Open Rank Professor - Public Administration

Position Rank and Title: Open Rank Professor of Public
Administration/Public Policy

School/Department Name: Planning, Policy, and Environmental
Studies

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience,
and rank as established by the
CSU Salary Schedule . Anticipated hiring academic year annual
salary range: $88,008 - $130,008

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher
education sector. See the
CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s
excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 17, 2027

Application Deadline: January 15, 2027 (Applications
accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The School of Planning, Policy, and Environmental Studies at San
José State University is pleased to announce a search for an open
rank tenured/tenure track position in Public Administration. We
seek an interdisciplinary teacher-scholar to contribute to our
Master of Public Administration (MPA) program through teaching,
research, program management, and service. We welcome applicants at
the assistant, associate, or full professor level whose expertise
complements the program, including local and regional governance,
organizational theory, administrative research methods,
administrative law; executive management, civic and community
engagement, digital governance and public sector technology, and
public financial management. Interdisciplinary work that connects
public administration with complementary programs in
geography/geographic information science, urban planning, and
environmental studies is especially welcome. Strong applicants will
have experience in program management, curriculum development, and
grant writing as well as experience teaching classes similar to
core MPA courses.

The newly established School of Planning, Policy, and Environmental
Studies is home to several professional graduate programs including
the accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA), accredited
Master of Urban Planning (MUP), Master of Science in Geographic
Information Sciences (MSGISc), and a Master of Science in
Environmental Studies, along with undergraduate programs in
Environmental Studies, Geography, and Global Studies. The new
faculty will join a community of interdisciplinary teacher-scholars
who are dedicated to mentoring students to become future leaders in
public service and to building partnerships to address complex
social problems. More information about the School can be found at
https://www.sjsu.edu/plan-policy-envs/
.

The School of Planning, Policy, and Environmental Studies is part
of the College of Social Sciences, which is committed to equitable
and inclusive teaching and learning. The College sees faculty and
student success as inextricably linked, and strives to provide
culturally-sustaining, and academically-affirming approaches to
supporting and engaging students and faculty. We provide
opportunities for faculty development around asset-based, holistic
student success, and support scholarship of engagement that
addresses issues that affect our campus and community. In all of
our endeavors, we strive to build leadership capacity and foster a
culture of support and belonging for faculty, staff, and
students.

The School of Planning, Policy, and Environmental Studies and San
José State University value institutional excellence and are
committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and
service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are
historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate
students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell
Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving
Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create
holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and
collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate
inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building,
and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong
learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff,
students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional
Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how
your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU
community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to
writing this statement can be found at
SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Public Administration/Public Management, Public Policy,

or a closely related field

• Demonstrated teaching experience, or strong potential to teach

classes in public administration and/or public policy.

• A record of publication, or strong potential for publications,

appropriate to the public administration discipline.

• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity

to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse
student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural
study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the
following:

• Experience teaching in MPA core curriculum (e.g., Regional

Governance, Administrative Research Methods, Public Management).
Expertise in community-engaged policy-making/analysis, field-based
coursework, and overseeing graduate students.

• Research experience in public administration, government and/or

non-profit or public financial management.

• Demonstrated experience in or commitment to service at the

department and university level.

• Experience in or commitment to support co-curricular academic

activities that support student success (e.g., professional network
development).

• Engagement with professional communities of practice,

especially practical experience in public service by working with
local governments, non-profits, or as city staff.

• Evidence of or potential for academic program leadership &

management in public administration.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach primarily core and elective graduate courses in the

Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. Secondarily may also
teach courses in Urban Planning, Geography/GIS, and/or
Environmental studies depending on program and student need.

• Conduct research that contributes to and connects the fields of

public administration, and public policy.

• Mentor graduate students, including advising on capstone

projects and preparing students for careers in public service.

• Use innovative teaching practices to enhance student learning

and enrich the MPA program and SPPES curricula.

• Contribute to service for the MPA program that supports our

Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration
(NASPAA) accreditation.

• Engage with external partners, including community

organizations, policymakers, and practitioners to enhance the
relevance and impact of research and teaching.

• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in

department, college, and university committees and other service
assignments.

• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas

Learning Management System (LMS).

• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in

understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity
– in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion,
economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender
identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course
materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered
mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect
Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set
forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide
policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus
Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act
training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the
institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned
and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA,
Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and
Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with
safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19
transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities
of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application
and attach the following documents [departments may specify
length of items below (e.g. 2 pages)]:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae

-
institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or
addressed in letter of interest)

• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• statement of research agenda and accomplishments
• three references with contact information

Inquiries may be directed to the School Director : Prof. Katherine
Kao Cushing ( katherine.cushing@sjsu.edu
) .

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be
required to disclose whether they have received a final
administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that
they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only
after a determination is made that they meet the minimum
qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment
is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the
application process must also sign a release form that authorizes
the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former
employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of
misconduct.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the
State of California and requires establishing an on-campus
presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of
eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion
of background and reference checks (including criminal records and
prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer
of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and
reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is
discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified
information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and
reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current
employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public
University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative
regions in the world — San José State University
is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University
(CSU) system and the first public university in the West.
Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San
José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic,
cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area,
and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research
funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU
system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship,
student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to
social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities
and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of
Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender
Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status,
Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion,
Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and
Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State
University students, faculty, and staff as well as University
programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for
applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR)
is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf
. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy
statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information,
crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and
information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR
also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State
University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A
paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the
Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email
at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire
Safety Report (AFSR) is available at
https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf
. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires
that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the
three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety
policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A
paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the
Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at
uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

Advertised: October 28, 2026 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight
Time

Applications close: