Professor & Department Head - English and Languages

Job Title

Professor & Department Head - English and Languages

Agency

Tarleton State University

Department

College of Liberal & Fine Arts

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Stephenville, Texas

Job Type

Faculty



Lead with vision and inspire the next generation of scholars as the Professor and Department Head in the Department of English and Languages at Tarleton State University, where your leadership will shape the future of academic excellence and innovation.

The Department of English and Languages ( in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at Tarleton State University invites highly qualified and enthusiastic candidates to apply for the position of Professor and Department Head with a proposed hire date of Fall 2025.

This is a 12-month position, eligible for tenure upon approval by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, and is located on Tarleton's main campus in Stephenville, Texas. Work hours: Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work and teaching requirements indicate. May be required to teach at other campuses or online at the institution's discretion.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellence and innovation in teaching, maintain an impactful scholarly agenda, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and participate in the necessary operation of the institution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

70% Administration: The Department Head is responsible for providing leadership and support for the faculty and staff within the department, while also collaborating with other administrators across the university.

Oversee several departmental services: University Writing Center, Writing Intensive Program, and the First-Year Writing/Composition Initiative.

Support the Texas Folklore Society and work with its Director as needed

Collaborate with appropriate offices for departmental reading/writing course(s) in the Developmental Education/TSI program.

Lead efforts to recruit, retain, and support faculty in advancing their teaching and research agendas.

Appropriately assign faculty teaching assignments and monitor faculty workload.

Promote faculty and staff professional development opportunities.

Evaluate faculty/staff in the department to ensure performance meets and/or exceeds the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and departmental criteria for annual performance reviews, midpoint reviews, tenure & promotion, and post-tenure reviews.

Implement mentoring and faculty development support systems to promote success related to annual performance reviews, course/syllabi reviews, and tenure & promotion.

Organize and lead regular faculty meetings to encourage shared governance and to ensure timely communication and compliance with school/college/university information and priorities.

Foster and support faculty members to achieve and maintain qualities most valued by the academic community: teaching excellence, professional and scholarly development, and commitment to university and community service.

Participate in student recruitment and retention initiatives to ensure strategic growth of the department aligns with the school and college missions.

Develop the schedule of courses for each academic term with the goals of successful student progression.

Ensure curriculum changes are initiated and processed through appropriate channels according to university policy and procedures.

Facilitate periodic program reviews by assessing and evaluating curriculum and resource needs for assigned program(s).

Work closely with the Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts to ensure good fiscal stewardship, sound budget development, and management.

Strong team mentality and willingness to collaborate with other department heads to support a comprehensive vision within the existing academic degrees.

Perform other duties as required for the success of the department, school, college, and university.

20% Teaching and Service:

Plan, prepare, and deliver lectures, seminars, and/or laboratory offerings to undergraduate and/or graduate students, which may include general education core curriculum.

Develop course syllabi, select instructional materials, and design assessments such as exams, quizzes, papers, etc.

Assess student performance, provide timely feedback, and evaluate student learning outcomes to inform teaching practices and curriculum improvements.

Engage students in active learning, foster critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and hands-on learning.

Provide academic support and guidance to students through office hours, feedback on assignments, and mentoring.

Adhere to university policies, academic integrity standards, and accreditation requirements related to teaching responsibilities.

Incorporate innovative teaching methods, technologies, and pedagogical approaches to enhance student learning and engagement.

Engage in ongoing professional development activities to stay current in the field, improve teaching skills, and explore new instructional strategies.

Collaborate with colleagues, departmental faculty, and university staff to coordinate course offerings, share resources, and contribute to program development and improvement.

Participate in institutional service roles including but not limited to, college committees, advisory committees, student/faculty recruitment, and mentoring of new and part-time faculty.

10% Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity:

Maintain an active agenda for research, scholarship, or creative activity appropriate to the applicant's academic discipline.

Make original contributions to the advancement of knowledge/creative expression in the applicant's discipline through scholarly publication, presentation, or exhibition.

Demonstrate potential for external funding, national impact, or professional recognition.

Minimum Requirements:

Earned Ph. D. in English or a closely related field such as Rhetoric, Linguistics, Technical Communication, or Comparative Literature/Humanities with an English concentration, from an accredited university

Must have a distinguished record that warrants a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor.

Eligibility for tenure will be determined by reviewing the candidate's record of years of experience and professional achievements in teaching, service, and research consistent with the Texas A&M system guidance. *Tenure upon arrival will be pending approval from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Preferred Requirements:

Administrative and leadership experience

Previous experience as department head/chair at the college/university level or experience in supervisory/management position(s) in the academic arena.

Demonstrated ability to use and understand data to inform strategic planning and decision-making for the department.

Strong evidence of ability to set operational goals from strategic plans and l.