Instructor of American Sign Language

POSITION SUMMARY:

• Date application must be received for priority consideration by: November 1, 2026
• Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 16, 2027
• Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
• Job Family Group: Faculty
• Division/Department: College of Arts & Humanities/Spanish & American Sign Language program
• Compensation Range: $55,530 - $58,930 for 1.0 FTE or prorated for decreased FTE (Instructor YIR 1-4) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement
• Faculty Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Code anticipated: 16.01, Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Appointment Basis: 9 month
• Time Type: Full-time
• Benefits Eligible: Yes
• Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable
• This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
• Work Location Type: On Campus
• Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

• •Finalist Candidates for faculty positions shall provide copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the search committee at the time they are notified that they are a finalist.
• •Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; (3) teaching philosophy; (4) names and contact information for three professional references . - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• •For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• •To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://hrs.sou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_010125.pdf
• •Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://hrs.sou.edu/working-at-sou/search-jobs/total-compensation-calculator/, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The College of Arts & Humanities at Southern Oregon University (SOU) is seeking candidates for a .545 to 1.0 FTE (depending on the needs of the program, instructor’s experience and courses able to teach), nine month, professional-track, Instructor.

Teaching responsibilities include first and second year American Sign Language and other classes as needed, such as courses on Deaf Culture, Special Education and/or other proposed language/education classes.

Other responsibilities include advising, curriculum development, professional affiliations as appropriate, and other responsibilities as assigned.

We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. The start date is September 2027 and the position will be open until filled with priority deadline of November 1, 2026.

Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The surrounding area is known for cultural offerings such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland International Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival. The region is noted for its unparalleled biodiversity and natural beauty. The university lies in close proximity to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, mountain lakes, the Rogue River and the Pacific Crest Trail. The Rogue Valley is renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking and rafting.

Minimum Qualifications

• •Initial appointment at the rank of Instructor requires a Master’s degree from an accredited institution in the discipline taught, or equivalent thereof and demonstrated teaching potential.
• •Demonstrated fluent and accurate command of American Sign Language as well as knowledge of culture and language pedagogy.
• •Candidates must have exceptional communication skills as well as a desire to advise and mentor students outside of the classroom. The candidate needs to demonstrate competency in teaching and incorporating subject matter content into undergraduate instructional curricula.
• •One year teaching experience at the college level or similar required.

Preferred Qualifications

• •Advanced academic preparation beyond an MA degree in ASL, Deaf Studies, Linguistics, Language Education, Special Education, Translation and Interpreting Studies, or a related field
• •Experience teaching ASL in an immersive classroom environment.
• •Traditional and online teaching experience in a college or university setting in one or more areas listed above
• •Five years teaching or industry experience at a professional level
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching and advising students, including students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, with a range of academic abilities
• •Experience with or demonstrated potential to build reciprocal relationships with Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, educational partners, and other community organizations.
• •Experience with or demonstrated potential to contribute to curriculum and program development.

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive

(100%) The primary responsibilities of all faculty members are: teaching, professional development, and service.

• •Teaching encompasses normal instructional activities beyond the teaching of assigned courses such as academic advising, working with students outside of class, posting and maintaining appropriate office hours, course and curriculum planning, etc.
• •Professional Development includes maintaining currency in the discipline taught.
• •Service includes program and institutional administrative, committee, and student support and retention activities

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• •Excellent communication skills, with demonstrated ability to convey and understand information clearly and effectively through written, visual, electronic, or other appropriate communication methods.
• •Ability to facilitate an innovative, transformative curriculum and pedagogy to enable students to be prepared for the future
• •Demonstrated experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations
• •Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist
• •Demonstrated ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, sometimes under pressure and a fast-paced environment
• •Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations
• •Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems
• •Ability to independently analyze software functionality and design and document efficient/effective work processes
• •Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines
• •Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with community leaders, business leaders, and donors to advance the mission and vision of the