Department Summary
The School of Social Work is looking for qualified, enthusiastic, and dedicated instructors to teach courses in our CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BASW) and/or Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs (both the On-Campus and the Online/Hybrid programs). The BASW and MSW main curricular areas include: (1) social work history and policy, human behavior in the social environment, practice, research, and field education. The areas of interest in our MSW program include: (1) children, youth, and families, (2) mental health, and (3) health and aging. We also have a range of electives as well as specialized training in child welfare, integrated behavioral health, school social work, and adult protective services.
The School of Social Work at San Jose State University recently reached its 50th Anniversary and is currently the largest social work program by enrollment in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our Transcultural Perspective is at the heart of our mission, and we are committed to social justice and to addressing the changing needs of diverse communities through education, research, and service.
Please visit our School of Social Work website ( and the SJSU catalog ( for more details about our programs and curriculum.
Brief Description of Duties
Lecturers are responsible for effective curriculum preparation and teaching of courses in alignment with our School's vision and mission including our Transcultural Perspective, syllabus and accessibility compliance, use of Canvas as the primary learning management system, review and grading of assignments and work, holding office hours, texts and readings, overall support of student learning and professional development, and working collaboratively with faculty and staff to promote student success. Lecturers will also need to attend meetings necessary to teach effectively the course and content areas they are assigned, and also support activities and preparation needed to maintain accreditation.
Other duties:
- 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), the official LMS provided for the SJSU community. All classes at SJSU, whether online or not, must be anchored in the Canvas platform to ensure faculty-student connection in a common space as all students are directed to log in to Canvas for online access to their classes. You will have access to this system prior to the semester start date.
- 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
Candidates must have at least an MSW from a CSWE-accredited graduate social work program plus less than two years university teaching experience in a CSWE-accredited social work program. In addition, required qualifications include:
- Knowledge of the subject matter of the discipline to which the individual is assigned;
- Evidence of effective teaching and mentoring;
- Ability to teach and evaluate effectively adult learners;
- Social work practice experience (required for teaching practice courses);
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills;
- Demonstrated ability to be collegial and collaborative;
- Good communication skills (written and oral)
- 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
- Demonstrated working knowledge of the trends in the social work profession in the context of diversity and globalization, including specializations with certain cultural and/or language groups;
- Ability to teach in online and in-person formats;
- Proficiency with computers, software, and technology;
- Experience with multimedia and social media relevant to teaching
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
There are two main procedures to apply. These lecturer positions are continuing open positions, and availability of courses to teach varies considerably each semester.
First, click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:
- CV
- Cover Letter/Letter of Interest
- Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Approach to Diversity
- Statement of Expertise, including professional experience, courses you are qualified to teach
- List of at least three (3) or as many as five (5) references
Second, in addition to SJSU procedures, please complete the SJSU School of Social Work Instructor Interest Form, and also email Dr. Peter Allen Lee ( ) with any questions or additional information.
To receive full consideration, applications should complete both.
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 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. Questions regarding CSA designation and training can be sent to the Clery Director at The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.
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 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 Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose 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. Cutting-edge research, combined with world-class scholarship, student-centered learning opportunities, and experiential and interdisciplinary programs, allows SJSU to provide transformative opportunities that advance the public good locally and globally.
San Jose State enrolls more than 36,000 students - many are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university's commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San Jose State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and community can benefit from different and divergent cultural and identity perspectives.
Equal Employment Statement
San Jose 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 Jose State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Note that all San Jose State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification
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. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San Jose State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. 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
Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is also available for viewing at The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at
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