Assistant Professor of Psychology

The Department of Psychology at Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, invites applications for a Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Psychology in the field of biological psychology / neuroscience to begin fall 2025. 

At Wofford College the Psychology Department is part of the sciences and all majors earn a Bachelor of Science degree. All coursework has an empirical focus and we strive to incorporate research within and outside of the classroom, including a required semester-long senior thesis course that allows faculty to conduct research within their own area of expertise within the teaching load. Our major attracts high quality students, having maintained a high percentile rank (top 15%) on the Major Field Test in Psychology compared to other institutions over the last 15 years. As a department, we place high value on faculty-student relationships, as can be seen through our student-led club, Psychology Society, that organizes academic, social and service events. Faculty enjoy a supportive and engaged work environment.

EXPECTATIONS

At Wofford, faculty are teacher-scholars with a high aptitude and interest in undergraduate teaching and advising, community outreach, and a commitment to the liberal arts. The successful candidate will teach a mixture of required core courses and upper-level courses. The new faculty member is expected to teach the introductory 200-level survey course, Biological Psychology with a laboratory component including sheep brain neuroanatomy and BIOPAC neurophysiological laboratory experiments. The new faculty member will also be expected to occasionally teach Introduction to Psychological Science with laboratory component (also a general education course), and other introductory psychology courses. Upper-level teaching expectations include elective lecture and laboratory courses in the candidate’s area of expertise and senior thesis. 

The successful candidate is expected to develop an active research program which engages undergraduate students in peer-reviewed publication quality experiments. We welcome and can support animal research models. All psychology faculty teach a section of senior thesis with a team of students working within the professor’s research area. This allows some faculty research to be conducted as part of the teaching load. Read more about our senior thesis research model below.

Wofford’s faculty teach 3-1-3 load when they are teaching 3-credit courses; 2-1-2 load for 4-credit (lab) courses. The 1 in the teaching load indicates the January “Interim course” term in which professors may travel with students or teach on a variety of topics using experiential teaching methods . Wofford provides opportunity for a sabbatical (one semester plus Interim) after every six years of service. To earn tenure after six years, faculty are expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching, continued scholarly development, and service to the college.

QUALIFICATIONS

A Ph.D. in psychology or neuroscience (or closely related) is required. Preference will be given to candidates with teaching experience at the collegiate level, and to those with experience utilizing an animal research model.

APPLICATION

For consideration, please submit: 1) CV, 2) three letters of recommendation (emailed to PsychologySearch@wofford.edu), 3) samples of published scholarly work, and 4) an application letter including statements of teaching philosophy (which should include an articulation of interest in, and understanding of, working at a residential, liberal arts college, a statement that describes how your approach to teaching and scholarship would contribute to the college’s goal of creating a richly diverse and welcoming educational environment, as well as a list of courses that you are qualified to teach along with evidence for such qualification) and research interests (including a description of a research plan that could incorporate undergraduate student researchers at Wofford) no later than September 16, 2024. Questions can be directed to the Chair of the Search, Dr. Katherine Steinmetz (steinmetzkr@wofford.edu / 864-597-4643) 

For more information about the psychology department: http://www.wofford.edu/psychology/

For more information about the Biological Psychology course: https://webs.wofford.edu/pittmandw/psy230/

For more information about our senior thesis research model: http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00196/full

For more information about our January “Interim” Course: https://www.wofford.edu/academics/interim