Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of African American Studies (Race and Sport)

School/Department Name: Department of African American Studies

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 86,000 -$ 90,000.Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 2026

Application Deadline: October 15, 2025 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of African American at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an Assistant Professor with a specialization in Race and Sport beginning in August 2026. For consideration for this position, candidates should have an expertise in the intersections of race, athletics, and social justice. Candidate’s research and teaching interests should explore how sports reflects and shapes broader cultural and political dynamics within American society and African American communities. The successful candidate will teach existing courses in this area with the opportunity to develop additional curriculum, engage in interdisciplinary teaching and research that contributes to the articulation and support of SJSU’s rich legacy of athlete activism in the broader context of the field. Ideally, the candidate’s scholarly and teaching agendas will advance the department’s mission to critically examine Black experiences and advocate for equity through both scholarship and activism.

The Department of African American Studies is a long-standing department with a reputation of excellence in teaching, service, and scholarship. Department faculty include tenure-line and lecturers trained in various disciplines with distinct community and research interests that contribute to a vibrant community of scholars. African American Studies offers an undergraduate major and 2 minor concentrations (African American Studies and Black Women’s Studies). Additionally, African American Studies offers a BA+Master of Arts in Teaching (4+1) degree in connection with the Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education Scholars program. This degree program is designed to prepare graduates to teach History, Social Studies, and Ethnic Studies in California public secondary schools.

Furthermore, African American Studies is one of four departments/programs at SJSU that offers undergraduate courses that fulfills the Ethnic Studies general education requirement.

The African American Studies department in the College of Social Sciences and San José State University value inclusive excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in African American/Africana/Black Studies OR in a related field (i.e. Social Sciences, Humanities or Sciences) from an accredited university.
• Record of scholarly activity in or demonstrated commitment to the area of race and sport.
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence and advising for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Effective communication and collaboration with a range of constituents (e.g. students, community members, faculty colleagues, administrators).
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Strong record of teaching & research excellence and a record of service.
• Willingness to examine and participate in professional development around instructional, relational, and classroom practices to more effectively engage and support historically underserved students.
• An understanding of how historical patterns of exclusion within higher education influence student participation and outcomes.
• Evidence of undergraduate and graduate student mentoring.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will be expected to teach critical departmental survey and/or general education courses as well teach and develop undergraduate courses in their specialty areas.
• The candidate will participate in general education and program assessment.
• The candidate shall maintain an active research agenda.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• The candidate shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advising.
  
  

Other Duties

Note that all San José 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. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). 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.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• inclusive excellence statement (separate statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• three references with contact information

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair: Travis D. Boyce (travis.boyce@sjsu.edu)

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which 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 employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José 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 leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.