Part-Time Faculty - Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Spring 2027

Part-Time Faculty - Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Spring 2027

The University of Southern Maine’s Women and Gender Studies Program is seeking part-time instructors to teach various courses for our Spring 2027 and beyond.

We are seeking student-focused instructors who will have full responsibility for course delivery and grading. Courses to be taught include Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (WGS 101), Introduction to Social Justice/Social Change (SOJ 101), and Social Justice Capstone and other WGS elective courses.

Instructors will be responsible for the full delivery and grading of the course. Responsibilities include developing the course, teaching, assessing student performance, and meeting with students as needed. The instructor will be provided with the course learning objectives, program competencies, and suggested topical outline and will be given a previous course syllabus available for reference.

The Women and Gender Studies Program at USM was the first, and continues to be one of the most robust, gender studies program in Northern New England with a faculty of feminist scholars from across the university. To learn more, click here.

Course Descriptions:

Women and Gender Studies (WGS 101): From a variety of perspectives, this interdisciplinary course explores interrelated queries and topics that emerge from the field of Women and Gender Studies. Students will read materials that address the meanings of gender in different cultures, social organizations, and historical periods. The course particularly investigates difference, specifically, how gender difference is constructed, practiced, represented, challenged, and experienced.

Introduction to Social Justice/Social Change (SOJ 101): We’ve seen a marked rise in street protest, youth organizing (and middle-aged women organizing), digital activism and “distributed” organizing, and creative social movement tactics, in the last few years. We’ve also experienced an increase in conversations, on social media and in person, about social justice, historical inequalities, and visioning for more just, free, joyful, safe futures for all of us. So many of us are considering questions about what a more just future looks like, and how we can get there. This course will invite us to consider these questions together. This course will offer a background in sociological approaches to identity, inequality, justice, and processes for creating social change.

Part-time faculty members are paid on a credit hour basis based on prior teaching experience, as determined by the Part-Time Faculty Association of Maine (PATFA), an affiliate of the national American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union. To view the Credit Hour Rates for AY 2026, please refer to the PATFA Contract. Eligible part-time faculty members may elect certain benefits provided by the University of Maine System. In addition, The Center for Academic Innovation provides learning design consulting and faculty development opportunities to help faculty to create engaging programs, courses and lesson plans grounded in evidence-based best practices for every modality.

The University of Southern Maine is a vibrant academic community located in the greater Portland, Maine area, including campuses in Portland, Gorham, Lewiston, and online. USM is part of the University of Maine System and offers a comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing hands-on learning, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With a highly engaged student-centered learning environment, USM is a steward of higher education, helping drive the economic, cultural, and civic life in the communities where our campuses are located and beyond. USM is committed to providing expanded access to high-quality education that elevates economic opportunity and contributes significantly to the vitality of a diverse society. To learn more about USM, visit About Our University.

The University of Southern Maine fosters a welcoming and supportive campus environment that respects and appreciates varied perspectives, enhancing teaching, learning, personal growth, and overall institutional achievement. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds who share our dedication to academic excellence and the enrichment of our community.

We are dedicated to our Service Promise, Student Focused Every Day and seek a team member who embraces this commitment and upholds our core values of Respect & Care, Integrity, Equity, and Responsiveness.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or equivalent in Women and Gender Studies or Ph.D. or equivalent in a related field with a specific concentration in/focus on WGS is required
• Applicants should have a record of achievement in teaching Women and Gender Studies Courses.