The Department of Philosophy in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Philosophy starting in August 2027. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment.
AOS: Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AOC: Open. The successful candidate must demonstrate research excellence in philosophy of AI and will be expected to regularly teach courses in that area. Our department offers degrees at the BA, MA, and PhD levels. Job responsibilities include teaching four courses per academic year (typically one lower-level course and one upper-level course per semester), carrying out an active research program that results in publications, serving on committees for and supervising MA theses and PhD dissertations, contributing to curriculum development and oversight at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, participating in departmental decision-making, and performing other departmental, college, and university service.
Faculty hired in this position will have an opportunity to be a part of Fulbright College’s multidisciplinary Democracy as a Public Good cluster hire at the University of Arkansas. Through its Democracy as a Public Good Initiative, the College will advance the University’s land-grant mission by expanding capacity to generate knowledge that informs public understanding, contributes to policy and practice, and connects Arkansas to national and international conversations about societal good. Building on existing campus expertise in issues ranging from norms of democratic communication, free speech, media ethics and literacy, humanitarian governance and civil society, risks that AI poses to democratic governance, immigration, and public law, new faculty members participating in the cluster will advance their research agendas through mentoring and opportunities for collaboration—both with other scholars and with communities in the state—that may result in peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and new approaches to the pressing challenges that democracy faces. The successful candidate for this position will have an opportunity to join a community of scholars committed to confronting major issues, generating new knowledge, and providing research-based solutions that investigate and strengthen democratic culture for people living in Arkansas and beyond.
This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness.
Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.
About the Department
The philosophy department has expertise in a variety of areas including epistemology, philosophy of mind and psychology, ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of science, metaphysics, philosophy of language, history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, and Wittgenstein. To learn more about the department, applicants are encouraged to visit our website at https://philosophy.uark.edu.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- A Ph.D., or equivalent, in Philosophy from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment
- Excellence in research relevant to the Philosophy of AI
- A demonstrated ability and willingness to teach courses in the Philosophy of AI
Preferred Qualifications
- Evidence of potential for excellence in research in philosophy
- Evidence of potential for excellence in teaching philosophy
- Evidence of potential to develop effective undergraduate and graduate classes that complement the current course catalog
Salary Information
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Required Documents to Apply
Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, Statement of Research Philosophy, Statement of Teaching Philosophy, Writing Sample
Optional Documents
Proof of Veteran Status
Recruitment Contact Information
Dr. Barry Ward, professor, bmward@uark.edu
All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS
Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Completed applications received by November 15, 2026, will be assured full consideration.
For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Dr. Barry Ward, at bmward@uark.edu.
Applicants must submit:
- a curriculum vitae,
- a cover letter/letter of application,
- a teaching statement,
- a teaching portfolio,
- a research statement,
- a writing sample, and
- a list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number). Candidates should instruct their letter writers to submit their letters by email to philjobs@uark.edu with the subject line stating the candidate’s name followed by the letter writer’s name.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Pre-employment Screening Requirements
Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry
The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.
The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.
The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.
All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
