Job Title
Professor & Department Head – English and LanguagesAgency
Tarleton State University
Department
College of Liberal & Fine Arts
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
Stephenville, Texas
Job Type
Faculty
Job Description
Lead with vision and inspire the next generation of scholars as the Professor and Department Head in the Department of English and Languages at Tarleton State University, where your leadership will shape the future of academic excellence and innovation.
The Department of English and Languages in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at Tarleton State University invites highly qualified and enthusiastic candidates to apply for the position of Professor and Department Head with a proposed hire date of Fall 2025.
This is a 12-month position, eligible for tenure upon approval by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, and is located on Tarleton’s main campus in Stephenville, Texas. Work hours: Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work and teaching requirements indicate. May be required to teach at other campuses or online at the institution’s discretion.
The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellence and innovation in teaching, maintain an impactful scholarly agenda, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and participate in the necessary operation of the institution.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
70% Administration: The Department Head is responsible for providing leadership and support for the faculty and staff within the department, while also collaborating with other administrators across the university.
- Oversee several departmental services: University Writing Center, Writing Intensive Program, and the First-Year Writing/Composition Initiative.
- Support the Texas Folklore Society and work with its Director as needed
- Collaborate with appropriate offices for departmental reading/writing course(s) in the Developmental Education/TSI program.
- Lead efforts to recruit, retain, and support faculty in advancing their teaching and research agendas.
- Appropriately assign faculty teaching assignments and monitor faculty workload.
- Promote faculty and staff professional development opportunities.
- Evaluate faculty/staff in the department to ensure performance meets and/or exceeds the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and departmental criteria for annual performance reviews, midpoint reviews, tenure & promotion, and post-tenure reviews.
- Implement mentoring and faculty development support systems to promote success related to annual performance reviews, course/syllabi reviews, and tenure & promotion.
- Organize and lead regular faculty meetings to encourage shared governance and to ensure timely communication and compliance with school/college/university information and priorities.
- Foster and support faculty members to achieve and maintain qualities most valued by the academic community: teaching excellence, professional and scholarly development, and commitment to university and community service.
- Participate in student recruitment and retention initiatives to ensure strategic growth of the department aligns with the school and college missions.
- Develop the schedule of courses for each academic term with the goals of successful student progression.
- Ensure curriculum changes are initiated and processed through appropriate channels according to university policy and procedures.
- Facilitate periodic program reviews by assessing and evaluating curriculum and resource needs for assigned program(s).
- Work closely with the Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts to ensure good fiscal stewardship, sound budget development, and management.
- Strong team mentality and willingness to collaborate with other department heads to support a comprehensive vision within the existing academic degrees.
- Perform other duties as required for the success of the department, school, college, and university.
20% Teaching and Service:
- Plan, prepare, and deliver lectures, seminars, and/or laboratory offerings to undergraduate and/or graduate students, which may include general education core curriculum.
- Develop course syllabi, select instructional materials, and design assessments such as exams, quizzes, papers, etc.
- Assess student performance, provide timely feedback, and evaluate student learning outcomes to inform teaching practices and curriculum improvements.
- Engage students in active learning, foster critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
- Provide academic support and guidance to students through office hours, feedback on assignments, and mentoring.
- Adhere to university policies, academic integrity standards, and accreditation requirements related to teaching responsibilities.
- Incorporate innovative teaching methods, technologies, and pedagogical approaches to enhance student learning and engagement.
- Engage in ongoing professional development activities to stay current in the field, improve teaching skills, and explore new instructional strategies.
- Collaborate with colleagues, departmental faculty, and university staff to coordinate course offerings, share resources, and contribute to program development and improvement.
- Participate in institutional service roles including but not limited to, college committees, advisory committees, student/faculty recruitment, and mentoring of new and part-time faculty.
10% Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity:
- Maintain an active agenda for research, scholarship, or creative activity appropriate to the applicant’s academic discipline.
- Make original contributions to the advancement of knowledge/creative expression in the applicant’s discipline through scholarly publication, presentation, or exhibition.
- Demonstrate potential for external funding, national impact, or professional recognition.
Minimum Requirements:
- Earned Ph.D. in English or a closely related field such as Rhetoric, Linguistics, Technical Communication, or Comparative Literature/Humanities with an English concentration, from an accredited university
- Must have a distinguished record that warrants a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor.
- Eligibility for tenure will be determined by reviewing the candidate’s record of years of experience and professional achievements in teaching, service, and research consistent with the Texas A&M system guidance. ***Tenure upon arrival will be pending approval from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
Preferred Requirements:
- Administrative and leadership experience
- Previous experience as department head/chair at the college/university level or experience in supervisory/management position(s) in the academic arena.
- Demonstrated ability to use and understand data to inform strategic planning and decision-making for the department.
- Strong evidence of ability to set operational goals from strategic plans and lead direct reports to accomplish these strategic goals and initiatives.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge and understanding of disciplinary subject matter at a level adequate for graduate-level instruction; written and oral communication skills sufficient to conduct effective teaching and research activities; ability to interact with students, staff, and faculty in a professional, collegial, and collaborative manner.
- Commensurate with experience
The target base annual salary is $109,000 commensurate with experience and may be negotiable based on funding availability and candidate experience/skillset in relation to the minimum requirements of this position. Tarleton State University offers a career filled with purpose and opportunity in addition to competitive wages. As part of the Tarleton family, the following benefits are also available to full time and qualifying part time employees:
Educational Benefits – employee perks that help enrich, grow, and foster career and professional development:
- Family Education Benefit (Tuition Scholarship) – scholarship opportunities for Tarleton employees, their spouses, or their dependents available after 6 months of continued full-time employment. Click the link to learn more about this incredible Texan benefit!
- Doctoral Educational Assistance – Full-time budgeted employees at all A&M System Universities, Agencies, and System Offices are qualified for reimbursement of tuition and mandatory fees. Eligibility: This program is applicable to the pursuit of a first doctorate degree only to full-time, budgeted employees who have been in a position no less than 2 long semesters. Click the link for additional details!
Employee Health, Wellness, and Financial Planning
- Fully covered employee health insurance
- Reimbursement of Insurance Premium Deductions! The State of Texas contributes to eligible employees’ insurance coverages as of the 1st day of the month following 60 days of employment in an eligible position. For those who elect coverage PRIOR to the first of the month after 60 days of employment, Tarleton State University will reimburse employees the State contribution towards health coverage during those first 60 days.
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Retirement and Insurance programs
Paid Leave
Tarleton employees enjoy one of the greatest PTO packages in the area!
- Paid sick leave
- Holiday pay
- Vacation
- Longevity pay
- Paid Birthday Leave – Tarleton State University awards all leave-eligible employees paid time off for their birthday!
Other
- Complimentary tickets to all Athletic and Performing Fine Arts events
- Tarleton Employees enjoy two complimentary general admission tickets for athletics and performing fine arts events on campus! Join Texan Nation on the bleachers or in the auditorium.
- Employee Wellness Release Time
Application Procedure:
During the application process applicants have one opportunity to enter the requested information, upload documents, and Submit the application. Applicants will not be able to make changes or add additional documents once the application materials have been submitted via the “Submit” action.
Employment applications must include (required):
- Completed online application
- Cover Letter / Letter of Interest addressing qualifications
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume
- At least 3 current professional references and their full contact information
- Unofficial transcripts
Applications received by Tarleton State University must have all job application data entered. Failure to provide all job application data could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. “See resume” is not an acceptable entry in the job application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Official transcripts must be received directly from each degree‐granting institution prior to a letter of appointment being issued.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.
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