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 [email protected] 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 institution.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
• Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy
• Ability to take initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail
• Proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, internet/online systems (e.g., calendaring and email), social media platforms, Learning Management Systems, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere internally and externally, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds

Physical Demand

• Regular teaching activities, including standing/sitting, lecturing, and using a computer.

Special Conditions

• Workload expectations are outlined in the Association for Professors, Southern Oregon University (APSOU) Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19.
• Teaching assignments may include First Year Experience, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development. 
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis. 
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check. 
• Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position classification is defined as exempt and is not subject to overtime regulations.
• The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services. 
• Compensation: Any formally approved and authorized salary change shall automatically amend this contract.

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SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.

Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (www.ctsi.nsn.us) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/.  A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520.  For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email [email protected].