The Honors College at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) has an opening for an assistant professor with a specialty in geography and the arts.  This position is tenure-track and begins on August 15, 2012.  Salary is competitive.

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Ph.D. in cultural geography is highly preferred, and strong candidates will have scholarly training and teaching experience in an arts-related field.  Qualified candidates will have instructional experience in interdisciplinary studies or liberal arts.  Instructional responsibilities in the Honors College include team-teaching in a writing-intensive freshman honors seminar that includes service learning, as well as teaching upper-division, interdisciplinary honors seminars that arise from one’s own area of training.  Student-teacher ratios range from 12-1 to 15-1.  An active research agenda is required, and Honors College faculty members help recruit students and deliver programs in the living-learning community.  During the six-year tenure probation the position is a joint appointment with the Department of Geography, and at least one course a semester will be taught in that department.  After the faculty member earns tenure, the position becomes a single appointment in the Honors College. Tenured faculty members in the Honors College are expected to maintain their involvement in the discipline-appropriate department through their teaching, scholarship, and/or service.

THE HONORS COLLEGE:  Serving as a model for numerous programs around the nation during its 28-year history, the UCA Honors College routinely places over 80 percent of its graduates in top law, medical and graduate schools.  It has an honors residence hall with private rooms; an honors center with multipurpose spaces, offices, and seminar rooms; and a private endowment along with university support for an extensive grant program that funds undergraduate research and study abroad.  Course work in the specially designed, four-year curriculum culminates in a minor in honors interdisciplinary studies, requiring a senior thesis project.  The Honors College enrolls nearly 300 students, whose ACT scores rank them in the top three percent nationally.

THE UNIVERSITY: Recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best master’s universities in the South, UCA has an enrollment of approximately 11,000 students and offers 81 undergraduate and 42 graduate certificate and degree programs, including doctoral programs in four disciplines. The student body consistently scores above the national average on the ACT exam. UCA is proud of its tradition of teaching excellence and its contributions in scholarly and creative activities. The campus is widely acclaimed for its beauty.

THE COMMUNITY:  UCA is located in Conway, Arkansas, a thriving city of nearly 60,000, located in central Arkansas, 30 miles northwest of Little Rock. Conway is the home of a number of major industries, two private colleges, a public school system ranked among the state's best, and a strong K-12 parochial school.  Residents have easy access to the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests and pristine wild areas near the Buffalo National River. Real estate is moderately priced and taxes are relatively low.

The UCA Honors College values candidates who have experience working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds, and possess a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students. Applicants are encouraged to address this element directly in their application materials.

APPLICATION PROCESS:  Application review will begin November 15, 2011, and continue until the position is filled. 

Submit a curriculum vita, statement of teaching philosophy and the names and contact information of three references to Dr. Richard Scott, Dean of the Honors College, McAlister 306, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR  72035.  Visit us on the web at http://honors.uca.edu. 

UCA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.