What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant/Associate Professor - School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability - Tenure Track position at Western Michigan University and Careers?
Position Details
Posting Summary
College
College Of Arts And Sciences
Executive Area
Provost & VP Academic Affairs
Department
School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number
F284P
Job Type
Tenure Track
Pay Type
Exempt/Salaried
Pay Grade
I30/I20
Campus Location
WMU-Kalamazoo - Main Campus
Salary Range
Commensurate with experience. Generous benefit package.
Number of Vacancies
General Summary
SEGS invites applications for a scholar with expertise in globalization who can work with students to understand, critically evaluate, and develop new knowledge about international issues. The scholar should research current global issues (such as migration, global health, global environmental change, social justice, urban development, or climate change) from an interdisciplinary viewpoint and integrate different approaches and disciplinary perspectives in their work. We particularly encourage applications from candidates with research experience in a major world region outside of North America. The hired person will oversee the Global and International Studies curriculum, teach courses, advise and recruit students, publish research, and strengthen international partnerships and study abroad programs.
Major Duties
- Teach undergraduate courses in global and international studies and other courses in the School of Environment, Geography and Sustainability including introduction to global and international studies, senior capstone experience in global and international studies, and other environmental and regional geography courses as needed.
- Develop and maintain a strong record of scholarly or creative activity such as publications in peer-reviewed journals, books, or creative works and external funding.
- Oversee curriculum development and implementation of the Global and International Studies (GIST) program.
- Advise and recruit students for the Global and International Studies program.
- Help facilitate international partnerships and study abroad programs.
- Serve on MS (Geography) thesis committees.
- Serve on SEGS committees.
- Other duties as determined and assigned by the Director of SEGS.
Minimum Qualifications
- PhD. from an accredited institution in Geography, Environmental Studies or related field with a focus on global issues.
- Degree must be conferred by August 2026.
- Ability to teach introductory and capstone courses in global and international studies, and regional geography and environmental studies courses.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain active scholarship in their field.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience teaching undergraduate courses in global and international studies, geography and/or environmental studies courses.
- Record of scholarship with a focus on migration, global systems, global health, social/environmental justice, or climate change.
- Evidence of international research and/or teaching experience.
- Research experience in a major region of the world.
- Fluency in a language other than English.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Salary: Competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, with an excellent benefits package.
Expected Start Date: August 2026
Application Deadline: Applications accepted until position is filled
Required application documents: Complete and submit (1) Faculty Credential Summary; (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a letter describing qualifications, accomplishments, professional experiences related to the position, (4) a statement of teaching philosophy; and (5) a list of four references including their contact information.
Additional Position Information
The University: Located in Kalamazoo in Southwest Michigan, WMU is a vibrant, nationally recognized student-centered research institution with an enrollment of approximately 18,000. WMU delivers high-quality undergraduate instruction, has a strong graduate division, and fosters significant research activities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies WMU as a doctoral university and one of just 185 public universities in the nation conducting research at a high level. Western Michigan University recently received a $550 million endowed, multi-year Empowering Futures Gift, which will fund many projects and initiatives that aim to break down the barriers created by historic inequities. The Empowering Futures Gift is the largest gift for a public institution of higher education in U.S. history.
- INSIGHT into Diversity consistently honors WMU for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Military Times ranks WMU among the best institutions for veterans, and WMU is the only Michigan school to appear on all nine years of its annual Best for Vets list.
- U.S. Department of State data shows that WMU was No. 6 among producers of American Fulbright Scholars in 2016-17.
- WMU operates the nation’s largest and most comprehensive collegiate support program for former foster-care youth and is an international model for teaching, research, learning, and public service related to foster care and higher education.
- Washington Monthly ranked WMU first in the state of Michigan on its impact on alumni earnings 10 years after graduation.
Western Michigan University also recognizes that it is located on lands historically occupied by Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi nations. Please take a moment to acknowledge and honor this ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the sacred lands of all indigenous peoples and their continued presence.
The College: The College of Arts and Sciences represents the academic heart and liberal arts core of WMU and provides a broad range of academic programs for students. As the largest college at WMU, it employs approximately 275 full-time faculty members; has an 11:1 faculty student ratio; enrolls nearly 3,000 undergraduate majors and approximately 700 graduate students. It offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, 30 master’s programs and 19 doctoral programs. It consists of 21 distinct academic units.
The School: The School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability (SEGS)
is the newest academic unit in the College of Arts and Sciences which came into full operation in Fall 2023. SEGS includes the former Department of Geography, Environment, and Tourism and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, as well as the Global and International Studies program formerly housed in the College. Undergraduate programs include baccalaureate majors and minors in Environmental Studies and Sustainability, Freshwater Science, Environmental Geography, Geographic Information Science, Global and International Studies, Tourism, and Urban, Regional, and Environmental Planning. The graduate programs include both traditional and accelerated MS (Geography), Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Geographic Information Science, and Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle Certificate.
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Located just 2.5 hours from Chicago and Detroit by car, Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a cultural hub midway between Chicago and Detroit, and just 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. With 263,000 people in the greater Kalamazoo area, the community offers an array of cultural events, entertainment, and all-season recreation. The city supports a nationally recognized symphony and has earned a reputation for a vibrant community theatre and visual arts scene. Kalamazoo is environmentally- conscious and active community. It has programs in place to protect the local natural resources, and it is exploring new programs to make essential public services more sustainable. It has an Environmental Concerns Committee that monitors environmental concerns for the city as well as other programs that promote a culture of environmental stewardship that is a vital part of the community. The Kalamazoo community is also committed to social justice, community development and the elimination of generational poverty through its Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo initiative, with structural budgetary support provided by the City of Kalamazoo’s Foundation for Excellence program. Kalamazoo also is the home of the Kalamazoo Promise; a scholarship program offered to all Kalamazoo Public School students that covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees to any Michigan public (and many private) institution of higher learning.
WMU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Protected veterans, individuals with disabilities and all other qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.
Go to https://wmich.edu/hr/employees/faculty for benefits and other information.
Go to https://wmich.edu/hr/employees/faculty for benefits and other information.