Description
The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at The University of Tennessee is seeking applicants for an Assistant Professor to join the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies for a nine-month tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant professor beginning in August 2027. We are looking for a pre-K-12 leadership faculty member, preferably with training and expertise in special education, to contribute to the master’s, EdS, EdD, and PhD degree programs focused on educational leadership.
Duties and responsibilities include:
- Maintaining a cutting-edge scholarly research agenda
- Supporting the graduate programs in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies through teaching and advising
- Participating in professional associations at the local, state, regional, and national/international levels
- Service to the department, college, university, and other educational organizations
- Collaborating with college and department faculty and staff and with school districts and school administrators.
The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences is a multidisciplinary unit with 90+ tenured/tenure-track faculty members, housed in six departments. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is a thriving department with more than 200 graduate students and 20 full-time faculty working with programs in pre-K-12 education, higher education, adult and continuing education, and evaluation, statistics, and methodology, and an undergraduate minor in leadership studies. The Department is an active member of the University Council for Educational Administration, and its licensure programs are accredited by CAEP.
Located near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the country. UTK is a vibrant and diverse urban campus, located in the heart of Knoxville. It is the flagship campus for the UT system, a participating institution of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and is officially designated as a Research (Very High Research Activity) and Community Engagement University by the Carnegie Foundation. For more information about UTK and Knoxville, please visit: http://www.utk.edu/aboutut/
Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.
Inquiries about the position should be directed to:
Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington
Associate Professor and Search Committee Chair
mderring@utk.edu
Qualifications
Required qualifications include:
- A doctorate (completed by August 2027) in educational administration, educational leadership, or a related field.
- Evidence of strong potential for scholarly productivity in the field of educational administration, including the strong potential to secure external funding.
- Experience working with educational leaders, as demonstrated through teaching, research, or employment history.
- Evidence of a strong potential for teaching excellence in graduate level leadership preparation programs.
- Demonstrated ability to work collegially with others, including faculty, staff, and students.
- A willingness to plan and deliver instruction in online formats.
Preferred qualifications include:
- Experience teaching graduate level courses.
- Experience in pre-K-12 special education.
- Experience with distance learning methodologies.
- Experience as a pre-K-12 school leader.
- Experience with leading or teaching mixed or multiple methods research.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit the following using the Interfolio Faculty Search platform: (1) a cover letter, which should consist of a summary of teaching and research and how the applicant meets the required and preferred qualifications, (2) a current curriculum vita, (3) a maximum of two publications, and (4) the names and contact information for three (3) references who are able to speak specifically to your qualifications for the position.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.
Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.
