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Posting Details

Position Information

Position Title Assistant Professor (Elementary/Early Childhood Education) - 9 month appointment

Work Location Springfield Campus

Department School of Teaching, Learning & Developmental Sciences

HR Home Department 020411 SCHOOL OF TEACHING, LEARNING & DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE

Pay Grade Unclassified

Sponsorship Information

Applicants must be currently authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States on a full-time basis. This position may not be eligible for work visa sponsorship.

Position only available to current, regular, full-time Missouri State University employees? No, Position is available to all applicants.

Faculty Appointment Type Tenure Track

Term (if applicable) 9 month

Begin Date of Appointment 08/17/2026

Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt

General Function

The Assistant Professor is a member of the ranked faculty with an intermediate academic rank who has demonstrated achievement in the areas of teaching, research, and professional service appropriate to the discipline. The Assistant Professor’s teaching responsibilities are assigned by the academic department head and may include serving as an academic advisor. The Assistant Professor engages in scholarly activities beyond those associated with teaching and is expected to demonstrate professional productivity in research, based upon the availability of resources and consistent with the mission of the University.

Description of Primary Duties

The Assistant Professor is a member of the ranked faculty who demonstrates achievement in teaching, research, and professional service. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses across the Elementary ( ELE ) and Early Childhood Education ( ECE ) programs, contributing to coursework in curriculum, instruction, early learning, and assessment. Instruction may occur in seated, hybrid, and online formats. The faculty member will provide clinical supervision for practicum students, interns, and student teachers in PreK–6 settings, advise undergraduate and graduate students, and participate in ongoing curriculum development. In addition, the faculty member will support foundational coursework required across multiple TLDS licensure pathways and the undergraduate Literacy program.

Candidates are encouraged to apply if they bring evidence of scholarly potential commensurate with expectations for a tenure-track faculty role, as well as professional experience teaching in Early Childhood or early grades (K–3) in school-based settings. Applicants with at least three years of full-time teaching experience in U.S. K–6 classrooms are especially well positioned for success in this role. Desired areas of expertise include early or emergent literacy, trauma-informed practices, multilingual learner education, social-emotional development and behavior support, and play-based or inquiry-based learning. Candidates with experience supervising or mentoring preservice teachers, collaborating with K–12 partners or community-based organizations, or contributing to graduate programs—including teaching, committee service, or dissertation support in an EdD program—are highly encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate will also be expected to develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with public schools and community agencies while supporting innovative teacher-preparation initiatives, including clinical partnerships with local districts and the new MSEd in Elementary Education certification track for post-baccalaureate candidates. The faculty member will maintain an active research agenda aligned with Elementary or Early Childhood Education, publish in peer-reviewed national and international journals, pursue internal and external grant opportunities, and engage in scholarly activities that contribute to the visibility and impact of TLDS .

Graduate faculty expectations include attaining Graduate Faculty status, being eligible to teach in the Educational Doctorate (EdD) in Leadership, Learning, and Educational Change, serving on dissertation committees, and chairing dissertations when expertise aligns. The faculty member will also provide service to the School, College, and University through committee participation and will support accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement efforts.

Minimum Acceptable Qualifications

The minimum acceptable qualifications for the position of Assistant Professor are prescribed in the Faculty Handbook.

Additional Qualifications

Required:

+ The candidate must have a terminal degree (PhD or EdD) or ABD

+ Elementary Education

+ Early Childhood Education

+ Curriculum & Instruction

+ Teaching & Learning, or closely related field.

+ Demonstrated ability to work with all student populations and commitment to MSU’s Public Affairs Mission.

+ Employment will require a criminal background check at university expense.

Link to Job Description http://www.missouristate.edu/human/jobdescriptions/21377.htm

Open Date 12/04/2025

Close Date (If Close Date is blank then the posting is considered open until filled)

Special Instructions to Applicants

Candidates will need to provide the following materials: letter of application, vita, copy of certificate/license, unofficial transcripts, philosophy of teaching.

First date of consideration is January 9th and review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Non-Discrimination Statement

Missouri State University is a community of people with respect for diversity. The University emphasizes the dignity and equality common to all persons and adheres to a strict non-discrimination policy regarding the treatment of individual faculty, staff, and students. In accord with federal law and applicable Missouri statutes, the University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin (including ancestry, or any other subcategory of national origin recognized by applicable law), religion, sex (including marital status, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other subcategory of sex recognized by applicable law), age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law in employment or in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the University. Sex discrimination encompasses sexual harassment, which includes sexual violence, and is strictly prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

This policy shall not be interpreted in a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

The University maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. Missouri State University is an Equal Opportunity employer. Inquiries concerning the complaint/grievance procedure related to discrimination on the basis of a protected class, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, or compliance with federal and state laws and guidelines, should be addressed to the Director, Office for Institutional Compliance, Carrington Hall 205, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65897, [email protected], 417-836-4252

Background Check Statement

Employment will require a criminal background check at University expense.

Posting Detail

Posting Number 20250080FTF

Quicklink for Posting https://jobs.missouristate.edu/postings/84224

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

+ * How did you hear about this vacancy?

+ Indeed

+ Linkedin

+ Missouri State University Website

+ Google

+ Employee Referral

+ Job Alerts

+ HigherEdJobs.com

+ Personal Contacts / Networking

+ Job Board (CareerBuilder.com, Monster, etc.)

+ Other

+ * Please specify the recruitment source where you located this posting. If you selected Employee Referral above, please list the name of the current MSU employee who referred you.

(Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

+ Cover Letter

+ Unofficial Transcripts - 1

+ Statement of Teaching Philosophy

+ Curriculum Vitae

Optional Documents

+ Other Documents -1

+ Other Documents - 2