Austin College invites applications from social workers, other human services professionals, and social justice advocates for a 3-year position, either full-time or 3/4-time (including health benefits), as Social Justice Professional in Residence. This innovative position — funded as part of “Pathways to a Just Society,” a $1.3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation — calls for someone with enthusiasm for engaging undergraduates who are exploring careers in human service professions through which they can advance social justice. Consideration of applications will begin on May 6 and continue until the position is filled, with a desired start-date of no later than June 15.

Responsibilities:

• Teach one undergraduate course each semester that orients students to the goals and structure of human services professions, some of their basic practices, and how they contribute to social justice. (Courses will be co-designed with project coordinator Dr. Jeremy Posadas, a specialist in social justice issues, who will also be the supervisor for this position.)
• Advise students (individually and in occasional “lunch and learn”-type sessions) interested in human services careers and collaborate with the grant team and the college’s Career Center to develop programming and resources for these students.
• Consult with faculty members who want to incorporate content or experiential learning related to social justice and/or human services into their courses.
• Assist with outreach to social service agencies and social justice organizations for possible hosting of undergraduate, exploratory internships (some of which will be funded by the same grant).

Required Qualifications:

• A master’s degree or higher in social work, human services, community leadership, public policy, or a similar field. (For a doctoral student, this position can be similar to a doctoral/post-doc fellowship.)
• Two years of experience as a human services provider or social justice advocate (fieldwork during the master’s degree can count as one of those years).
• Enthusiasm for educating young adults and encouraging them to explore and pursue careers that advance social justice.
• Strong commitment to equitably inclusive educational practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience teaching or designing/facilitating workshops.
• Interest in consulting with faculty on the development of a pre-professional program in human services grounded in the liberal arts.

About the College: Austin College (“AC”) is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, with a student body that is diverse in race, gender/sexuality, class, and ability. Founded in 1849, the college is proud of its heritage that values personal growth, justice, community, and service. All students complete courses on global diversity and systems of power, privilege, and inequality and an applied learning experience. In addition, many students participate in the college’s vibrant set of co-curricular opportunities for community service and social justice advocacy.

About Sherman, Texas: Austin College is in Sherman, Texas, a 45-minute drive north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. A city of 45,000 people, Sherman has the benefits of a small college town with proximity to the nation’s fourth largest metropolitan area. The DFW Metroplex provides students, faculty, and staff with easy access to the educational, cultural, employment, and entertainment opportunities of one of the largest and fastest growing areas in the country. Faculty and staff praise the community of Sherman for its high quality of life, low cost of living, and welcoming family feel.

Austin College does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran in the administration of its educational policies and programs, employment policies and practices, enrollment policies and practices, and athletics program, as well as any other College-administered policy, procedure, practice, or program. Reasonable accommodations are made for individuals with disabilities.

Austin College is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer which serves a diverse student body and is committed to the same in the hiring process. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

TO APPLY, candidates should submit a letter of application (1.5-2 pages), a résumé/CV, and contact info for 3 academic/professional references (at least one must be academic), combined in one PDF document and emailed to SocialJusticeSearch@austincollege.edu. The letter of application should be addressed to the search committee and demonstrate the candidate’s

• qualifications for the position;
• commitments to and skills for both social justice and equity and inclusion with diverse identities/populations in the candidate’s professional practice, research, and/or teaching; and
• interest in encouraging undergraduate students to explore and pursue careers that promote social justice.

Again, consideration of applications will begin on May 6 (though references may be contacted to request a letter of recommendation as soon as a complete application is received) and continue until the position is filled, with a desired start-date of no later than June 15. Questions about the position should be directed to Dr. Jeremy Posadas.