Anthropology Instructor

Our Mission Statement:

As a federally designated Hispanic-serving Institution residing on the traditional homelands of the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Yakima Valley College cultivates equity and a culture of innovative and inclusive teaching and learning.

Yakima Valley College serves all students holistically, supports all students' learning goals, and fosters achievement within career and educational pathways.

We strengthen our communities by providing opportunities for personal enrichment, economic mobility, and sociocultural engagement.

Are you passionate about anthropology and enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge with others? Are you committed to student success and to finding innovative ways to address persistent achievement gaps in general education courses? If these questions resonate with you, then we invite you to consider joining the faculty ranks at Yakima Valley College (YVC), a designated Hispanic Serving Institution.

Yakima Valley College seeks an Anthropology Instructor who is committed to community college education.  We are an innovative and equity-focused college, dedicated to helping all students achieve their academic and professional goals. The successful applicant will exhibit a sensitivity to and understanding the diverse backgrounds of YVC students, faculty and staff and will demonstrate a commitment to equity-minded practices within the educational environment.

We seek a broadly trained anthropologist who is committed to innovative, student-centered, and equity-focused teaching methods. We are interested in finding a colleague with a commitment to student success, community engagement, and a collaborative outlook toward the support of our programs and students. The successful applicant will teach a quarter schedule with three courses per term and opportunities to teach in the Summer if desired.

The position currently has three to four course preparations for the year with room for development of 100-200 level undergraduate courses to fit area of interest/expertise. The position is open to any regional or topical specialization, but we especially encourage applicants with a focus on the Pacific Northwest and whose work bridges subfields.

This is a full-time, special faculty (non-tenure track) position, with an anticipated start date of September 2026.

* Teach a variety of foundational anthropology courses.

* Prepare innovative teaching & learning activities and assessments that are consistent with the official course outline.

* Participate in curriculum planning and regular revisions in conjunction with the department.

* Hold at least 5 office hours per week in modalities appropriate for the courses taught (e.g., online office hours for online classes).

* Advise students as part of the Guided Pathways advising process.

* Participate in college-wide committees (such as assessment, curriculum, or accreditation committee).

* Select and prepare Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or order textbooks and other course materials in coordination with the campus bookstore.

* Implement and assess teaching methods intended to close achievement gaps between demographic groups.

* Assess and evaluate individual student progress, maintain student records, refer students to other appropriate college staff as necessary, and demonstrate student-centered values consistent with the community college philosophy.

* Commitment to systematic classroom, department, and college assessment and improvement.

* Develop departmental curriculum.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

* Earned master's degree in anthropology or anthropological subfield from an accredited institution.

* Successful experience working with culturally and ethnically diverse populations in education and in the local communities.

* Commitment to the community college mission and values.

* Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in a multicultural setting, and a commitment to advancing the participation of diverse groups and supporting diverse perspectives.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

* Terminal degree in Anthropology or anthropological subfield.

* Experience teaching within a community college system.

* Experience teaching 100 and/or 200-level Anthropology courses.

* Experience teaching Survey of Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, or Introduction to Archaeology.

* Demonstrated record of teaching excellence.

* Secondary concentration in a complimentary subfield or social science discipline (e.g. Cultural Resource Management, Public History, Ethnic Studies subfields, etc.)

* Experience or evidence of willingness to work in a participatory collegiate community (e.g., committees, advising, college activities).

* Ability to use a variety of classroom methodologies (e.g., varied assessment techniques, collaborative learning, classroom technologies, interactive teaching).

* Experience developing anthropology curricula and/or curricula in a related discipline.

* Understanding of and commitment to the community college…