Criminal Justice: Founding Program Director and Assistant/Associate/Full Professor

The School of Arts & Humanities at Johnson University invites applications for a full-time founding program director and Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Criminal Justice. Successful candidates must possess a graduate degree (terminal degree preferred but not required) in Criminal Justice, or a closely related field, evidence of teaching excellence and/or commensurate professional experience, and a wholehearted embrace of the University’s mission, values, and statement of faith, as well as the program’s guiding theological principle of restorative justice.

Primary duties include leading this new residential program through recruiting, advising, and retaining students, developing curriculum, and fostering relationships with local criminal justice practitioners. The teaching load will include 24 credits per year, with the possibility of course release for program development and student recruitment in the first two years. Salary is dependent upon experience and education.

Johnson University

  1. For over 130 years, Johnson University has been a leader among historic faith-based colleges and contemporary fiscally responsible universities. Johnson is #18 on Intelligent.com’s Best Christian Colleges in America and #77 on Forbes’ 100 Colleges with the Nation’s Strongest Financial Grades. On Niche.com, Johnson University is ranked #7 among “Best Colleges in Tennessee” and #5 among “Top Private Universities in Tennessee. The university offers over seventy associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs in Knoxville, TN, Online and satellite campuses.

Application Process: The School of Arts and Humanities

Initial Application: The following materials should be emailed to Dr. Jason Mead, Professor of History, School of Arts and Humanities, at [email protected].

  • Cover Letter
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Unofficial graduate transcripts
  • Responses to the School of Arts and Humanities essay prompts (below). Each essay should be approximately 250-500 words.
    1. Describe your personal faith and Christian experience, including what you consider to be the most significant implications of your faith commitments to your vocation as a teacher/scholar, as well as your current involvement in a local church and community service.

    2. State your understanding of the relationship of faith commitments and biblical perspectives to your scholarly discipline.

    3. Provide a statement of your teaching philosophy and how it relates to instruction in the undergraduate liberal arts core of a Christ-centered university. If substituting professional experience for teaching experience, provide a statement of how your experience relates to instruction. Be certain to include examples/experiences of specific approaches you have employed or intend to employ.

Documents Required for Candidates Chosen as Finalists

  • Official undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts.
  • 3 professional references, including title, complete contact information, and a statement of relationship to the candidate.
  • Evidence of experience and excellence in teaching (student evaluations, letter of recommendation, etc.). Evidence of professional experience may be substituted for teaching experience.
  • A signed copy of the university statements of faith, values, and community covenant.

Questions

Contact Dr. Jason Mead, Professor of History, School of Arts and Humanities, [email protected].

Review of applications will begin in January 2026 and will continue until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Provider

Johnson University is a Christian university affiliated with Christian churches and churches of Christ. Its mission is to educate students for “Christian ministries and other strategic vocations framed by the Great Commission in order to extend the kingdom of God among all nations.” Accordingly, Johnson University seeks to hire and educate individuals who share its vision and core values to carry out that mission. Johnson University does not unlawfully discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment practices.

Johnson University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, age, veteran status, genetic information, political affiliation, or disability–if such disability may be accommodated without undue hardship—in provision of educational opportunities, programs and activities, or employment opportunities and benefits, pursuant to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent amendments to that act, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and subsequent re-authorization of that act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and subsequent amendments to that act.

The University, however, reserves the right under those provisions to make certain employment decisions based on religion, marital status, or sex consistent with the University’s religious beliefs when establishing qualifications for certain positions. Further, as a Christian ministry, the University retains the right to select those who serve in ministerial positions, as that term has been defined by the courts in the context of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, based on criteria established by the University without regard to Title VII, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law governing the employment relationship.