Assistant Professor- (Higher Education)

The Department of Leadership in Education in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Massachusetts Boston seeks applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Higher Education position to begin September 1, 2026. Of particular interest are candidates with scholarly expertise in equity in higher education that advances our college mission and the commitments outlined in our university strategic plan.

Candidates’ research agendas should focus on one or more of the following three areas: 1) college access and pathways to and through higher education, particularly for those currently underrepresented; 2) community colleges, with a focus on policy/reform, leadership, and practitioner work; and/or 3) college experiences and outcomes of undergraduate students from minoritized populations.

Preferred qualifications include one or more of the following: 1) scholarship that incorporates critical theoretical lenses to advance equity and social justice in higher education through their scholarship, teaching, and service, 2) experience with culturally sustaining and asset-based approaches to teaching and learning, 3) expertise in critical mixed methods research, and/or 4) involvement in community-engaged scholarship.

Faculty are responsible for teaching, research, and service that enhance CEHD’s community-engaged mission. CEHD is ranked the top public college of education in the state of Massachusetts (U.S. News and World Report, 2024) and is guided by our core values of social justice, community engagement and academic excellence. Its Department of Leadership in Education is home to cohort-based M.Ed., CAGS, PhD, and EdD programs that are highly regarded in the region and nation. The position also offers opportunities for collaboration with UMass Boston’s Collaborative of Asian American, Native American, Latino, and African American Institutes (CANALA - UMass Boston).

Responsibilities for this position include: 1) teaching graduate courses in the Higher Education Program; 2) conducting research that is relevant to the field of higher education; 3) advising doctoral students and serving on dissertation committees; and 4) contributing service to university, college, departmental, and program committees, to professional associations, and to local, national, and/or international communities. The College recognizes that the scholarly work of faculty often includes the integration of teaching, research, and service.

The Higher Education Doctoral Program provides a dynamic environment for faculty and graduate students to conduct nationally recognized research, particularly in areas related to access, equity, leadership, governance, organizational change, public policy, teaching and learning, and college student experiences and outcomes. The program enrolls many full-time professionals with diverse backgrounds and work experiences. The curriculum focuses on preparing higher education leaders, researchers, and policy analysts who are committed to fostering and facilitating change in a social justice framework. For details, visit: 

https://www.umb.edu/academics/program-finder/higher-education-edd-phd/

UMass Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, whose impact is both local and global. We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who reflect the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

Application review will begin on October 6, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries about the position can be directed to Dr. Katalin Szelenyi ([email protected]), Search Committee Chair.

Application instructions:

Applicants can apply online using the following link: https://hr.umb.edu/jobs.

Submit the following materials:

• A letter of interest that: 1) describes the applicant’s research agenda and how it supports our program mission; 2) explains how the applicant's research and scholarship contribute to theory, practice, and policy in the field of higher education; and 3) indicates how the applicant’s teaching and advising philosophy fits with a practitioner-focused doctoral program and the mission of the UMass Boston Higher Education Program.  

• A current curriculum vitae

• Three samples of scholarship published in academic venues such as peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and conference proceedings, or scholarly artifacts in the form of reports, digital publications, blog posts, policy briefs, among other products.

• Names and contact information for three academic references.

Only finalists for the position will be asked to submit letters of recommendation.

UMass Boston expects to pay within an approximate range between $80,000 and $88,700 for this position.

The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on the consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend an offer of employment. Exceptional candidates may be considered for salaries above the published range to ensure competitiveness within the academic market.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [email protected] or 617-287-5150.