The Department of Sociology and Criminology at Butler University invites applications for a full-time, tenure track faculty member with expertise in criminology or crime, law, and deviance. We seek a colleague with a strong research agenda and a commitment to inclusive, excellent undergraduate teaching to join our department at the level of Assistant Professor starting August 2026.
The successful candidate will have research and teaching interests in crime, law, and/or deviance, broadly conceived, and will complement existing strengths in the department. Candidates should be prepared to develop innovative courses that serve our growing criminology major (e.g., in areas such as, but not limited to, Elite Crime, Cybercrime, Policy, Deviance and Social Control, Juvenile Delinquency, Immigration/Migration and Crime, Ethnography of Crime, and Policing/Law Enforcement), as well as to teach one or more required sociology courses (e.g., Introduction to Sociology, Contemporary Social Issues, Theory, Research Methods, Senior Research Seminar). Candidates should also demonstrate a commitment to building an inclusive learning environment for an increasingly diverse student population. We value candidates who infuse critical and intersectional perspectives in their scholarship and teaching, who are committed to directing undergraduate research and internships, who have an interest in community-engaged learning, and who have a record of supporting BIPOC, working-class, and first-generation students.
Candidates should have earned a Ph.D. in Sociology or in Criminology, with a sociologically focused research agenda, before August 1, 2026. The teaching load for tenure track faculty is three courses per semester.
Housed in Butler University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of Sociology and Criminology currently has seven full-time faculty who serve a growing and diverse population of students. We offer degrees in sociology and criminology, an optional concentration in social work and social policy within the sociology major, and combined majors with psychology, political science, philosophy, and anthropology. Our faculty are affiliated with interdisciplinary programs in International Studies; Public Health; Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Peace and Conflict Studies; and Science, Technology, and Environmental Studies. For more information about the department, see https://www.butler.edu/arts-sciences/sociology-criminology/.
Applications
Applicants should submit the following:
- Cover Letter (must discuss qualifications for and interest in position)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Representative sample of scholarly work (1-2 journal articles or dissertation/book chapters, published or in progress)
- Statement of Research Plans
- Teaching Statement (must provide evidence of commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment)
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., sample syllabi, student evaluations, peer evaluations)
- Unofficial graduate transcripts
- Contact information for at least 3 references
The cover letter and CV can be uploaded individually. All other materials should be submitted as a single PDF. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide at least three letters of recommendation. Finalists will be required to submit official transcripts and to undergo a background check.
For questions about the position, contact Dr. Stephen Barnard, Department Chair and chair of the Search Committee: sbarnard2@butler.edu. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.