Job Description
Description The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is seeking applicants for a tenure-track associate or full professor of education policy to join the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) for a nine-month position beginning August 1, 2026. The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized scholar in the field and will hold a Jimmy and Ileen Cheek endowed professorship position that provides additional support for high-quality scholarship. We seek a preeminent scholar who will contribute to the advancement of the department's reputation in research and who will shape education policy conversations to benefit the people of Tennessee and the nation.
Duties and responsibilities include: •
Sustaining a nationally recognized, high-impact research agenda demonstrated through multiple indicators, such as publication in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, acquisition of competitive external funding, authorship of influential books or policy reports, invited presentations, and recognition by professional associations.
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Providing mentorship and research guidance for Educational Leadership and Policy Ph.D. and Ed.D. students, fostering their scholarly productivity and professional development.
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Mentoring junior faculty to support their scholarly productivity, external funding success, and professional advancement.
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Supporting graduate programs in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies through high-quality teaching, research-informed advising, and curriculum innovation.
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Engaging actively in professional associations at the local, state, regional, and national/international levels, including presenting research, holding leadership positions, and contributing to the advancement of the field.
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Providing meaningful service contributions to the department, college, university, and broader educational and professional communities.
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Collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to advance interdisciplinary research, program development, and collective scholarly initiatives.
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Demonstrating a strong commitment to the mission of the university, college, and department.
The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences is a multidisciplinary unit with 90 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, housed in six departments. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is a thriving department with more than 200 graduate students and 20 full-time faculty working with programs in K-12 education, higher education, adult and continuing education, evaluation, statistics, and methodology, and a growing undergraduate minor in leadership studies.
Located near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the country. UTK is a vibrant and diverse urban campus, located in the heart of Knoxville. It is the flagship campus for the UT system, a participating institution of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and is officially designated as a Research (Very High Research Activity) and Community Engagement University by the Carnegie Foundation. For more information about UTK and Knoxville, please visit:
Qualifications Required qualifications include: •
Earned doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in education, public policy, or a related field, with a record of scholarly research that aligns with one or more program areas (Adult and Continuing Education; College Student Personnel; Educational Administration, Education Policy; Evaluation, Statistics, and Methodology; Higher Education Administration; Leadership Studies) in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (as evidenced by publications, presentations, and/or funded projects).
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Evidence of teaching effectiveness in graduate-level programs , demonstrated by course evaluations, teaching awards, course syllabi, or documented instructional innovations.
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Documented record of collaboration and engagement , as demonstrated through co-authored publications, interdisciplinary projects, participation in community-engagement initiatives, or service/leadership roles.
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Experience in multiple modes of instruction , including face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats, as evidenced by course development, delivery, or professional training in instructional technologies.
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Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and community partners.
Required qualifications for Associate Professors include: •
Meet the qualifications for appointment as an Associate Professor as defined in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Faculty Handbook and the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies bylaws (e.g., evidence of sustained contributions in research, teaching, and service).
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Established research agenda and record of scholarly productivity as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, monographs, invited presentations, editorships, or leadership roles in professional associations.
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Evidence of success in securing external funding , such as serving as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on funded grants/contracts, receiving fellowships, or contributing substantively to externally supported projects.
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Evidence of mentoring doctoral students documented by co-authored publications and dissertation supervision.
Required qualifications for Full Professors include: •
Meet the qualifications for appointment as a Full Professor as defined in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Faculty Handbook and the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies bylaws (e.g., distinguished record of research, teaching, and service).
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Extensive record of scholarly productivity , demonstrated by a sustained pattern of peer-reviewed publications, books or edited volumes, invited keynote addresses, leadership roles in professional associations, and other indicators of national/international recognition.
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Extensive record of securing external funding , including documented experience serving as principal investigator (PI) or lead investigator on major federal, foundation, or state grants/contracts, with evidence of managing funded research projects.
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Documented record of mentoring doctoral students and junior faculty toward successful scholarly careers, as evidenced by co-authored publications, dissertation supervision, external grant collaborations, and the professional placement/advancement of mentees.
Preferred qualifications include: • Experience with distance learning and innovative teaching methodologies, including hybrid and online course design and delivery.
• Demonstrated record of leadership within their department or college and/or through active roles in professional associations at the regional, national, or international level.
• Evidence of impact on education policy and/or practice, demonstrated through invited talks, policy briefs, consulting, or advisory board service.
Application Instructions Interested applicants should submit:
1. A letter of interest outlining how the applicant meets the stated qualifications;
2. Curriculum vita;
3. Up to three representative publications/writing samples; and
4. The contact information for three references.
Application materials must be submitted electronically via the Interfolio portal.
General inquiries may be directed to Dr. Sonya Hayes, search committee chair, at shayes22@utk.edu.
Review of materials will begin on
October 15, 2025 , and will continue until the position is filled.
Job Tags
Full time, Local area,