Position Overview

The Department of Psychology at The University of the South looks forward to welcoming an individual dedicated to undergraduate education as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Psychology, starting August 2023.

Position Description

The teaching load is five courses per year. Candidates from all areas of specialization enthusiastic about contributing to our department’s programmatic focus on Psychology for the Public Good are encouraged to apply. The hired candidate will maintain a vibrant research program suitable for an undergraduate-serving institution and will contribute to introductory psychology, research methods, and intermediate, and upper-level courses in their area of specialization. Given the University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarship and teaching, candidates whose research and/or pedagogies contribute to DEI will find the position particularly inviting.

Attributes of a Successful Candidate

A doctoral degree in Psychology or ABD status is required, and previous teaching experience and/or training are strongly preferred. Successful candidates will be able to deeply engage undergraduates via progressive pedagogies in a variety of contexts, including in the classroom, through the co-curricular environment, within individual mentorship or advising, and via collaborative research in the laboratory, the field, or the institution. We particularly welcome faculty with knowledge or skills from diverse backgrounds that could contribute to an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our department and the institution. Evidence that the candidate can advance institutional efforts to better meet the needs of students who identify as coming from underrepresented groups is highly valued, as is a candidate whose research focuses on areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Supplemental Information

Our Psychology Department faculty value collaborative thinking, engaged teaching, and the many forms that scholarship can take at a teaching-centered university. In furtherance of Psychology for the Public Good, our faculty collaborate with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Roberson Project of Race & Reconciliation, the Office of Civic Engagement, and colleagues in the newly renovated Wellness Commons. We welcome additional perspectives that inspire and enable our psychology students to work toward a more just and equitable society.

Sewanee offers rich opportunities for faculty support and development in their teaching, research, and other interests. Sewanee offers a dynamic Center for Teaching with instructional support, workshops, faculty learning groups, and active programming. Our Center for Leadership offers programming and mentorship. Internal funding is available to support faculty teaching and research interests, including conference travel, and Sewanee boasts a vibrant SURF program to support mentored work with students over the summer. Our institution celebrates freedom of inquiry and intellectual autonomy.

Sewanee is committed to faculty working together in cohorts on new areas of focus: the 17 positions hired over the next two years will be invited to any of the following three cohorts: environment, data, and social justice. It is not imperative that a new faculty member join a cohort, but such relationships and collaborations will be encouraged and supported, with the goal of a more productive and fulfilling professional life. Sewanee will add eleven positions in the college this year, and another six next year. This year’s searches include environmental studies, two positions in English (fiction writing and playwriting), two positions in data science (computer science, statistics, or math), music (orchestral conducting), American politics, psychology, and theater (directing).

The University of the South, commonly known as Sewanee, comprises a nationally ranked residential College of Arts and Sciences and a School of Theology. The University is strongly committed to the values of intellectual inquiry, diversity, equity, inclusion, and living and serving in the community. Situated on 13,000 acres atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, Sewanee is known for its stunning natural beauty while providing easy access to Chattanooga, Nashville, and Huntsville. The University is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and seeks to help employees of all backgrounds and identities flourish.

The University of the South is an equal opportunity educational institution that is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive campus environment. Please refer to our full EEO statement here.

To Apply:

In anticipation of applying, if you would like to begin a conversation about how you might contribute to our department, or if you have particular questions about the position, please reach out to the search chair, Karen Yu, at kyu@sewanee.edu

To apply, please submit a letter of interest and a CV. The review of applications will begin on Nov. 1, 2022. Applicants selected for the second round of consideration will be asked to provide additional materials, including teaching and research statements, teaching evaluations, and samples of scholarly work.

Any additional requirements specific to this position:

DEI Institutional Statement:

At the University of the South, our commitment to inclusion and belonging is grounded in our core values of community, courage, flourishing, and inquiry. We seek to build a community enriched by our diversity and centered on equity, justice, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of the South is an equal-opportunity educational institution that is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive campus environment.