Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science

Job Description Summary

Chicago State University (CSU) is the oldest public university in the Chicago metropolitan area and Illinois’ only four‑year U.S. Department of Education‑designated Predominantly Black Institution (PBI). The university serves over 1,500 undergraduate students and nearly 900 graduate students and offers five colleges in Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health Sciences and Pharmacy.

The Department of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sciences, and Technology (CIMST) at Chicago State University invites applications for a tenure‑track Assistant Professor position in Library and Information Science (LIS) beginning Fall 2026.

• Taught in one of the following areas: archives, records management, digital libraries, or public libraries. Faculty must also be able to teach one or more core courses in foundations, organization of information, reference and user services, information technology, and/or research methods. Teaching must be effective in an online environment and include active assessment participation.
• Teaching:
  Faculty are expected to teach 3‑4 courses per semester, develop syllabi and teaching materials, and collaborate with faculty on campus and online to maintain the program and develop new courses. Participation in professional development and assessment activities related to accreditation and program evaluation is required.
• Research:
  Faculty must engage in research or creative activity that results in submission and publication in refereed, professional and/or general readership publications, submit and receive externally awarded grants, and propose presentations at academic and professional conferences.
• Service:
  Faculty are expected to serve on committees, programs, and special task forces at the department, college, university, professional, and community levels; assume leadership roles over time and as rank increases; and perform some service work on campus. These activities are not compensated but relate to the employee’s responsibilities and the university.
• Participation in departmental, college, and university meetings and various service activities in person on campus, despite the program being fully online.

• Rank: Assistant Professor (Tenure‑Track)
• Term: Full-time, 9‑month appointment
• Start Date: Fall 2026

The primary responsibilities of this position include teaching and related academic activities throughout the academic year. Faculty are also expected to uphold the University’s commitment to academic excellence by fostering an engaging and inclusive learning environment that supports, values, and challenges students from diverse ethnic, religious, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Hold a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science or a closely related field; an ALA‑accredited master’s degree and/or professional library/archival experience.
• Evidence of potential for scholarly research and publications in library and information science foundations, organization of information, reference and user services, information technology, research methods, archival studies, or related areas.
• Demonstrate excellence in teaching and advising graduate students and mentoring research.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to supporting diverse student populations and fostering an inclusive learning environment.

• Teaching and research experience in library and information science foundations, organization of information, reference and user services, information technology, research methods, or archival studies.
• Evidence of successful teaching experience in higher education.
• Demonstrated ability or interest in mentoring students in research or professional areas.
• Record of or potential for grant writing and external funding.
• Interest in contributing to departmental service, curriculum development, and program assessment.
• Experience working at a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI), HBCU, or other minority‑serving institution is highly desirable.
• Prior experience delivering graduate courses online using learning management systems such as Brightspace.

Special Requirements:
Doctoral and master’s degree transcripts are required.