Position Announcement
Position Details Proposed Start Date: 09162026 Working Title: Black Studies Adjunct Pool Academic Year: 2026-27 Department: 220400 - BST Black Studies Program Position Number: D97758
Representation: AP - AFT Local 3571
Position Summary
Brief Description of PSU School Dept A thriving campus in the heart of the city Portland State University is Oregons most affordable public research university offering tremendous opportunity to over 20000 students from all backgrounds. Our mission to let knowledge serve the city reflects our dedication to finding innovative sustainable solutions to local and global problems. Our location in one of Americas most dynamic urban centers gives our students unmatched access to career opportunities, community engagement, and cultural resources. PSU is the only Oregon university to offer a four-year degree guarantee.
The School of Gender, Race, and Nations (SGRN) creates new intellectual and community connections among its founding partners-Black Studies, Indigenous Nations Studies, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies-to better understand and advocate for historically under-served populations crucial to Oregons success.
Black Studies at PSU is one of the countrys oldest and most innovative Black Studies departments established in the late 1960s. The departments teaching and research foreground the histories, cultures, and lived experiences of people of African descent locally, nationally, and globally. Black Studies faculty lead interdisciplinary community-engaged scholarship while providing students with the critical tools to engage issues of race, equity, decolonization, and social transformation. Our curriculum spans the humanities, social sciences, and the arts, centering Black intellectual traditions, creativity, and resistance.
Position Summary
The Black Studies Department in the School of Gender, Race & Nations at Portland State University invites applications for adjunct instructors to teach Black Studies courses during the 2025-2026 academic year. We are especially interested in Oregon-based scholars, educators, and practitioners deeply engaged with the histories, religions, cultural production, and lived experiences of people of African descent. Join a dynamic and diverse department dedicated to fostering critical dialogue, community engagement, and interdisciplinary approaches.
Adjunct instructors may teach in-person, online, or hybrid modalities in collaboration with the Office of Academic Innovation. We specifically seek instructors to offer courses in the following areas:
• Vodoun • Rasta and Islam in the African Diaspora • African Women in Film • Black Popular Music in Context • Black Feminism/Womanism • Race Justice and Punishment • Contemporary African American Experience • Additional areas relevant to Black Studies, depending on departmental curricular needs
Successful candidates will demonstrate experience teaching diverse student populations and a commitment to culturally sustaining community-engaged pedagogy. Minimum Qualifications include advanced degrees or comparable knowledge base in Black Studies, Africa Studies, or closely related fields, and prior teaching experience. Preferred Qualifications include terminal degrees in Black Studies, African Studies, or closely related fields, prior teaching or instructional experience at the college/university or equivalent educational community-based level, and experience with interdisciplinary community-based or public-facing scholarship and practice.
Key Cultural Competencies
• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences. • Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds. • Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse multicultural and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement. • Adheres to all PSU policies, including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.
Environmental Stewardship
Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship practices, resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.
Required Professional Standards of Conduct
At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct, which are available at www.pdx.edu/hr/professional-standards-conduct.
Compensation
Adjunct faculty members are paid per credit hour, per the AFT Collective Bargaining Agreement, which can be found at https://www.pdx.edu/academic-affairs/academic-unions/psufa.
Application Instructions
Additional Information
A background check is required for adjunct faculty who have not taught in the department during a previous academic year. Local applicants are strongly preferred. Candidates whose teaching includes in-person or hybrid courses will be expected to reside in or relocate to the Portland metropolitan area for campus-based instruction.
To apply, please submit the following:
• A cover letter listing desired Black Studies courses, see above, that you would like to be considered for, along with your availability for fall, winter, spring quarters. • Please indicate what course delivery methods you are available to teach, as well as available days and times (approximate times are fine). • Please find PSUs descriptions of course delivery methods here: https://www.pdx.edu/registration-guide/course-delivery-methods
• Curriculum Vitae • The names and contact information for three professional references • You may choose to upload an optional teaching portfolio that includes a statement of teaching philosophy, sample syllabi
Does this position require the employee to drive a motor vehicle? No Background Check Required? Yes
Search Details
Posting Close Date: Projected Close Date for Posting Open Until Finalists Identified
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk.