Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Physics - tenure track

Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Physics - tenure track

Goshen College is a Christian liberal arts institution that prepares students to thrive in life, leadership and service. We strive to model an inclusive community committed to transformative justice, peace, and sustainability. A respect and appreciation of the Anabaptist- Mennonite faith perspective and practices, and a commitment to the mission, vision, core values and community standards of Goshen College, are important for teaching and administrative faculty members.

Position Summary:

Goshen College invites applications for one full-time, tenure-track Professor of Physics at any rank (Assistant, Associate, or Full) starting July 2027. Leadership as Department Chair (with associated stipend or course release) is available for candidates with prior teaching and administrative experience seeking appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level.

Primary teaching responsibilities could include General Physics, Engineering Statics, Electronics, and upper level classes related to your professional interests. Physics faculty must also teach one or more general education courses. Recent examples: Astronomy or Climate Change. In addition to teaching, the position includes recruiting, advising, and mentoring an increasingly culturally, racially and religiously diverse student body and supporting departmental co-curriculars.

We seek a colleague with exceptional teaching skills and a commitment to mentoring students via an undergraduate research program. Our alumni consistently gain admittance into Ph.D. and post graduate programs. Goshen College ranks second in Indiana in the percent of alumni who go on to earn a PhD. Campus facilities include an optics lab, an acoustics lab, lab for electronics, and machine shop and 3-d printers, along with teaching labs. Space for a research program and startup funds are available.

Goshen College faculty are eligible to apply to teach in our nationally ranked study abroad program, SST, which includes semesters in Ecuador, Tanzania, Indonesia, and select domestic locations. Interest in participating in this program would be an advantage.

The Physics department offers bachelor of arts degrees in Physics and in Engineering Physics. The Engineering Physics major is designed to work in a “3-2” format, where students complete their first 3 years at Goshen College, then 2 years with a partner university, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Goshen College and a B.S. from an ABET-certified partner university upon finishing.

Goshen College is a teaching college and the courses you will teach are spread across two semesters and a May term (Depending on labs, e.g., 3-4 courses in Fall, 3 in Spring, and 1 course in our 3-week May Term). Teaching assignments are flexible and collaboratively arranged based on candidate expertise, departmental needs, and interest. All teaching faculty serve on institution-wide committees and assist with advising (although not in the first year), as well as recruiting prospective students.

The successful candidate must be ready to contribute to our strong tradition of excellence in research and publication as well as teaching. Our Maple Scholars program is a fully endowed, REU-like summer research program, with GC undergrads and advisors funded to work on a summer research project with a GC faculty member and interact with the other students. Candidates must be interested in working closely with students and fellow faculty members as a part of a small, vibrant campus and community.

Education and Experience:

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics or Engineering preferred (and required for the Associate or Full Professor rank); a Master’s degree with significant professional experience will be considered. (A Ph.D. is required for tenure.)
• Commitment to teaching at a liberal arts school
• Commitment to curriculum development
• Commitment to working with a diverse student body
• Commitment to the mission and core values of Goshen College

Skills

• Collaborative, innovative teacher-scholars dedicated to undergraduate teaching in an inclusive academic and campus community.
• Excellent aptitude and ability in teaching and educational technology
• Mentorship of student research
• Training students in scientific software (e.g. AutoCad, Matlab, Jupyter, open source software…)
• Active engagement in research and publishing
• Ability to establish positive working relationships with colleagues and students
• Contribute knowledge and ideas to department and college endeavors

Essential Functions:

• Teach assigned courses with appropriate active and engaged learning practices; Prepare course syllabi for assigned courses in consultation with department chair
• Mentor students through advising and research projects.
• Participate in department, school and college meetings
• Pursue appropriate professional development opportunities, including scholarly activities

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Students in assigned courses
• Student research projects
• Student workers in department as needed
• Department faculty (for candidates interested in the Department Chair role)

Work Environment/Environmental Conditions:

• Mostly inside/office conditions; Temperatures are usually moderate; Artificial lighting; Some exposure to dust and molds. Extensive use of computers and other office equipment; moving around campus, inside and outside.

• All of the essential job functions are subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform other job-related instructions as requested by the supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and may change at the option of the (supervisor or department head). Any major change will result in the position being reviewed for reclassification.

Benefits

• Healthcare/Prescription insurance (Goshen College pays employee premium)
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life/AD&D (Goshen College pays employee premium)
• Long Term Disability (after 1 year of employment – college pays employee premium)
• Retirement (403(b))
• College contribution to retirement after 90 days
• Free membership to GC Recreation-Fitness Center
• Paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Tuition discounts
• and more