DEPARTMENT CHAIR and ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE
ABOUT THE POSITION: The University of Alabama in Huntsville invites applications for a tenured Associate Professor in Sociology, who will be appointed to serve as Department Chair for a three-year term (renewable). The ideal candidate will hold a Ph.D. in Sociology, have an active research agenda, excellent teaching skills, a proven record of effective leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Preference will be given to applicants currently at the rank of associate professor (or who would qualify for this rank at UAH). We also welcome applicants who would be able to teach quantitative methods/statistics, and/or whose research is in the area of community/urban sociology.
Duties and responsibilities of the Chair include, but are not limited to: strategic leadership in developing and implementing a shared departmental vision; modeling, supporting and rewarding faculty excellence in teaching and research; developing partnerships and networks across the university, with alumni, and with the local community; creating an inclusive and equitable departmental culture that upholds a commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body; guiding the implementation recommendations from a newly completed departmental review; communicating with and providing support to sociology majors; assisting with college recruitment and retention initiatives; overseeing the recruitment and hiring of new faculty; evaluating departmental faculty, including reviews for tenure and promotion; assessing and revising curriculum; coordinating department course scheduling; managing and administering fiscal resources (planning and expenditure of funds in accordance with UAH procedures); and representing the department in college and university-level planning and strategy development. Department Chairs receive their base salary plus an administrative stipend, and teach a reduced 2-2 course load.
APPOINTMENT DATE: August 2023
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: The Department of Sociology is composed of three full-time faculty members and several part-time lecturers, serving approximately 60 majors. Full-time faculty conduct research in the areas of social inequality, sociology of education, race/ethnicity, social psychology, criminology, and sociology of religion. The Department offers a major (B.A.) and minor in Sociology. Our courses also substantively contribute to interdisciplinary minors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Justice and Equity Studies. Full-time faculty teach a 3-3 load. The successful candidate will join a growing, collegial department that provides students with a strong, well-rounded educational foundation for a wide range of career paths. See the department website for more information: https://www.uah.edu/ahs/departments/sociology.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE: The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHS) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville includes nine departments. We offer an array of programs including thirteen bachelor’s degree programs, five M.A. programs, one Ph.D. program, and eight certificate programs. The college has also led the way in creating several interdisciplinary minors, such as Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies; Justice and Equity Studies; Global Studies; and Game Design and Development. Our class sizes are relatively small and our faculty are committed to students’ successes. The CAHS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and we seek candidates whose teaching, research, and/or service demonstrates similar commitment. Applicants may find more information about the College, the University, and Huntsville at https://www.uah.edu/ahs/prospective-faculty.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a comprehensive university offering academic and research programs in the colleges of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Nursing; and Science. The university has over 9,000 students coming from 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as from 48 countries. UAH received the highest research activity rating, “R1 – Very high research activity”, in the current update of the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. The University of Alabama in Huntsville is adjacent to Cummings Research Park, which houses nearly 300 companies and 29,000 employees involved in technology research and development, making it the second largest research park in the U.S. and fourth largest in the world. It is also in close proximity to Redstone Arsenal, which is home to more than 75 federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Materiel Command, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center, and a new $1B FBI campus. For more information about UAH, see www.uah.edu/about.
ABOUT HUNTSVILLE: The Huntsville area is a culturally diverse community with a metropolitan area population of more than 400,000 and growing, making it the most populous city in Alabama. It also maintains one of the highest per capita incomes and standards of living in the Southeast. Known as the “Rocket City,” Huntsville has a major presence of technology, space, and defense industries, which allows the city to offer a variety of educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities. Huntsville has a high concentration of Ph.Ds., engineers, and STEM workers, and is recognized as a leading technology city with a rapidly expanding and diverse corporate ecosystem rich in innovation. Huntsville also boasts numerous museums, historic sites, professional sports venues, parks, and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities (including Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Monte Sano State Park, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Minor League Baseball’s Toyota Field, and Probst Arena for professional hockey). Active downtown and mid-city arts and entertainment districts, including a new outdoor amphitheater music venue and the Lowe Mill ARTS &Entertainment complex, contribute to Huntsville’s vibrant cultural life. For more information about Huntsville and its convenient location with easy access to Nashville, Birmingham, and Atlanta, please visit www.huntsville.org. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Huntsville as the best place to live in 2022-2023 among the 150 most populous metro areas in the country.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE: Review of applications will begin on Nov. 1, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. To apply, please send the following as a single pdf document to Dr. Jennifer Sims, Sociology Search Committee Chair (UAHSociologyPosition@uah.edu): (1) cover letter describing your administrative leadership experience, research agenda, and evidence of teaching excellence; (2) current CV; (3) 1-page statement of past or future contributions to equity, inclusivity, and diversity in research, teaching, and/or service; and (4) names and contact information for three references (letters may be requested at a later date).
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including marital or parental status), pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, citizenship, disability, genetic information, or status as a veteran.
UAH mandates that all employees maintain compliance with current federal regulations.
Please refer to log number: 23-24-384