Assistant Professor in Public Law/College of Liberal Arts

Hull, United States

Number of Vacancies

Location

Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Division/Organization

Provost - Academic Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position

Tenure Status

Tenure Track

FTE

1.0

Scope of Job

We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s student body as an Assistant Professor of Public Law beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies (PPLSS) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty member in Public Law to begin September 1, 2026. The successful candidate must be able to teach courses on Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Federalism, and the Judicial Process, as well as a lower-division course in U.S. Federal Government & Politics. The department maintains a highly flexible teaching schedule to encourage faculty research and faculty regularly receive teaching support from graduate assistants, undergraduate research interns, and online instructional coaches.

About UTRGV:

UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valley and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading research, healthcare, and application of university discoveries, we support sustainable development, community engagement, and well-being. UTRGV is committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do, including teaching, research, and service.

Drawing on our unique identity as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in a bilingual and bicultural environment, UTRGV will promote student access and success by building from strength in education and creating a vibrant campus experience. By 2027, we will accelerate transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond by driving meaningful advancements in research and creative works, expanding access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, and fostering authentic community engagement and integration.

UTRGV is a distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top 3 universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students. For additional information, please visit UTRGV website.

Department/CollegeBackground

The School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies (PPLSS) has a faculty consisting of 35 full-time and 11 part-time faculty. The school has approximately 5,000 enrollment each semester. In fall 2025, it has approximately 360 political science majors, 160 political science minors, 400 legal studies minors, 20 public affairs minors, 22 global security minors, 80 public affairs graduate students, and 25 political science graduate students. UTRGV was recently designated an RU 2 doctoral granting institution by the Carnegie Foundation with aspirations to become an R1 in the future.

Minimum Qualifications

Assistant Professor: 1) Ph.D. in Political Science, Government, Politics, Law & Society, Criminal Justice, Jurisprudence, or related field from an accredited institution of higher education. ABDs will be considered, but a conferred doctorate by August 31st, 2026, is required for appointment. 2) Demonstrated research and publication record for tenure appointment. Demonstrable potential for a strong research and publication record for tenure-track appointment. 3) Demonstrated teaching excellence for tenured appointment. Demonstrable potential for teaching excellence for tenure-track appointment. 4) Willingness to learn UTRGV’s online platform (Brightspace) and to occasionally teach online.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

(1) Graduate course work in Constitutional Law, Public Law, or Jurisprudence, (2) Research or teaching experience in Immigration Law, and (3) Experience teaching online.

License or Certification Required?

Salary

Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience

Desired Start Date

09/01/2026

Posting Detail Information

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Open Date

09/29/2025

Close Date

12/31/2025

Additional Information

UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application. Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.

Please Note

Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.

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