Political Science (Tenure Track)

Highline prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and access for all students, staff, and faculty, which is evident in our Mission, Vision, and Values. We are proud to be one of the most diverse colleges in the state and stand committed to the well-being of our global community. Those who come to our college bring unique personal experiences, beliefs, and perspectives and make us better. We strive to provide and highlight resources to support our students, staff, and faculty by fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Highline offers a unique variety of affinity groups for faculty to join; including, the Faculty and Staff of Color Group and LGBTQ Task Force.

We honor and value the dignity of all individuals and encourage all qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to apply.

Please address the following responsibilities in your cover letter. If you don’t have experience in an academic setting, please address them within the context of your professional experience:

• Teaching: Teach courses in Political Science. Teaching assignments may include evening/weekend, online, hybrid, and off-campus sections. Create a welcoming and supportive learning environment and use evidence-based practices to improve the success of diverse students; in collaboration with colleagues, identify and implement strategies designed to close equity gaps experienced by students from historically minoritized groups. Engage in self-reflective practice. Full-time faculty typically teach the equivalent of 15 credits per quarter. 

• Advising/ Coaching/ Mentoring: Work with students outside of class to help them choose courses and get connected with campus and community resources. Participate in professional learning opportunities focused on culturally responsive advising and establishing relationships with students;

• Collaborate with colleagues/participate in shared governance: In collaboration with colleagues, engage in continuous improvement through college-wide assessment processes. Participate in department, division, and other College activities, including College governance. Establish and maintain respectful, ethical, and professional relationships with students and colleagues;

• Professional development/ ongoing professional learning: Engage in ongoing professional learning. This includes remaining current in your discipline and evidence-based practices for culturally response, inclusive, and anti-racist pedagogies.

• MA and/or PhD in Political Science or closely related field, such as Public Administration, International Studies, or Ethnic Studies. For closely related field, transcripts should reflect significant Political Science content.

We desire a candidate with one or more of the following qualifications.  We expect the successful candidate to have only some of these qualifications. If these are not evident in your resume, be sure to discuss them in your cover letter:

• Experience with dull-enrollment or high school instruction;

• Working knowledge of the politics of social groups historically alienated from the American political system (i.e. working class, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ);

• Ability to teach Political Science courses (i.e. Introduction to Political Science, American Government);

• Proficient in language(s) in addition to English.

Highline College welcomes faculty with a commitment to excellence in teaching and the success of all students. HC faculty value self-reflective practice and continued professional growth. We strive to cultivate a welcoming and supportive learning environment for our diverse students, including a significant number of students who transition from our very large non-credit ESL program to credit-bearing certificate and degree programs. Candidates representing all aspects of diversity are encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to use equity-minded approaches to teaching and learning for racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students, including designing curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments relevant to students; valuing what students already know; and empowering students to demonstrate knowledge in multiple ways as appropriate for Political Science. 

Candidates should be able and excited to teach a range of lower-division political science courses such as American Government, State and Local Government, and Introduction to Political Science. Ability to teach courses in Ethic and Gender Studies would also be an asset.

• Robust support for innovative teaching, learning, and scholarship;

• A friendly, supportive, and highly engaged work environment with diverse colleagues;

• Support for continued professional growth, including conference funding, internal curriculum development grants, annual professional development events, and established community partnerships. 

All Highline College faculty have the opportunity to engage labor issues and collectively bargain through the Highline College Education Association, a faculty union affiliated with the Washington Education Association.

We welcome applications from outside of Washington State. Applicants invited to an on-campus interview may be eligible for a stipend to help offset the cost of travel. 

1. Cover Letter: Letter of formal application that addresses how your experience and education qualify you to perform the professional responsibilities listed above.

2. Supplemental Question: Tell us about an experience you have had in the classroom or in your workplace where you were made uncomfortable by circumstances surrounding diversity. How did you handle it? Reflect on your discomfort using your own, and your student or colleagues’ social identities as context. What changes did you make to your practice or work strategies based on that experience? How did it help you grow in your teaching and /or broaden your perspective? Effective responses will demonstrate awareness of your social identities, knowledge of students or others with whom you've worked, and examples of strategies you have used to support equitable and inclusive classrooms or places of work.

Note: If your previous experiences do not involve working with students, you are encouraged to frame your responses to this question using your experiences working in the field and/or how this informs your vision of becoming an educator.

3. Curriculum Vitae: Detailed curriculum vitae (resume) of all relevant educational and professional experience, including a listing of courses taught. Be sure your resume demonstrates that you meet the minimum qualifications.

4. Transcripts: Unofficial copies of all college and university transcripts that include degree received and confer date. International transcripts MUST include a foreign transcript evaluation by an approved credential evaluation service: https://www.naces.org/members. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for your application;

5. References: A list of four current professional references with name, relationship to candidate, address, email address, and telephone number. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted in lieu of a list of professional references. References should not include immediate family members.

All correspondence regarding your application status will be sent to the email address associated with your NeoGov account. Please make sure to check your spam folder periodically, in the case of an incorrect delivery.

Should you have any difficulties uploading your documents or navigating the application process, please contact NEOGOV Technical Support at 1-855-524-5627, Monday - Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pacific Time.

Highline College is an equal-opportunity employer. The College is committed to enhancing the diversity of our faculty and staff, as well as our student population. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientations, and gender identity diversity. We strongly encourage applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

The College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants needing accommodations in the application process in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources office at (206) 592-3812. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may dial 711 to place a call through Washington Relay, the state's free telecommunication access service.

Salary : $79,604 - $90,902