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Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Department Chair Search to Begin Fall 2022

Title: Chair and Full or Associate Professor

Unit: Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) invites nominations and applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice to begin August 16, 2022. We seek a dynamic scholar and visionary leader with a Ph.D. in criminology/criminal justice, or a related social science discipline. The appointment will be at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, tenurable in the department of Criminology and Criminal Justice within the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice has 16 faculty members, including some with joint or affiliate appointments with other colleges, as well as a full-time staff of professional student advisors. The department currently enrolls about 30 Ph.D. students, 30 M.A. students, and nearly 800 undergraduate majors. The faculty are committed to excellence in research and teaching befitting a Research 1 University. The department currently offers an internship program and several experiential learning opportunities, including an adolescent mentoring program and a NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

The chair provides academic and administrative leadership within the department and is responsible for spearheading the unit’s strategic goals, overseeing the budget, facilitating the academic programs (including undergraduate, Masters, and doctoral degree programs), communicating with internal and external personnel for development purposes, and supporting faculty in efforts to secure external funds. Qualifications include administrative expertise and the demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students, consistent with the expectations and mission of a Research 1 University. Candidates should have a strong record of scholarly achievement and teaching excellence commensurate with appointment as a tenured professor. In this respect, the chair is expected to maintain an active research agenda and teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. The successful candidate is also expected to share the college’s and department’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Applications and Nominations: Review of applications will begin November 15 and will continue until the position is filled. All applications must be submitted online via the USC Jobs portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/106922. Applications should include a cover letter, statement of leadership philosophy, CV, and contact information for three references. References will only be contacted for candidates on the short list. Please send any nominations to Brent Simpson (bts@sc.edu), Chair of the Search Committee, by November 1. Any questions about the position should also be sent to Brent Simpson.

As the largest college at the UofSC, the College of Arts and Sciences is the intellectual, artistic, scientific, and instructional heart of the university.  The college is home to award-winning scientists, scholars and teachers that span the arts, humanities, natural science, and social science disciplines. The college's 26 schools, departments, academic programs, and institutes offer 109 degrees to over 8,700 undergraduates and more than 850 graduate students. College faculty are consistently recognized both nationally and internationally for teaching and research excellence.

The UofSC’s main campus is located in Columbia, the state capital, close to the mountains and the coast. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has designated the  UofSC as one of only 73 public and 35 private academic institutions with “very high research activity” and also lists UofSC as having strong focus on community engagement. The University has over 31,000 students on the main campus (and over 46,000 students system-wide), more than 450 degree programs, and a nationally ranked library system that includes one of the nation’s largest public film archives. Columbia is the center of a greater metropolitan area which has a population over 800,000.

The UofSC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities on the basis of race, sex, gender, gender identity, transgender status, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, protected veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.


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