Lecturer/Teaching Assistant Professor, Sociology and Cultural Analysis

About the role

The Department of Sociology and Cultural Analysis within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a Lecturer or Teaching Assistant Professor position to begin July 1, 2027. This is a 9‑month, non‑tenure‑track, continuing appointment with opportunities for promotion. The position carries an 80% teaching responsibility, with the remaining 20% dedicated to service and professional development. The department equips students with critical thinking, persuasive writing, and analytical skills to engage thoughtfully with issues of public concern through rigorous sociological and interdisciplinary inquiry. Courses draw on a range of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, centering histories, cultures, and lived experiences of underrepresented communities.

Responsibilities

• Teach a 4/4 course load (four courses per semester) in core areas such as LGBTQ+ studies, Latinx identity, Native American culture, sociology, and/or women’s studies.
• Teach foundation courses including: WMST 101: Intro Women’s Studies; ETS 280: Native American Culture; GRI 103: Power, Identity, & Social Justice; GRI 230: Intro to LGBTQ Studies; GRI 216: Thinking Sex and Gender; GRI/SOC 272: Latinx Identities and Cultures; GRI 360 LGBTQ Community Histories; SOC 101 Prin of Sociology; SOC 235 Climate Change; SOC 250 Sociology of Sexualities; and/or CH 203: American Experiences and Constitutional Change.
• Collaborate on curriculum design and implementation.
• Support the university’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice.
• Engage in service and professional development (20% of appointment).
• Opportunities for course release for significant service duties and off‑term teaching for additional compensation.

Required Qualifications

• Lecturer: MA in Feminist Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Native American Studies, or a related field.
• Teaching Assistant Professor: PhD in Feminist Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Native American Studies, or a related field.
• Demonstrated excellence or clear evidence of potential for excellence in teaching at least some of the listed foundation courses.
• Experience working with diverse and underrepresented students at the college level.
• Ability to collaborate on curriculum design and implementation while supporting the university’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience and promise as an excellent teacher.
• Interest in developing a pedagogical agenda.
• A track record of campus programming and/or community engagement.
• Experience working with and teaching diverse groups of students, including evidence of a commitment to broad involvement with diversity work on campus.

Compensation

Salary is competitive with a range of $63,000 to $65,000 (9‑month, B‑contract) and commensurate with related education and experience.

Benefits

• Retirement plan: 19.25% employee contribution matched by the University; 100% vested on first day (NSHE retirement program for permanent employees on annual “A” or “B” contracts at ≥50% FTE, unless members of PERS of Nevada).
• Health insurance options including dental and vision.
• Generous sick leave, long‑term disability, and life insurance.
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center: annual or semester memberships with spouse/domestic partner options.
• Local business discounts for WolfCard holders.
• Mountain EAP counseling and advising services for employees and eligible dependents.
• Faculty Senate representation.
• No state income tax.
• Grants‑in‑aid for faculty employees: reduced‑rate tuition for faculty (up to six credits per semester) and qualified dependents (unlimited credits for unmarried children under 24 receiving ≥50% financial support).
• Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program for newly hired faculty spouses/partners.

Department Information

The Department of Sociology and Cultural Analysis examines how societies are organized, how they change, and how systems of power and inequality shape everyday life. Bringing together the empirical study of social life and the critical study of identity and power, the department offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the contemporary world. Students develop research skills to investigate inequality, critical frameworks to analyze culture and power, and communication skills to engage diverse audiences in classrooms, communities, and policy settings. Graduates pursue careers and advanced study in education, law, healthcare, research, public policy, advocacy, community organizing, and many other fields. More information at https://www.unr.edu/sociology-cultural-analysis.

College and University Information

The University of Nevada, Reno is Nevada’s flagship public Research 1 land‑grant institution (Carnegie R1, Community Engagement Classification) with approximately 21,000 students, including over 3,000 graduate students, and a campus at Lake Tahoe. Nearly half of students are students of color; the university is a Hispanic Serving Institution. The College of Liberal Arts houses 13 academic units and 8 additional programs, museums, and centers (including the Center for Constitutional Law and the Center for Basque Studies), serving just under 4,000 students with 240 faculty. Reno is a fast‑growing tech and innovation hub on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, 30–45 minutes from Lake Tahoe and major ski resorts, with a metropolitan population over 500,000 and an international airport. More at www.unr.edu/liberal-arts, www.cityofreno.com, and www.visitrenotahoe.com.

Contact Information

• Search Chair: Prof. Lydia Huerta Moreno – lhuertam@unr.edu
• Search Coordinator: Tanya Nawrocki – tnawrocki@unr.edu