Instructor - Sociology jobs in Santa Cruz, CA

The Community Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for a tenured Associate Professor and Director of Community Studies. Founded in 1969, Community Studies is UCSC's oldest interdisciplinary undergraduate program and a national pioneer in experiential education related to community activism, social movements, and social justice. Now aligned with the Sociology Department, the program's core curriculum is centered on an extended Field Study in which students work to build community capacity for social change within organizations and social movements. More information about the history and pedagogy of Community Studies is available at https://communitystudies.ucsc.edu

We seek an outstanding candidate who is widely trained in Sociology, critical human geography, or adjacent social sciences, enthusiastic about undergraduate instruction, and well versed in the history and contemporary state of social movements, activism, and the politics of the possible. The standard teaching load is four courses per year with at least one course release for administrative responsibilities. Some of the teaching will be within the core Community Studies curriculum and some will be in the candidate's areas of expertise.

We are seeking a colleague with research expertise in areas such as economic justice, critical public health, climate justice, labor, and inequalities arising from race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, immigration status/citizenship, and class. We encourage applicants whose research engages such issues as the institutionalization of social movements in the non-profit sector; the relationship between philanthropic organizations and neoliberalism; and the reconfiguration of public and private organizations in the delivery of public welfare and regulatory protections. Applicants should be committed to critically appraising the shifting discursive field of social change efforts connected to community activism, indigenous and de-colonial struggles, social movements and the non-governmental/non-profit sector of civil society, social entrepreneurship, and emergent social movement and activist formations. We welcome candidates with experience integrating their scholarly work with social change activism, and we encourage applicants from groups historically underrepresented in higher education employment.

UC Santa Cruz values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to hiring faculty who will work to advance these values. UC Santa Cruz is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) with a high proportion of first-generation students. We welcome candidates who understand the barriers facing historically oppressed groups in higher education and who can clearly articulate equity and diversity advancement efforts with respect to teaching, mentoring, research, and service. Activities promoting equity and inclusion at UC Santa Cruz will be recognized as important university service during the faculty promotion process. More information can be found: https://apo.ucsc.edu/diversity.html

The chosen candidate will be expected to sign a statement representing that they are not the subject of any ongoing investigation or disciplinary proceeding at their current academic institution or place of employment, nor have they in the past ten years been formally disciplined at any academic institution/place of employment. In the event the candidate cannot make this representation, they will be expected to disclose in writing to the hiring Dean the circumstances surrounding any formal discipline that they have received, as well as any current or ongoing investigation or disciplinary process of which they are the subject. (Note that discipline includes a negotiated settlement agreement to resolve a matter related to substantiated misconduct.)

Ph.D. (or equivalent foreign degree) in a social science discipline or related interdisciplinary fields such as public health and urban and regional planning; a demonstrated record of research and teaching experience at the university level.

• 3 letters of reference required

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees. Inquiries regarding the University's equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 or by phone at (831) 459-2686.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check (see https://www.uscis.gov/e-verify). The university sponsors employment-based visas for nonresidents who are offered academic appointments at UC Santa Cruz (see https://apo.ucsc.edu/policy/capm/102.530.html).

UCSC is a smoke & tobacco-free campus.

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact Disability Management Services at roberts@ucsc.edu (831) 459-4602.

UCSC is committed to addressing the spousal and partner employment needs of our candidates and employees. As part of this commitment, our institution is a member of the Northern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NorCal HERC). Visit the NorCal HERC website at https://www.hercjobs.org/regions/higher-ed-careers-northern-california/ to search for open positions within a commutable distance of our institution.

The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance. For information about employee benefits please visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

VISIT UC Santa Cruz: https://www.ucsc.edu