Lecturer (Criminal Justice and Legal Studies)

Position Title: Lecturer (Criminal Justice and Legal Studies)

Department: Criminal Justice and Legal Studies

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 January 1,2026.

Position Summary:

Washburn University's School of Applied Studies invites applications for a Lecturer in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies to begin January 1, 2026 or August 1, 2026. This is a 9-month, full-time position with possible conversion to tenure track. A terminal degree in Criminal Justice, or a closely related field, is required for conversion to a 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.

The Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department relies on faculty who have real world experience to help students gain the necessary theoretical, practical, and critical thinking skills to be successful in careers in law enforcement, corrections, security administration, forensic investigations, and the law.

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 non-tenure-track appointment. Teach 12-hours per semester (either in-person or online, according to departmental needs) or equivalent full workload as outlined in the faculty handbook.
• Teach and develop undergraduate classes and seminars as assigned and as dependent upon department needs.
• Fulfill service expectations associated with non-tenure-track appointment by engaging in service activities in the department, university, and profession.
• Provide academic advising to students, hold on-campus office hours at least 3 days per week, in accordance with department policies, attend meetings, and fulfill service expectations.
• If converted to a tenure track position, responsibilities will include scholarly activity.
• Perform additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• A master's degree in Criminal Justice, or a closely related field.
• Occupational experience in the field of criminal justice.
• Demonstrated dedication to developing inclusive teaching practices that engage all learners.
• Official educational transcripts required at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Post-secondary teaching experience in criminal justice, and/or professional settings.
• A terminal degree in Criminal Justice or a closely related field.

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 if available, evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as student or peer evaluations). Contact information for three current professional references and unofficial academic transcripts will be collected as part of the application form.
• If you have questions about the position, please contact Amy Memmer, Chair of the Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department, at amy.memmer@washburn.edu.

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