About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description

The Department of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is accepting applications for a tenure-track assistant or associate professor position to begin September 1, 2024.  The preferred candidate will be an advanced assistant professor. Under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at other ranks may receive consideration.

This position requires a specialization in Gender/Feminisms, Ethnography, and the Global South. The department has a strong preference for scholars whose work takes a transnational or global approach that focuses on Black, Indigenous, and/or Latinx critiques and communities and includes Global South locations.  Candidates should have a demonstrated track record of outstanding academic or creative scholarship, as well as evidence of excellence in teaching and a commitment to service.  The selected candidate will typically teach a 12 hour credit load, advise undergraduate and graduate students, and perform service duties for the Department, College, and University.  If hired at a senior rank, they will also be expected to help mentor their colleagues.

Requirements

Ph.D. is required, preferably in Sociology or a closely related field. ABD candidates with an expected completion date by August 31, 2024 will be considered.

Teaching experience at the undergraduate level and a robust research or creative scholarship record are strongly preferred. A candidate who is eligible to be appointed at a mid-career or senior-level position will be reviewed for tenure on an expedited basis if the qualifications permit. They are expected to have at least five (5) years of experience in a tenure-track professorship post in Sociology, including undergraduate teaching experience and a robust record of research or creative scholarship.

Additional Information

Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications; salary and benefits are competitive. This position is eligible for membership in the Massachusetts Society of Professors, the faculty and librarian union at UMass Amherst.

UMass Amherst is a leader in providing institutional support for faculty to combine work and family/personal responsibilities and was listed among the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Great Colleges to Work For." For more information on work-life balance at UMass Amherst, see https://www.umass.edu/prospective-faculty/work/balance.

The sociology department includes a diverse and eclectic group of faculty members with research clusters in the areas of: Gender, Sexuality, and Families; Race, Immigration, and Citizenship; Culture, Identity, and Social Psychology; Crime, Law, and Deviance; Politics, Movements, & Global and Transnational Sociology; Labor, Work, and Organizations; Social Networks; and Social Demography.  The department is also currently the home of the American Sociological Review, and the President of the American Sociological Association. The department is particularly committed to public sociology, and our students are placed in excellent jobs inside and outside of academia.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit the following:

• A 2-3 page letter of interest addressed to Joya Misra, Search Committee Co-chair, Thompson Hall 200 Hicks Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
• A curriculum vitae.
• A 2-3 page research statement that describes your current project(s) and future research agenda.
• A teaching portfolio, which includes a 1-2 page teaching statement/philosophy and materials that allow us to assess teaching effectiveness.
• A 1-2 page diversity statement that discusses the candidate’s skills, experiences and commitment to teaching and mentoring diverse and historically underrepresented student populations; professional service that assists in achieving equity, inclusion, and diversity; and how the candidate’s past or future research addresses fundamental questions important to a diverse and global society.
• Contact information for three (3) professional references who are willing to submit letters upon request through the UMass online application system.

Shortlisted candidates that are suitable for an upper rank position will be asked to provide materials that demonstrate the candidate's eligibility and qualifications to show they meet the criteria and the standards for tenure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Evaluation of applications will begin December 1, 2023, and will continue until the position has been filled. Questions about this position should be directed to the search committee co-chairs, Joya Misra ([email protected]) and Agustin Lao-Montes ([email protected]).