Political Science Journalism Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

DEPARTMENT: Political Science

POSITION TITLE: Lecturer Pool - Political Science

POSITION DETAILS: 

The Department of Political Science is housed in the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, which includes ten academic departments, four interdisciplinary programs, and several centers and institutes, including the Project for an Informed Electorate and the Center for Race, Immigration, and Social Justice. The department promotes political understanding and civic engagement through teaching, research, and community engagement across the major fields of political science.

The department includes nearly 40 faculty members, evenly divided between tenure-line faculty and lecturers, and serves about 650 undergraduate majors. It offers undergraduate degrees in Political Science, International Relations, and Political Science/Journalism, as well as a Master's degree in Political Science.  Students benefit from strong experiential learning opportunities, including a robust internship program with year-round placements and the Sacramento Semester Program, based on both the main campus and downtown. The department also maintains a peer mentoring program.

We invite applications from lecturers qualified to teach Introduction to American Government, which is a particular and ongoing need for the department. We also welcome applicants across political science subfields, including political theory, comparative politics, public policy, international relations, identity politics, law and society, California state and local government, research methods, and American politics.

Duties of a part-time lecturer include instruction, class preparation, grading, and office hours. Other duties may be assigned based on departmental needs. Course assignments, including dates, time, and modality, are made by the Department Chair under the direction of the College Dean.

Part-time lecturers are instructional faculty with conditional appointments based on enrollment and budget. Hires from the pool of applicants are made when there are instructional needs to fill coursework offered by an academic department based on changing enrollment patterns, changes to tenure-track faculty assignments, and other factors that cannot be addressed with our existing faculty. Initial appointments are typically for one semester, but occasionally academic year initial appointments are made. Appointments may be renewed based on department needs, funding, and performance. Often appointments are made just prior to the start of the semester.  

Rank and Salary

Initial rank and salary for lecturer faculty are based on professional experience and educational background and are determined by the hiring department.

Most new lecturers are hired at the Lecturer A or B rank. As of July 2024, the classification salary ranges for the respective ranks are:

Lecturer A: $5,507 - $6,677

Lecturer B: $6,221 $13,224

Lecturer C: $6,825 $14,523

Lecturer D: $8,593 $15,211

The salary ranges indicated are based on a "fulltime rate" (15 weighted teaching units [WTUs]). A semester's worth of compensation is made up of six (6) payments of the given amount. To calculate your salary for a semester, the base rate would be prorated based on the units worked out of 15 WTUs. If you were a Lecturer A assigned 3 units at the minimum salary, your pay would be structured as follows: $5,507 x 3/15 (3 units out of a possible 15 units total) = $1101.40 x 6 checks = $6,608.40 total for 3 units/semester. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

Master's degree in Political Science or related field is required to teach lower division courses.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

Experience in teaching college courses.

APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS:

New applicants are required to submit 

• A cover letter
• Current curriculum vitae (CV)/resume
• Unofficial transcripts that include the highest degree or degree required for the position
• A list of three professional references with contact information
• In the Additional Questions section, please indicate what courses in the department that you think you are qualified to teach. Course listings can be found here: https://catalog.csus.edu/courses-a-z/. 

• Complete the Statement of Professional Preparation and Experience form. Please click the link below to download the form. https://www.csus.edu/college/social-sciences-interdisciplinary-studies/internal/_internal/_documents/experiencestatement.pdf

About Sacramento State

Sacramento State is located in the heart of California's capital city, five miles from State Capitol. The lush, 300-acre campus is situated along the American River, close to numerous bike trails and other recreational areas. Sacramento, also known as the "Farm-to-Fork Capital," is one of the most ethnically diverse and livable cities in the country, with a population of half of a million. Sacramento State is a Hispanic and AANAPISI serving institution with about 31,000 students coming not only from the Greater Sacramento Region, but also from across the state, country, and world. Our 1,800 faculty and 1,500 staff are committed to meeting our mission:

 "As California's capital university, we transform lives by preparing students to lead, serve, and succeed. Sacramento State will be a welcoming, caring, and inclusive leader in education, innovation, and engagement." As the regional hub of higher education, Sacramento State is dedicated to learning and student success; teaching, research, scholarship and creative activity; justice, diversity, equity and inclusion; resource development and sustainability; dedicated community engagement, and wellness and safety.

As evidenced by the values embedded in our Hornet Honor Code, Sacramento State is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all faculty, staff, students, and guests are welcome and valued.  Our commitment is more than simply ensuring that our campus is free from bias and discrimination, but is one devoted to celebrating many diverse identities, life experiences, and perspectives that enrich our community, teaching and learning. 

To learn more about why you should join the Hornet Family, please visit the Why Sac State? page.

Equal Employment Opportunity

California State University, Sacramento is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability. Sacramento State hires only those individuals who are lawfully authorized to accept employment in the United States.

It is the policy of California State University, Sacramento to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. If you need a disability related reasonable accommodation as part of the application and/or interviewing process, visit https://www.csus.edu/people-climate/human-resources/benefits/reasonable-accomodation.html.

The University is committed to creating an education and working environment free from discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. For more information on mandatory training for new employees, visit https://www.csus.edu/people-climate/human-resources/learning-development/support/csu-learn.html.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Fire Safety Right-To-know Act Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, the current Annual Security Report (ASR) is available for viewing at https://www.csus.edu/clery . 

The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Sacramento State for the last three (3) calendar years. Paper copies are available upon request by emailing the Clery Director at clery@csus.edu.

Under the Clery Act, this position may be designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) depending upon the role on campus and/or job duties. If this position is identified by the Director of Clery Compliance as a CSA position, you will be notified via email and will be assigned the appropriate training in CSU Learn.

Background Check Disclaimer

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with California State University, Sacramento. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current California State University, Sacramento employees who apply for the position.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Per the CSU COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, it is strongly recommended that all California State University, Sacramento employees who are accessing office and campus facilities follow COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications.  Effective May 2023.

Eligibility Verification

Candidate will be required to provide official transcripts of their highest degree earned and must furnish proof of eligibility to work in the U.S.. California State University, Sacramento is not a sponsoring agent for non-tenure track (temporary/lecturer) faculty for the H1-B Visa.

Out of State Employment

Per CSU-wide policy (HR2021-04), all faculty who will begin initial employment (or return from a 12-month break in service) on or after January 1, 2022 are required to perform their work from within the State of California. Faculty hired prior to January 1, 2022 must be available to perform work in the State of California if their assignment is in-person.