Department Summary
The Humanities Department at SJSU is a prominent center for creative, critical, interdisciplinary study and research. We offer three undergraduate degree programs: the Liberal Studies Teacher Preparation B.A.; the Creative Arts B.A.; and the Humanities B.A., in which students pursue a concentration in American Studies, Liberal Arts, or Comparative Religious Studies. The Department is also home to the Humanities Honors Program, which has both lower and upper-division Humanities Honors GE course sequences.
San José State University is a teaching-centered institution that is a national leader in graduating historically underserved students. SJSU has achieved both HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and AANAPISI (Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution) status. Moreover, 40% of our student population are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell-qualified. As a result, we are ranked #1—as the most transformational university in the country.
A General Note about Our Curriculum: In all of our programs, we seek to understand the profound questions about what it means to be human, while contextualizing those questions in time, place, and culture, as well as within institutions of education. We explore questions about conflict, injustice, inequality, as well as questions of beauty and meaning and creative expression. We push the boundaries of humanistic studies into environmental humanities and digital humanities. Liberal Studies Teacher Preparation majors base their training to become teachers of K-8 grade students upon a foundation in critical humanistic study.
Learn more about our department at our website .
Brief Description of Duties
Teach a range of courses in the Comparative Religious Studies concentration of the Humanities BA, including courses that meet General Education requirements (e.g., RELS70 World Religions and RELS191 Religion in America), as well as upper division Religious Studies courses that fulfill requirements for students across all three Humanities Concentrations (e.g., RELS 145 Middle Eastern Traditions and RELS 114 Legacy of Asia). Depending on your experience and expertise, there may be opportunities to teach our Humanities Core courses for majors as well as other Humanities or American Studies courses.
- Demonstrate awareness of and address the needs of a student population of great diversity–including age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation–through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.
- Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
- All classes must be offered and meet as scheduled throughout the entire semester or term, in the mode assigned and listed in the schedule of classes (i.e., asynchronous, synchronous, bichronous, in-person, or hybrid).
Required Qualifications
- ABD (All but dissertation) or Ph.D. in Religious Studies or with a specialization in Religion within a related field, e.g., American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Women’s/Gender Studies, Literature, History, Environmental Humanities, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.
- Demonstrated strong college level teaching skills and experience required.
- Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a multicultural population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching and other comparable experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Interest in and record of scholarly activity desirable.
Compensation
Compensation and salary range placement are determined by qualifications and experience. To learn more about range placement, please see University Policy S21-2 .
Anticipated starting salary:
L-A / Range 2 - $5507 - $5959
L-B / Range 3 - $6221 - $7481
L-C / Range 4 - $6825 - $9431
L-D / Range 5 - $8593 - $10347
Range salaries above are the anticipated monthly salary rate of full-time AY faculty--part-time rates are prorated. There are 6 monthly payments per semester (full-time AY annual salary = rate x 12). See the Faculty Salary Schedule for more information.
Application Procedure
Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:
- CV
- Cover Letter
- List of at least three (3) or as many as five (5) references
- Statement of Teaching Philosophy (optional)
- Statement of Expertise, including professional experience, and list of courses you are qualified to teach
This is a continuing open position.
Employment Conditions
Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., preventing discrimination and harassment, gender equity and Title IX, health and safety). Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, the faculty member in this position will be subject to ongoing review for designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). Individuals designated as Campus Security Authorities are required to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution and to complete Clery Act training as determined by the University Clery Director.
Conditional Offer
The work for this faculty position is located in the State of California and requires commuting to the campus. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Offers of employment are conditional, and may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Appointment is contingent upon budget and enrollment considerations and subject to order of assignment provisions in the collective bargaining agreement between California State University and California Faculty Association. These provisions state the order in which available courses must be assigned to faculty, starting with tenure line faculty and ending with new lecturer appointees.
San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley—one of the most innovative and diverse regions in the world—San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a national leader in transformative higher education, San José State University is an essential contributor to the economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU ranks high nationally in research funding and is second highest in research productivity in the CSU system.
Equal Employment Statement
San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at
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