The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) at The Cooper Union invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor or Advanced Assistant Professor in Social Geography. We seek a colleague with disciplinary expertise in Social Geography with a particular focus on urban and environmental issues such as climate change, human migration, urban sustainability, urban geography, and environmental justice. The candidate should demonstrate a promising record of teaching and scholarship in two or more of these areas. We are especially interested in candidates with teaching and research expertise in the study of the Americas.  

Applicants should demonstrate a record of scholarship and plans for future work as well as evidence of undergraduate teaching excellence. While Cooper Union does not offer degrees in HSS, the humanities and social sciences are foundational to the education of the students in Cooper’s three professional Schools of Art, Architecture, and Engineering. The ideal candidate will have a vigorous research agenda and a genuine desire to teach both electives and a core of introductory courses to non-majors. The standard teaching load for tenure-track faculty is 3/3 with a course release for each of the first three semesters. Successful candidates should be able to teach in our core curriculum as well as offer elective courses in the fields listed above; serve on faculty, college, and university committees; and conduct research and publish in relevant areas of the field.

This position also allows for the opportunity to help configure a fresh vision of the HSS core curriculum that is a critical component of our professional degree programs. We seek a colleague who will collaborate in teaching and research with faculty from our professional degree programs, while pursuing individual research that takes advantage of the scholarly networks within the broader New York City academic community and beyond. The individual appointed to this position will have a significant voice in the future development of the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences within an institution focused on pre-professional training in Art, Architecture, and Engineering. 

Teaching obligations: HSS faculty are expected to teach two core courses and one elective as part of a 3/3 teaching schedule, with nine credits of course release within the first six semesters.

Requirements: Candidates should have completed the Ph.D. by the position start date (August 23, 2025). Postdocs and visiting assistant professors are encouraged to apply.
 
About the Cooper Union: 
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private, primarily undergraduate institution enrolling approximately 1000 students. Through outstanding academic degree programs in architecture, art, and engineering, enriched by a commitment to the social sciences and the humanities, The Cooper Union prepares students to make enlightened contributions to society. The institution provides an engaging, interactive curriculum with distinguished, creative faculty and fosters rigorous, humanistic learning in a dynamic setting. Founded as an egalitarian institution, The Cooper Union has always been open to all people regardless of race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. The College has focused over the past five years on continuing efforts to expand diversity, equity and inclusion into the curriculum, the student body, and both faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

About the Faculty of HSS:
The Cooper Union is committed to the principle that an education in the humanities and social sciences provides the ethical, social, and humanistic framework crucial to personal development, professional excellence, and engaged citizenship. Through their work in HSS disciplines, students gain a deeper awareness of the world in which they must live and act. They learn to think, write, and speak clearly and effectively. Most significantly, an education in HSS offers students the opportunity to become attentive to the social and humanistic implications of their professional work and to acquire the basis for a satisfying cultural and intellectual life.

Application Instructions: 

Applicants should submit the following materials to hr@cooper.edu:

Cover letter
Curriculum vitae
Teaching philosophy 
Writing sample
Sample syllabus
Name and contact details of three referees 

Review of applications will begin December 2, 2024 for optimal consideration. We plan to conduct virtual interviews for selected candidates in January and February, with campus visits to follow in March.

Salary range for this position: $90,000 to $100,000.
This is a unionized position.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Email materials to: hr@cooper.edu