Assistant Professor or Associate Professor of Communications, Geography / Geographic Information Systems, History, or Political Science and Department Head

Position description

Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor's (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master's degree programs (employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday - Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 - Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

Job Title: Assistant Professor or Associate Professor of Communications, Geography / Geographic Information Systems, History, or Political Science and Department Head

Department: Human Culture and Society Department; College of Arts and Humanities

Evaluation Group: Academic Administrator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: St. Charles Campus

Reports To: Associate Dean, College of Arts and Humanities

Positions Supervised: Department faculty; adjunct instructors

Application must be completed in one sitting. At the time of completing the application, you will need the following documents to upload.

Supplemental Materials

• Cover Letter specifying your area of expertise, experience, and interest
• Curriculum Vitae
• Unofficial transcript(s) of all degrees completed
• Teaching statement demonstrating alignment with Lindenwood's RISE program (~1 page; consult https://www.lindenwood.edu/human-resources/lindenwood-learning-academy/teaching-and-learning/rise-project/)
• Depa rtmental leadership vision statement (~1 page)
• Three academic letters of recommendation sent by your recommenders directly to Lindenwood's Human Resources department ([email protected])

*** The system limits 5 documents to upload. You will need to save multiple documents into one PDF or have additional documents sent to [email protected]***

Job Summary

The College of Arts and Humanities at Lindenwood University invites applications for an assistant professor or associate professor of Communications, Geography / Geographic Information Systems, History, or Political Science and Department Head of the Human Culture and Society Department.

Qualified applicants will possess a terminal degree (PhD) in one of the fields specified. The successful candidate will be expected to teach 5 courses (15 credit hours) over 12 months with 5 alternative deployments for department head duties. Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching online. All Lindenwood faculty members are expected to advise and mentor students, continue to develop their expertise through research and scholarship, and participate in faculty governance and campus life.

This position is a full-time, 12-month faculty position that will begin on August 13, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Job Summary

The Department Head of the Human Culture and Society Department is responsible for supporting the college dean in overseeing and assisting students in their academic learning. This position leads and shapes the ongoing strategic direction of the department to include curriculum oversight, assessment, evaluation, and development, as well as faculty performance supervision and evaluation.

The successful candidate will be a team player who is deeply committed to the craft of teaching, creative work, and the work of a department that is highly interdisciplinary, innovative, and newly reorganized. The department's academic programs include Applied AI; Art History; Communications; Geospatial Intelligence and Sustainability; History; Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Masters); Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Political Science; and Public Administration (Masters), along with various minors and certificates. They will be an inspiring teacher, an excellent communicator and organizer, and a strategic leader who is prepared to work with a broad team to deliver high-quality individualized education, experience, and support to the program's students while ensuring alignment with the mission and priorities of the College and University.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Academic Leadership

Teaching and Learning

• Collaborates with dean and administrators on academic and curriculum initiatives
• Facilitates department assessment and accreditation
• Engages in and provides oversight of faculty and student learning
• Oversees development of new academic offerings such as programs, certificates, courses, and credentials
• Ensures the department curriculum, content, and delivery methods incorporate emerging practices, changes in discipline and data on instructional effectiveness
• Teaches a course load as outlined in the faculty appointment letter

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Collaborates with appropriate parties in development and execution of department reviews
• Oversees department's academic, personnel, financial and administrative affairs
• Leads efforts to build, integrate and grow department
• Participates in promotional events to market the department to prospective students, including conferences, informational events, college days, one-on-one meetings, and other similar opportunities

Service

Human Resources Management

• Recruits, screens, oversees, and evaluates department faculty and adjunct instructors
• Facilitates and conducts classroom observations, providing faculty with constructive feedback
• Assists faculty members in developing and improving skills as student advisors, mentors, and teachers
• Collaborates with faculty and administrators on performance issues
• Supports dean in selection of new full-time faculty members

Administrative Duties

• Collaborates on course offerings, deployments, and curriculum within the school
• Collaborates on student recruitment and retention efforts
• Monitors and engages in student enrollment and retention data
• Collaborates on the resolution of student complaints and grade appeals
• Oversees department compliance with policies, processes, standards, and deadlines, including appropriate learning management usage

Communication and Collaboration

• Supports the mission of the university and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to university values - integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork
• Ensures timely, effective, and professional communication

Subject Matter Expertise and Scholarship

Lifelong Learning and Scholarship

• Demonstrates command of subject matter and continuous growth in subject field
• Maintains professional development and activities to upgrade and augment existing skills or develop new ones
• Maintains necessary affiliation with professional organizations

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications - An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.

• Terminal degree appropriate to the subject area (PhD in one of the specified academic fields)
• At least three years of experience in leading academic programs with preference for experience leading programs in more than one academic discipline
• At least three years of effective teaching experience (as documented by student evaluations) at the undergraduate level
• Excellent collaboration, communication, and organizational skills, as well as a commitment to service excellence

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills and abilities commonly associated with this position.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Effective leadership and collaborative skills
• Demonstrated record of establishing and maintaining effective relationships with faculty, staff and students
• Effective analytical, organizational, and creative skills
• Effective initiative and interpersonal skills
• Strong skills in communication through speaking, listening, reading, and writing
• Proficient technology skills, including but not limited to, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Student Information Systems (SIS), Student 360 and Workday

Work Environment - Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job's functions.

• General office setting
• Position requires some work in the evening and on weekends

Physical Abilities - The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to sit at computer for extended periods of time daily
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org