Professor and Department Head

Search #: 499673 | Full-time, 10-month tenure-track position at the Storrs campus. Anticipated start date: August 23, 2027.

About the role

The University of Connecticut seeks a dynamic leader to serve as Head of the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry (SCI), a new interdisciplinary unit established in 2024 through collaborative efforts of faculty across its four areas: American Studies; Asian and Asian American Studies; Native American and Indigenous Studies; and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (including a focus on Feminist Disability Studies). This is the second of five planned faculty lines for the department.

The Department Head will provide strategic leadership to guide the development and implementation of a shared and coherent academic program. The department is dedicated to public engagement and interdisciplinary research, and the successful candidate will be appointed fully in Social and Critical Inquiry at the rank of Professor.

The University of Connecticut is a public land-grant institution that acknowledges the land on which we gather is the territory of the Eastern Pequot, Golden Hill Paugussett, Lenape, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Nipmuc, and Schaghticoke Peoples.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and guide the development of the department’s academic programs.
• Collaborate with the General Council of Area Directors on academic program leadership, planning, governance, and administration.
• Manage budget and staffing, including experience with RCM budgeting models preferred.
• Support faculty development, mentoring, and the advancement of collaborative research.
• Enhance student success and educational impact through innovative curricular and programmatic initiatives.
• Strengthen community partnerships and public-facing scholarship, with a focus on interdisciplinary and engaged research.
• Foster a diverse, vibrant, and inclusive intellectual community within the department.

Requirements

• Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a primary field within one or more of the department’s areas or a related field.
• Demonstrated leadership experience at the Department, Unit, or Dean’s level, including program building and curricular innovation.
• Strong record of teaching and interdisciplinary research excellence.
• Experience supporting engaged scholarship and/or community partnerships.
• Commitment to advancing diversity through research, teaching, scholarship, or other initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting community partnerships with Native American and Indigenous communities.
• Teaching and research experience in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) fields.
• Budget experience, particularly with RCM budgeting models.
• Interest or experience working in federally designated Minority Serving Institutions.
• Experience in grant application and management of grant-funded activities.

Appointment Terms

This is a full-time, 10-month tenure-track position. Faculty may also be asked to teach at one of UConn’s regional campuses as part of their ordinary workload. Applicants must meet University requirements for appointment at the rank of full Professor, with tenure.