Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies

Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies

Special Instructions

• Supplemental application materials (required): Include a list of three professional references.
• This position is expected to start in the Fall 2027 semester.
• Interviews will require a live teaching demonstration. The hiring committee will decide if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel expenses for first-level interviews are not reimbursed by the College. Second-level travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when second-level interviews are scheduled.
• Supplemental application materials (optional): You may submit the following supplemental materials:
  
  • Recent teaching evaluations
  • Writing sample (up to a maximum of 5 pages)

Position Information

Position Title: Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies

Department: American Indian Studies Department

Primary Location: N/A

Location Details: Teaching assignments will include day, evening, and/or weekend classes at the San Marcos campus and/or off-campus locations as part of contract responsibilities, as well as distance education classes.

Full or Part Time: Full-Time

Category: Academic

Hours per week: Exempt; complete details may be viewed at https://www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/personnel/. Use the link for the Palomar Faculty Federation Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Number of Months: 10 month

Work Schedule: Teaching assignments will include day, evening, and/or weekend classes at the San Marcos campus and/or off-campus locations as part of contract responsibilities, as well as distance education classes. Full-time faculty are expected to participate fully in departmental activities and college governance and hold regular office hours.

Salary/Wage

Starting salary range: $77,011.42 – $122,363.70 annually.

Academic training and teaching experience will form the basis for salary computation as determined by placement on the regular salary schedule of the College. A maximum of step 8 at the appropriate salary grade will be awarded to new faculty. For a salary estimate, visit www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/classifications/and use the links in the Full-time Faculty section.

Salary/Wage Frequency: Monthly

Benefits

In addition to a competitive compensation structure, Palomar College also offers an extremely generous benefits package.

• Insurance fully paid for employees and their eligible dependents: four medical plans, dental HMO, and the vision plan (additional plans are available that require employee buy up/monthly contribution)
• $80,000 employee term life/accident insurance policy (additional buy up options available)
• Employee long-term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – Free counseling, financial, legal, personal and professional development resources
• Additional buy up options available for other voluntary insurance benefits
• Enrollment in CalSTRS (California State Teachers Retirement System)

The estimated maximum value of this employer-paid benefits package is approximately $31,245.84 annually.

Primary Function

The Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies is primarily responsible for teaching a variety of courses in the discipline of Native American/American Indian Studies.

The Assistant Professor will utilize Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies to engage a diverse student population in varied modalities, including online, FastTrack, in-person and/or hybrid settings.

Through ongoing course and curriculum development, the Assistant Professor will support the American Indian Studies Department’s ongoing commitment to growing its academic scope, curricular offerings and collaborations with its multiple campuses and departments, diverse local regions, and tribal communities.

Minimum Qualifications

Must meet one of the sets of qualifications listed under 1) through 3):

1. A Master’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies.
2. A Master’s degree in Ethnic Studies AND a Bachelor’s degree in Native American/American Indian Studies.
3. A combination of education and experience that is at least the equivalent of the qualifications in either 1) or 2) above. You must complete and attach the Application for Equivalency form (www.palomar.edu/hr/equivalency-app/), if you do not possess the specific minimum qualifications as stated above, which includes degrees that have not been awarded at the time of submitting the application.

Only coursework completed at, and degrees awarded by, accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered as satisfying the minimum qualifications. Coursework and degrees that are completed outside of the United States are required to have transcripts evaluated (evaluation to U.S. equivalency and a course by course analysis) by an appropriate U.S. credentials evaluation service. For a list of credentials evaluation agencies accepted by Palomar College, visit the National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES) website at http://www.naces.org, or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) website at http://aice-eval.org/.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Antiracism (DEIAA) Statement

Palomar College serves over 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds and we are proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our student body is rich in its diversity. Click here to see a quick overview of our student demographics on our recent Student Fact Sheet.

Palomar College is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and antiracism (DEIAA). We are dedicated to empowering students to succeed and are guided by our core values; some of which are the following:

• Access – We make education possible for everyone.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – We recognize and respect diversity, seek to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, and strive to address inequities.

All positions require cultural competency which includes the sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff.

Additionally, Palomar Community College serves nine of San Diego County’s 18 federally recognized reservations. The College and Education Centers are located on the lands of the Luiseño, Kuméyaay, Cupeño, and Cahuilla people. We acknowledge and support the sovereignty and rights of the Tribal Nations over their ancestral and traditional lands.

Preferred Qualifications

• Commitment to a student learning-centered college.
• Familiarity with a variety of research, including tribal governance; sovereignty and federal Indian law; decolonization and Indigenization; environmental justice and sustainability; language and culture reclamation and revitalization; Native knowledge and epistemologies; art and cultural expression; and political movements.
• Evidence of a strong commitment to remain current in Native American/American Indian Studies and its instructional program.
• Experience working with reservation and/or urban Native American communities.
• Strong academic preparation as evidenced by graduate-level coursework in Native American/American Indian Studies, and other related coursework in the fields of Indigenous Studies, or Ethnic Studies with an emphasis in American Indian Studies, American Studies.

Licenses and/or Certificates

N/A

Supervision Received and Exercised

Complete details may be viewed at https://www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/personnel/. Use the link for the Palomar Faculty Federation Agreement.

Duties and Responsibilities

In addition to the teaching responsibilities, other duties and institutional responsibilities include maintaining regular office hours, developing curriculum, program review and planning, developing and assessing student learning outcomes, and participating in department activities and college governance. Related duties include the following:

• Teaching courses in assigned discipline by communicating subject matter clearly and effectively.
• Delivering instruction in accordance with the course objectives and student learning outcomes set for the course.
• Ensuring courses meet college accessibility standards and requirements.
• Meeting record keeping obligations (e.g. grades, census, reports, rosters, requisitions), and textbook orders, with an emphasis on low-cost/zero-cost textbooks and open education resources.
• Developing and managing course curriculum, syllabus materials and lesson plans.
• Collaborating with American Indian students, local tribes, American Indian organizations, other American Indian Studies departments, and campus partners.
• Supporting departmental efforts, particularly around growing and building a new A.A. degree program in American Indian Studies.
• Performing other duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

N/A

Working Conditions

Complete working conditions may be viewed at https://www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/personnel/. Use the link for the Palomar Faculty Federation Agreement.

Terms of Employment

• This is a full-time, 10 months per year, tenure-track position. Teaching assignments will include day, evening, and/or weekend classes at the San Marcos campus and/or off-campus locations as part of contract responsibilities, as well as distance education classes. Full-time faculty are expected to participate fully in departmental activities and college governance and hold regular office hours.
• The person selected for hire will be required to complete the following pre-employment requirements: live scan/fingerprinting, official transcript(s), TB risk assessment, and employment verification(s). Other pre-employment requirements may be required depending on the position (i.e. certifications or licenses; see applicable job posting section for details). Successful completion of all pre-employment requirements is mandatory to be eligible for employment. These requirements are in accordance with the following Administrative Procedures and Board Policies: AP 7120, AP 7120a, AP 7125, AP 7126, AP 7127, AP 7330, BP 7330, AP 7336, AP 7337, and BP 7335.
• Complete terms of employment may be viewed at https://www.palomar.edu/hr/employees/personnel/. Use the link for the Palomar Faculty Federation Agreement.

Posting Detail Information

Open Date: 11/10/2026

Close Date: 01/05/2027

Open Until Filled: No

Posting Number: P1100P

Additional Application Information

• Supplemental application materials (required): Include a list of three professional references.
• This position is expected to start in the Fall 2027 semester.
• Interviews will require a live teaching demonstration. The hiring committee will decide if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel expenses for first-level interviews are not reimbursed by the College. Second-level travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when second-level interviews are scheduled.
• Supplemental application materials (optional): You may submit the following supplemental materials:
  
  • Recent teaching evaluations
  • Writing sample (up to a maximum of 5 pages)