Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Studies

Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Studies

Job no: 560076
Work type: Instructional Faculty - Tenured/Tenure-Track
Location: Fullerton
Categories: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Tenured/Tenure-Track, Full Time, Faculty - Human Development

Department of Child and Adolescent Studies
College of Health and Human Development
Assistant Professor
Fall 2027

The Department of Child and Adolescent Studies at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin Fall 2027. The area of developmental specialty is open, but preference will be given to scholars who will expand departmental expertise and contribute to the department's mission to prepare undergraduate students broadly for careers working with children, adolescents, and/or families from diverse backgrounds. Of strong interest is a candidate with expertise in one of the following areas: child mental health and/or developmental disorders, development and learning in middle childhood, and/or best practices to support children in early childhood settings.

Position
The primary professional responsibilities of these instructional faculty members are teaching at the undergraduate level; research and scholarship; and service to the university, college, department, profession, and community. These responsibilities generally include participating in department and campus-wide committees, maintaining office hours, working collaboratively and productively with colleagues, attending weekly/bi-weekly faculty meetings, and participating in traditional academic functions. Positive tenure and promotion decisions require excellent teaching, peer-reviewed publication in an area of expertise, and high-quality service to the department, college, university, and external community.

Required Qualifications
The appointee must have:

• an earned doctorate in Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Child and Family Studies, Clinical Psychology, Education, Learning Sciences, or a closely related field prior to appointment;
• a strong foundation and training in developmental theory and research;
• a commitment to providing high-quality undergraduate education and potential for/demonstrated ability to teach students with diverse backgrounds at the undergraduate level;
• evidence of scholarship related to child development and a research agenda that advances the development, health, and well-being of children and/or families;
• an interest in preparing undergraduates to work effectively with children, adolescents, and families from diverse backgrounds;
• the ability to balance excellent teaching, scholarship, and service;
• demonstrated potential for effective integration of technology into instruction; and
• a demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from intersecting marginalized social groups.

Preferred Qualifications
The Department is particularly interested in candidates with experience working in applied settings related to child development and/or expertise in evidence-based approaches to support:

• child mental health and/or developmental disorders (e.g., developmental psychopathology, neurodiversity, maltreatment);
• development and learning in middle childhood (e.g., in elementary school settings, after-school care); and/or
• early childhood development/education (e.g., preschool, Head Start, transitional kindergarten).

Application
A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit http://hr.fullerton.edu/workforce/careers.html, choose full-time faculty, search for the position 560076, and provide the following required materials:

• a letter of intent addressing the required and preferred qualifications listed above;
• a curriculum vita;
• a teaching statement describing teaching philosophy, qualifications and professional development as a teacher, experience with/capacity to integrate technology into teaching, and CAS courses most suited to teach (suggested length, approximately 1000 words);
• a table listing teaching experience with a column for each of the following: (a) the title and number of each course taught, (b) the semester and year you taught the course, (c) the name of the institution where you taught the course, (d) the approximate number of students enrolled in the course, (e) your role in the course (e.g., instructor of record, teaching assistant, etc.), (f) the course format [e.g., in-person, hybrid, online synchronous, online asynchronous], and (g) the level of the course (e.g., undergraduate or graduate)-submitted as a single pdf;
• evidence of teaching effectiveness (maximum of five items representative items, such as a syllabus, assignment or activity prompt, sample rubric, outline of lesson or lecture slides, student evaluations of teaching, list of teacher trainings or workshops, etc.)-submitted as a single pdf;
• a research statement providing an overview of the scope and plans for establishing a research agenda, as well as past research accomplishments and work(s) currently in progress (suggested length, approximately 1000 words);
• representative samples of scholarship-submitted as a single pdf;
• candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence (no more than 500 words):
  • Inclusive excellence is a strategic framework that recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in achieving organizational success and high-quality learning and teaching. It's a way of thinking and acting that integrates these values into all aspects of an institution, from curriculum and pedagogy to recruitment and hiring. Essentially, it means that excellence is not just about achieving high standards, but also about ensuring that all members of the community have the opportunity to thrive and contribute (Williams et al., 2005).
  • With the Inclusive Excellence Statement, we aim to learn about the applicant's perspective on their past and present contributions to and future aspirations for promoting and engaging with a diverse student population. This statement should showcase the candidate's professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or willingness to teach and create an academic environment supportive of all students, including but not limited to those of diverse ages, abilities, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, languages, religions, and sexual orientations.
  • Cal State Fullerton serves a student body that reflects the rich cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic mosaic of Southern California. Please provide concrete examples of how you, as a faculty member, will support our students in one or more of the following areas, which fall under the areas of awareness and understanding, experience and commitment, and future plans.
    1. Your contributions (past, present, or future) to embedding perspectives that are reflective of the student population into your teaching and/or scholarship.
    2. Your experience in service activities that are reflective of a diverse student population.
    3. Your experience and commitment to mentoring and providing opportunities to a diverse student body inside and outside the classroom environment.
    4. Your experience integrating creative activities that are inclusive of the identities of our student body and communities.

• a detailed list of developmental courses and training and/or unofficial transcripts-submitted as a single pdf; and
• a list of three references with relevant contact information
  • Semi-Finalists must submit three letters of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal.

Please direct all questions about the position to: Dr. Sasha Zeedyk, Search Committee Chair, at szeedyk@fullerton.edu or call 657-278-1081.

Application Deadline
To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by September 15, 2026. The anticipated appointment date is August 16, 2027.

The College and Department
The mission of the College of Health and Human Development (HHD) is to prepare students to thrive in a globalized era in their chosen field. We provide education, conduct research, and engage diverse communities to advance human health, development, and well-being. Housed in HHD, the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies (CAS) is dedicated to promoting the well-being of children, adolescents, and families through teaching, research and reflective practice.

Compensation
The Assistant Professor (2026-2027) classification salary range is $6,221 to $13,224 monthly (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $6,791 to 6,927 per month.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work (https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm).

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start-up funds, and a reduced teaching load may be available.

CSUF Benefits
An excellent comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse, domestic partner, and dependent fee-waiver; access to campus child-care; and a defined-benefit retirement through the state system and optional tax-sheltering opportunities. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/.

New employees hired by the CSU for the first time who first become CalPERS members on or after July 1, 2017, are subject to a 10-year vesting period for retiree health and dental benefits.

International Candidates
California State University, Fullerton, is not currently sponsoring any new H-1B petitions for staff, management, or faculty positions.

For tenure-track faculty positions, California State University, Fullerton is currently not sponsoring H-1B applicants subject to the $100,000 fee established by the "Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers" issued on September 19, 2025. Individuals in the U.S. who hold a valid lawful nonimmigrant status visa can have a petition filed on their behalf to change their status to H-1B without being subjected to the fee. For example, the fee does not apply to an H-1B petition filed by an individual presently in the U.S. who is an F-1, J-1, or O-1 status holder.

CSU Policies
The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be formally offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualifi