual office hours.
• Assist with department and college assessment and be proactive with modifications to the curriculum based on assessment feedback.

Scholarship/Professional Development:

The strength of a university rests on the knowledge and skills of its faculty.

• Faculty must stay current in their field of expertise/teaching area.
• Authoring academic writings.
• Presentation of work at local/state/regional/national conferences.
• Active membership and/or office holding in professional organizations at the local/state/regional/national levels.

Service:

An expectation of a professional faculty member is to serve the department, college, and university community.

• Attending department/college/university meetings.
• Engaging in committee work that will advance the department/college/institution.
• Assisting with student mentoring.
• Participating in graduation and convocation ceremonies.
• Serve on committees at the department, college, and university levels.

Typical Qualifications

Candidates with a Ph.D. in Political Science are preferred, but ABDs in Political Science and J.D.s will be considered.

Application instructions

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