What are the responsibilities and job description for the Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor of Mathematics (two positions available) position at Pacific Lutheran University?
Posting Number:
0603072
Recruitment Type:
Open to All Applicants
Position Title:
Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor of Mathematics (two positions available)
Position Type:
Faculty
Benefits Status:
Benefits Eligible
FLSA:
Exempt
Hiring Range:
$50,000 - $55,000 per year base pay benefits package. Actual pay will depend on the number of courses taught.
Location
Tacoma, WA 98447. All courses are taught in person so the applicant has to be able to be on campus for their classes and majority of their office hours.
Department:
Mathematics Department
Posting Date:
05/29/2026
Closing Date
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Work Schedule:
Part-time, Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor positions for the 2026-2027 academic year beginning September 1, 2026. The academic year is from September to May. Classes begin on September 8, 2026. New Faculty Orientation will take place in late August 2026. Classes are typically MWF between 9am-5pm.
General Description:
Pacific Lutheran University is seeking applicants who are committed to excellence in teaching for the 2026-27 academic year beginning September 1, 2026. The successful candidates will teach some combination of MATH 115 (College Algebra), MATH 140 (Precalculus), MATH 128 (Linear Models & Calculus (our business calculus course)), and STAT 231 (Introductory Statistics).
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Teaching courses, using innovative pedagogical techniques to engage students and ensure their success.
- Hold regular student hours.
- Respond to student emails in a timely manner.
- Participate in the life of the department as needed (for example attending gatherings with students and department meetings).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong background knowledge in the courses they will teach.
- Experience working with diverse student populations, as well as with students who struggle with mathematics.
- Ability to communicate effectively.
Required Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in mathematics or a related field must be in hand by September 1, 2026 for appointment at the Visiting Assistant Professor level. Master’s degree required by September 1, 2026 for appointment at the Instructor level.
- Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States on hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship.
- Finalist applicants must satisfactorily complete pre-employment background checks.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience and expertise with active learning pedagogies.
- Prior experience teaching college algebra and precalculus.
- Prior experience teaching business calculus or familiarity with business applications.
Work Conditions:
Physical Requirements:
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Applicants should submit the following:
- Cover letter;
- Curriculum vitae;
- List of three references;
- Statement of teaching philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods you use to help students achieve them, and how you assess student learning. This statement should explicitly address how you will create an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity.
For questions or more information, please contact Ksenija Simic-Muller at simicmka@plu.edu
Other Information:
Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.
Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2024–25 academic year, 40.6 percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 48.0 percent self-identify as students of color; and 34.2 percent are Pell Grant–eligible.
Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,700 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.
PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty-shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu.
Salary : $50,000 - $55,000