Assistant Professor of Kinesiology/Sport Leadership & Management

Description

Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse, sustainable, and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching, scholarship and practice. 

At Pacific University we thrive in an extraordinary environment, surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest, with campus locations in Forest Grove, Hillsboro, and  Eugene. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live, work, teach, acquire and share knowledge.

Tenure-Track Position in Kinesiology

The Kinesiology Department of Pacific University invites applications for a tenure-track, full-time position beginning the 2025-26 academic year.

The Position and the Institution

We invite applications for a tenure-track position in the Kinesiology Department at Pacific University. We seek a new colleague at the Assistant Professor rank (Associate Professor rank may be considered) who brings promise for excellence in both teaching and mentorship of undergraduate researchers. We encourage applications from individuals of all identities and backgrounds and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace where everyone feels respected and valued.

Candidates should have specialization in one or more of the following areas: Strategic Management in Athletics, Sport and/or Recreation, Program Planning, Health, Fitness and/or Sport Analytics, Performance Assessment and Enhancement, or other related fields. Responsibilities for this position include teaching a variety of introductory and upper-level courses in both the Sport Leadership & Management and Kinesiology programs and core undergraduate curriculum and preparing students for careers in a dynamic professional field through both academic and experiential learning, maintaining an active and productive research program. The successful candidate will also be expected to develop and introduce new courses in their area of expertise to the curriculum, demonstrate a strong commitment to the values and principles of a liberal arts education, and collaborate effectively with colleagues within the department and across the university.

Appointment: This is a full-time, 9-month position (FTE 1.0) that will begin in August 2025.

Teaching expectations: We seek candidates who have potential for excellence in teaching, which is a critical focus of our faculty. We seek a new colleague who can contribute to creating engaging and inclusive learning environments for our student body: more than 20% of our students are first-generation college students, we are designated as an Asian American Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and we are pursuing status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with 18% of current undergraduates and 20% of the incoming class identifying as Latino/a/x/e. As a department, we explore and support innovative and inclusive pedagogical approaches that will help us meet those goals.

Specific teaching responsibilities include both core departmental courses and upper-division electives, taught on a rotating basis. Pacific faculty typically teach 5-6 classes per year (2 and 4-credit courses), which are spread across fall, winter (Jan term), and spring terms. Interest and/or expertise in teaching some of the following courses is valued: Introduction to Sport and Recreation Management; the subdisciplines of Kinesiology; Facility and Event Management; Program Development and Design; Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation; Sport and Activity Leadership; supervision of adult fitness practicum, field experience, and senior capstone students; and university core courses as needed. In addition, all tenure-track faculty are expected to serve as academic advisors and contribute in meaningful ways to departmental and university-wide service beginning in year two.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a PhD in sport management, kinesiology, or a closely related field by the beginning of the academic year. Demonstrated teaching effectiveness, a strong commitment to student engagement, and evidence of ability to engage in a promising research agenda is essential.

Candidates with experience in the sports or fitness industry, particularly in overseeing the management of athletic facilities and programs, are highly desirable. Familiarity with coordinating events, optimizing facility operations, and ensuring high-quality services for athletes and the broader community is preferred. Additionally, the ability to lead initiatives aimed at enhancing program efficiency, participant engagement, and overall performance is highly valued.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment Visa for this position at this time.

Who we are: Pacific University is an independent, comprehensive university in Forest Grove and Hillsboro, Oregon (about 25 miles west of Portland). The Kinesiology Department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences (ca. 1400 students, located in Forest Grove), a liberal arts undergraduate college where faculty and staff are committed to an intimate, culturally responsive, and personalized education. The University also includes a College of Health Professions (including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Pharmacy, Dental Science, and Professional Psychology), a College of Optometry, a College of Education, and a College of Business.

The Department of Kinesiology houses the Sport Leadership and Management and Kinesiology undergraduate majors, which are among the largest and fastest-growing programs at Pacific University. We are committed to learning through discovery in the classroom, laboratory, and the field. Many of our graduates pursue graduate or professional study in the health sciences or careers in teaching, fitness, and recreation.

Interdisciplinary opportunities: Pacific has many programs that intersect with the Kinesiology Department for teaching and research, including (but not limited to) Public Health, Sports Communication and Data Science. Faculty in the School of Natural Sciences have also collaborated on research with faculty in the College of Health Professions and the College of Education, as well as colleagues within our school, in other schools within the College of Arts and Sciences, and at other institutions.

The Forest Grove area: Pacific University is located in Forest Grove, OR, a town of around 25,000. The town is home to some of the state’s oldest and most respected wineries, but you’ll also be able to find an abundance of local beer, kombucha, sake, artisan sourdough bread, and local farm-fresh produce. May through October there is a Wednesday farmer’s market in the small but vibrant downtown area. Forest Grove is within the TriMet district and is served by a public bus line which operates 7 days per week. Pacific University has been the most distinctive aspect of the town throughout its history, and Old College Hall on campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Forest Grove is within a 30-minute or less driving distance of downtowns for Portland, Beaverton, and Hillsboro. Forest Grove also provides easy access to many exceptional natural areas for a variety of outdoor activities (hiking, biking, surfing, climbing, etc.), including the Cascade and Coastal Mountain Ranges, volcanos, rivers, lakes, high deserts, and the Oregon Coast.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion: Pacific University is committed to improving practices and university structures to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion. The University’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) provides leadership and facilitates forming partnerships to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus for all to prosper. The primary role of the OEDI is to lead and manage an institution-wide effort to support and further develop a diverse community of faculty, students, and staff at Pacific University through development and programming that fosters equity and inclusion in the broadest sense possible.

Detailed Application Instructions

Please upload all application materials through PayCom. The details below are intended to help you prepare your best application. To standardize the review process, material beyond page limits will not be reviewed.

To facilitate our review, please combine all application materials into a single file (.doc or .pdf), in the order listed below. The application materials include:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages) describes your candidacy, addressing your training, experience, knowledge, and skills to demonstrate how you will succeed at Pacific. Specifically, embed your approach to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion as you discuss:
  • Your interest in a Kinesiology faculty position at an undergraduate-serving liberal arts institution like Pacific University.
  • Your approach to mentoring undergraduate researchers, with attention to supporting students from diverse backgrounds.
  • Identify one or two possible special topics courses that you would be interested in teaching within the Kinesiology and/or Sport Leadership & Management programs. Describe your ability or potential to teach one of the classes you identify, including how your teaching methods are inclusive and culturally responsive.

• A CV (no page limit). Summarize your educational and professional experiences and accomplishments.

• A brief teaching statement (maximum 2 pages) that addresses your approach(es) to teaching, including strategies you use to engage undergraduates with learning and to create a culturally responsive learning environment. We are interested in details about teaching you have done (especially any examples where you were in charge of designing activities, modules, or classes), as well as ideas you have from pedagogical training (e.g., workshops, Future Faculty-style courses, etc.). Descriptions of activities, assignments, examples of teaching practices, or pedagogical trainings should include explanations for how they enhance student learning and belong for all students. While teaching experience of some kind is required, we are also interested in the promise of excellence in teaching at Pacific. Thus, you may discuss both approaches you have used (successful or not) and ones you would like to try.

• A research statement (maximum 2 pages) that describes a plan for your research program at Pacific, at least for the pre-tenure years. Please focus on future plans, though of course you may also review prior work and accomplishments briefly. Highlight any approaches that enhance accessibility or inclusion in your research. Specifically, address the following (in any order/format):
  • What question(s) will you address, and why are they significant?
  • How are you prepared to address them?
  • What approach(es) will you use?
  • What resources at Pacific will you need to carry out this program?
  • How will undergraduates be involved in your research, over the summer or during the academic year?

• Unofficial graduate transcripts. These may be a separate file, if needed.

• Names and contact information for three references who can address your teaching experience and potential, your potential for establishing a successful research program with undergraduates at a liberal arts college, and (or) your EDI values and alignment with Pacific’s mission. We will contact these letter-writers directly for short-listed candidates later in the review process.

Review process: The search committee will include several Kinesiology faculty, one non-Kinesiology science faculty, one faculty from outside of the sciences, two Pacific students, and a non-voting administrator who is responsible for ensuring equity in the review process. All applications will be initially reviewed using a rubric that includes teaching experience, ability or potential to teach, research experience, experience or promise in mentoring undergraduates in research, potential for success of research program at Pacific, preparation to teach a diverse student body, and commitment to service or community engagement. Contact Department Chair Dr. Katie Dolphin (kdolphin@pacificu.edu) with questions.

Review of applications will begin December 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.

At Pacific University we are dedicated to providing experiences that are authentic, holistic, equity minded, and responsive. We continue to develop our equity practices with a particular focus on racial equity.

For qualifying employees, our benefits include generous paid time off for vacation, holidays (including winter break) and sick leave. We offer medical coverage with alternative care (in-network services covered at 100% after payroll deduction), comprehensive dental, vision plans, 9% contribution to retirement after one year of service with no match required, free mental health appointments, and tuition remission for employees and their dependents. We cover employer paid life, short term disability, and long term disability insurance. On campus benefits include free access to our sports facility and library, with discounts on campus food, bookstore purchases, clinic services, and gear rentals through our outdoor program (kayaks, snow shoes, bikes and more).

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.  Studies have shown that candidates that are female and/or BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications they find in the job description. We are seeking the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be a person who comes from a less traditional background. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every minimum qualification described or are unsure if your experience could be considered related experience.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

It is the policy of Pacific University not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military, veteran or Vietnam Era status, or any other protected classification recognized by applicable law, in admission, access to, or treatment in employment, educational programs or activities as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or any other applicable state or federal law, or city ordinance. Questions or complaints may be directed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, provost@pacificu.edu.

Application materials will be screened and interview candidates will be selected and notified by telephone.  The hiring process normally consists of several interviews and can last several weeks depending on the position.  All applicants will be notified once the position is filled.  Employment is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.