What are the responsibilities and job description for the Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science position at St. Mary's University?
The Department of Political Science at St. Mary's University is conducting a search for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor faculty position to begin August 2025. The desired applicant should hold a Ph.D. (or be ABD) in political science from an accredited university with a concentration in American politics and a subfield expertise in public law, specifically constitutional law and judicial politics. A secondary subfield in political behavior, theory, civil rights and voting rights, or media and politics is welcome. The ideal candidate will also have some post-secondary teaching experience. Pending budgetary approval, the Department intends to conduct a search for a tenure-track position in these fields of study with a start date of August 2026.
The expected teaching load is four courses per semester. In addition to teaching introductory political science courses, the applicant should be able to offer upper-division undergraduate courses in public law, specifically constitutional law and judicial politics.
The Department of Political Science is the civic conscience of the University and fosters the building of civil society through the education of the whole student with a commitment to civic engagement and a focus on justice and service to society. To fulfill this role, the Department offers a Civic Engagement and Social Action course, which is required of majors and an option for the partial fulfillment of the social science core curriculum requirement. The Department resides in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the largest of the University's undergraduate schools.
St. Mary's University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence: www.stmarytx.edu/about. St. Mary's is the oldest Catholic university in the Southwest and continues to advocate the Marianist mission. St. Mary's enrolls approximately 3,500 students in a diverse university with four schools, more than 40 academic programs including Ph.D. and J.D. programs, and numerous pre-professional programs. The successful candidate is expected to support and contribute to the University's Marianist educational mission.
Applications can be found at http://stmarytx.applicantpro.com/jobs/ with the option to upload all supporting documents electronically. Along with the employment application, also submit: (1) a letter of application addressing interest in position; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) an unofficial* graduate transcript confirming the doctoral degree or progress towards the doctoral degree; (4) a statement of teaching philosophy; and (5) evidence of teaching excellence. A research statement is optional, and if included should discuss how the applicant's research informs their teaching. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a clear background check and receipt of an official transcript* confirming progress towards or completion of doctoral studies.
Two letters of reference should be sent by email directly to the chair of the search committee-Dr. Leona Pallansch, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Pre-Law, lpallansch@stmarytx.edu.
St. Mary's University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.
