Assistant/Associate Professor in Public History – Tenure Track

Business Title:

Assistant/Associate Professor in Public History – Tenure Track

 

Employee Type:

Faculty

 

9 Month – Summer

 

The Opportunity:

The Department of History at Washington State University (WSU) invites applications for a permanent, full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor position in Pullman, WA, with a specialty in Public History.

 

We seek applicants trained in the methods and practice of public history, who share our commitment to student success through community-engaged teaching and research. Candidates’ work should also engage with emerging digital technologies that expand the reach and impact of public history. The position offers the opportunity to shape how public history addresses twenty-first century challenges, combining the department’s strengths with new methods that broaden public access, collaboration, and participation. The WSU history department has thematic strengths in the American West, Pacific Northwest, Borderlands, World, and Public Histories. We seek to enhance our strengths while also expanding our research capabilities to fulfill our land-grant mission. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on August 16, 2026.

 

Job duties: Job duties include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in public history; advising and mentoring graduate students in public history; developing a robust research and scholarly profile; and providing department, college and university service. Department faculty on the tenure track typically teach a 2-2 load and may occasionally teach online for the WSU Global campus.

 

Annual Salary:

Assistant Professor salary range for this position is $80,000 to $85,000 per nine-month academic year. Commensurate with experience and qualifications
Associate Professor salary range for this position is $85,000 to $90,000 per nine-month academic year. Commensurate with experience and qualifications

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate’s current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Benefits: WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For a more detailed summary of benefits offered by WSU for Faculty please review the summary of benefits for WSU Faculty and Total Compensation

 

Required Qualifications For Assistant rank:

• Completed PhD in history or closely related field by start of employment date
• Demonstrated record of or potential for research and scholarship in public history
• Proven or potential for successful teaching and instruction
• Demonstrated record of supporting, or potential to support, access and opportunity in research, teaching, and service in alignment with WSU’s land grant mission

 

Required Qualifications for Associate rank:

• Completed PhD in history or closely related field by start of employment date
• Demonstrated record of or potential for research and scholarship in public history
• Proven or potential for successful teaching and instruction
• Demonstrated record of supporting, or potential to support, access and opportunity in research, teaching, and service in alignment with WSU’s land grant mission
• Demonstrated record of national impact or significance of public history work and scholarship
• Must have a record of accomplishments in research, teaching commensurate with school/department, college, and university standards for tenure at the level of associate professor

 

o School/Department T&P Guidelines Website

o CAS T&P Guidelines Website

o WSU Faculty Manual Website

 

Preferred Qualifications (all ranks):

• Experience working with tribal communities and experience with digital history

 

Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Robert Bauman, Search Committee Chair, rbauman@wsu.edu or Dr. Matthew Sutton, Department Chair, sutton@wsu.edu.

 

About WSU, Pullman: Washington State University is a land grant, multiple-campus Research 1 institution.  This position will serve on the Pullman campus, which has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and is located in Southeastern Washington on the homelands of the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people. Located 80 miles south of metropolitan Spokane, Pullman is also a quick drive away from the scenic Idaho panhandle and Moscow Mountain. The rolling hills of the Palouse offer a wide range of activities and a true four-season climate. The area provides ample opportunity to enjoy the cultural and academic hub of both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho. For more information about the region, please see https://pullmanchamber.com.

 

About the College of Arts and Sciences:

Encompassing more than 19 departments, schools, and programs, and 19 centers, institutes, museums, and research stations across five campuses statewide, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) is the heart of WSU. Together over 700 CAS faculty and staff deliver more than 50% of WSU’s total undergraduate and graduate instruction, including the vast majority of WSU’s core curriculum. We drive disciplinary and transdisciplinary research, scholarship, and creative activities across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences and mathematics. The College of Arts & Sciences seeks to lead a reimagining of WSU’s land-grant mission for the 21st century, expanding the boundaries of creativity and discovery while simultaneously recognizing more completely our obligations to the State and the communities we serve.  For more about the College of Arts & Sciences at WSU, please see https://cas.wsu.edu.

 

About the Department of History:

The Department of History at WSU is a collegial community of over 40 full-time faculty members across three campuses.  The History faculty are a distinguished and diverse group of scholars and teachers who conduct ground-breaking research in a wide variety of fields and have been awarded numerous prizes and fellowships.  For more information, see the department website, https://history.wsu.edu.

 

About Land Grant:

WSU acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native American peoples, who have lived in this region and have been caretakers of the land from time immemorial. The Morrill Act of 1862 established our land-grant institution by providing public and federal lands that are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands, often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation. And as a land-grant institution, WSU is deeply committed to the land-grant mission, its Memorandums of Understanding with Native tribes in the region, and a tradition of service to society. To read the full WSU land acknowledgement, please see https://wsu.edu/about/wsu-land-acknowledgement/.

Application Instructions: Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. Application materials should clearly communicate how the applicant meets all required qualifications and additional requirements.

• A cover letter addressing qualifications for this position as well as a response to the following prompt: As a land-grant university, we have a commitment to ensure access and opportunity in all aspects of our work. The successful candidate for this faculty position will have the experiences, knowledge, and skills to build their research/scholarship/creative practice, pedagogy, curriculum, and service in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Using the job announcement for this position, please list and explain up to three areas of responsibility you see as related to fulfilling this mission.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Teaching statement that describes your teaching experience and philosophy, which may incorporate experience from formal or informal teaching and mentoring opportunities.
• Research/Scholarship/Public History statement that outlines your scholarly and/or Public History work and includes your future plans.
• One example of research, including a publication or public-facing project that highlight public history practice and experience.

External candidates, upload all documents in the “Application Document” section of your application.
Current WSU Employees (internal candidates), before starting your Workday application, please use these instructions to update your education and experience in your worker profile in Workday. Internal candidates, upload all documents in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of your application.

Documents may be submitted as one file or separate files. Applicants are encouraged to upload as a PDF, if possible.

 

Professional reference contact information [e.g. names, addresses, and contact information of at least four references (associate level) and at least three references (assistant level) who can address your history of and potential for excellence in research, teaching and service] will be requested later in the recruitment process through Workday.

Background Check: This position has been designated by the department to require a background check because it requires access to children or vulnerable adults as defined by RCW 74.34, engages in law enforcement, requires security clearance, interacts with WSU students in a counseling or advising capacity, has access to personal identifying and/or financial information, unsupervised access to university buildings/property, or other business-related need. A background check will not be completed until an initial determination of qualification for employment has been made.

 

Full time

 

Washington State University encourages all qualified candidates to apply, including members of the military and veterans, and persons with disabilities.

 

WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

WSU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521 (v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.

 

Notice of Non-Discrimination

In matters of admission, employment, housing or services, or in the educational programs or activities it operates, WSU does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, physical disability, mental disability, sensory disability, use of a trained service animal, age, religion, creed, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, honorably discharged veteran, member of the military, or immigration or citizenship status except as authorized by federal or state law, regulation, or government contract.

 

Inquiries about the application of federal and state laws and regulations (including inquiries regarding the application of Title IX, ADA/Section 504, and implementing regulations), as well as reports and complaints of discrimination and harassment, can be made verbally or in writing to WSU’s Compliance and Civil Rights, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, or both.

 

More information, resources, and contact information are available here: https://ccr.wsu.edu/notice-of-nondiscrimination/