Temporary Assistant Professor in Higher Ed Leadership

Position Summary:

The Department of Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Special Education (ELCSE) in the College of Education and Behavioral Science at Arkansas State University offers a fully online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership, housed in the Center for Excellence in Education. The program has a P-12 track and a Higher Education Leadership track. It serves practitioner-scholars, most of whom work full-time as leaders in schools, colleges, and universities.

Our program is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED). Students complete a dissertation focused on real problems in their own organizations. The department also offers master’s, specialist, and graduate certificate programs in educational leadership and related fields.

Applicants are invited to apply for a 12-month, non-tenure-track Assistant Professor position with an anticipated start date of January 4, 2027. We're looking for a higher education scholar-practitioner who has real-world leadership experience and a strong grounding in applied research methods. This faculty member will teach doctoral courses, chair and serve on dissertation committees, and help students design rigorous, ethical, practical research that improves their institutions.

Candidates will teach in the Doctoral Program in Higher Education Leadership, which is a fully online program. The successful candidate will be a strong collaborator and have a desire to connect with colleagues and build relationships to ensure a strong program. The ideal candidate will have experience developing and teaching doctoral-level courses, chairing and serving on dissertation committees, advising and mentoring program students, and being involved in appropriate activities for the maintenance and continuous improvement of the program, particularly as our program aligns with its membership in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED). Candidates are expected to be well-versed in research methods, higher education leadership practices, policy and law, finance, and research. We’re looking for someone who brings a positive, solutions-focused, “let’s figure it out” approach and communicates promptly and openly with colleagues and students.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Teaching

• Develop and teach online doctoral courses for practitioner-scholars in Canvas, including courses in higher education leadership and applied research methods
• Facilitate engaging, high-quality online learning experiences aligned with college and university distance education standards
• Provide timely, substantive, and constructive feedback on student work
• Maintain a consistent, visible presence in asynchronous and synchronous course environments

Dissertation Support and Advising

• Chair and serve on dissertation committees
• Collaborate with committee members to support steady student progress
• Advise and mentor doctoral students
• Support ethical and rigorous research practices, including IRB and data integrity standards

Program Service

• Work collaboratively with faculty in the Ed.D. and other department programs
• Participate in virtual program, department, and college faculty meetings
• Contribute to program initiatives, including curriculum development, assessment and continuous improvement aligned with CPED principles
• Maintain Graduate Faculty status in accordance with university policy
• Other duties as assigned

Technology and Remote Work Expectations

• Deliver instruction and communication via Canvas and Microsoft Teams
• Maintain regular virtual presence
• Adhere to FERPA and data security policies

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Expertise in higher education leadership, including areas such as policy, law, finance and organizational practice

• Strong background in research methods (quantitative, qualitative and/or mixed methods), especially applied and practitioner-oriented research

• Ability to explain complex concepts clearly to adult learners

• Experience supporting diverse graduate students in online environments

• Commitment to the learning and development needs of students earning their degrees at a distance

• Ability to guide and supervise graduate-level student research

General Days/Hours:

Primarily Monday- Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, with additional hours as requested and/or needed

Regular and reliable attendance

Other:

Please note: all position postings close at 12:00 A.M. CST on the position closing date

Faculty are expected to provide timely feedback (typically within 24 hours), maintain availability for doctoral students, and support a flexible schedule including evening or limited weekend engagement.

This position has been identified as a telecommuting position.  The duties are performed during standard work hours of 8am-5pm at a predefined and approved work location.  Individuals filling this role must have dedicated work space that provides privacy and security related to the work being performed.  Additionally, individuals must have secure internet access with appropriate upload/download capabilities to perform the duties associated with the position.  Individuals in this position will be required to review and acknowledge the Telecommuting Guidelines and Telecommuting Agreement for A-State.

Location Requirement:  To be considered for this position, candidates must reside in Arkansas or a state that shares a border with Arkansas (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, or Oklahoma.  This residency requirement supports team collaboration, regional knowledge, and occasional in-person engagement as needed.


Please attach the following to your application:

· Application letter
· Curriculum vitae
· Copy of graduate transcripts
· Professional references

This position emphasizes teaching and doctoral support. There are no formal research publication requirements; however, scholarly engagement is encouraged where appropriate and required to obtain/maintain Graduate Faculty Status.

Minimum Qualifications:

Doctoral degree from an accredited university with a focus on Higher Education Administration or a related field


Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional leadership experience in higher education (e.g., student affairs, academic affairs, enrollment management, finance or institutional research)
• Experience teaching graduate-level courses, particularly online
• Experience chairing and/or serving on dissertation committees
• Familiarity with Ed.D. programs, CPED principles, the Dissertation in Practice or improvement science
• Experience teaching or designing courses in Canvas