Assistant Professor (Education)

Position Title: Assistant Professor (Education)

Department: Education

Campus Location: Washburn University

Application Deadline:  Application review will begin as applications are received and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants can be assured of full consideration if submitted by March 7, 2026.

Position Summary:

Washburn University's Department of Education invites applications for an assistant professor to begin August 2026. This is a 9-month tenure track position.

Each selected candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to pursuing teaching excellence at Washburn University, including a dedication to developing inclusive teaching practices that engage all learners. 

About Washburn University: 

Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of over 5,500 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a robust learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

Essential Functions:
• Fulfill teaching expectations associated with tenure-track appointment. Teach 12 hours per semester (either in-person, hybrid, or online, according to departmental needs) or equivalent full workload as outlined in the faculty handbook. (Note: This is an in-person position. The successful candidate will be expected to be present on the Washburn Campus according to the workload outlined in the faculty handbook and as determined by the Education Department and School of Applied Studies guidelines.)
• Teach and develop undergraduate and graduate classes and seminars as assigned and as dependent upon department needs, which may include graduate and undergraduate special education courses, undergraduate core education courses, or some combination of classes consistent with the candidate’s training and interests.
• Fulfill service expectations associated with tenure track appointment by engaging in service activities in the department, school, university, and profession.
• Fulfill scholarship expectations associated with a tenure-track appointment.
• Perform additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Earned doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction or Education (ABD will be considered with completion of the doctorate by May 2027).
• Expertise appropriate to teach courses in areas such as teaching practices that support all learners, classroom management, and educational psychology.
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: literacy, early childhood education, or educational technology.
• Demonstrated dedication to developing instruction designed to engage all learners.
• Official educational transcripts required at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Evidence of a collaborative mindset and willingness to communicate, support, and work with faculty and staff within the department and across disciplines.
• Experience with higher education curriculum development and assessment individually and collaboratively.
• Evidence of service to the profession, including committee work, advising students, and meaningful participation and leadership in educational events.
• Experience teaching in hybrid, in-person, or online environments at a post-secondary institution.
• Evidence of successful collaboration with pre-k, elementary, middle, and/or secondary faculty and staff within the school setting.
• Evidence of scholarly work related to the field of education.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

• Please upload the following items as a pdf to the “additional document” field via the electronic application: a statement of teaching philosophy, examples of collegiality and inclusivity (such as letters from colleagues or students), and, if available, evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as official copies of teaching evaluations).
• The cover letter should explain your interest in this position at Washburn University.
• Contact information for three current professional references will be collected as part of the application form.
• Questions pertaining to this recruitment may be directed to department chair, Dr. Cherry Steffen cherry.steffen@washburn.edu.

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