Teaching Specialist​/Lecturer AY: Anthropology

Position: Teaching Specialist/Lecturer 26-27AY: Anthropology (Continuous Recruitment)
About the Job

The Department of Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota occasionally needs teaching specialists or lecturers to teach courses that cannot be staffed by regular faculty or graduate students. Openings of this kind sometimes occur for teaching evening and summer session, as well as day courses and courses offered through Independent and Distance Learning. These positions are temporary and part-time.

This does not constitute a posting for vacancies, but establishes a pool of applicants should openings occur during the 2026/27 academic year. Applicants will be selected from this pool on an as-needed basis through the academic year. These positions are temporary (one semester or one academic year), and they typically teach no more than one three-credit course per academic semester. Appointments may be renewable based on need, funding, and performance.

Applicants will not be acknowledged upon receipt. Applicants will only be contacted should an active opening occur during the academic year. Positions may be appointed during the  academic year:
Fall 2026 (8/31/26 - 1/13/27) or Spring 2027 (1/14/27 - 5/30/27).

Teaching specialists and lecturers will be expected to teach undergraduate or graduate students in assigned course(s) and work with students to improve their knowledge, plan and develop lessons and assignments and assess students' progress by grading papers and tests, hold office hours to assist and advise students, work with teaching assistants (if assigned to discussion sections) to coordinate student activities, and participate in relevant departmental meetings.

Teaching Specialists:

* Teaching Specialists teach undergraduate courses in classroom settings.

* Teaching Specialists in the Heritage Studies and Public History program may teach graduate courses in classroom settings when substantial equivalent experience can substitute the degree.

Lecturers:

* Lecturers teach undergraduate and graduate courses in classroom settings and online settings.

Qualifications

Teaching Specialist

Required Qualifications:

* MA degree or BA/BS degree plus 4 years of post-baccalaureate education in an advanced degree program.

* Degree knowledge in course content area, evidence of excellent written and verbal communication skills, special expertise, specific teaching need within the department.

* Other important hiring criteria include academic training, prior teaching experience, and relevant life or professional experience.

Preference will be given to applicants with knowledge and/or training in the University of Minnesota teaching methodology. Must be capable of delivering high-quality instruction to a diverse student body.

Lecturer

Required Qualifications:

* Ph.D. degree, knowledge or course content area, evidence of excellent written and verbal communication skills, special expertise, and specific teaching need of the department.

* Other important hiring criteria include academic training, prior teaching experience, and relevant life or professional experience.

About the Department

About the Department of Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology provides training in archaeology, biological anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. Our faculty offers a rich array of courses that cover many topics related to human life and history-from skeletal analysis to the culture and society of India to language evolution. As anthropologists, we encourage our students to use skills learned in the classroom in every aspect of their lives.

We prepare over 2,200 undergraduate students each year for careers in many professions, such as medicine, law, public policy, cultural resources management, heritage preservation, and business, as well as advanced graduate study. For additional information about the department, please visit the Department of Anthropology website, .edu/anthropology.

About the College of Liberal Arts

Home to the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines and programs, the College of Liberal Arts is the largest college in the University of Minnesota and comprises 31 academic departments, and over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and administrative/support units. CLA has over 1,300 faculty and staff spanning research, teaching, advising, outreach, and

administrative functions. CLA units reside in over twenty buildings on the East Bank and West Bank of the Twin Cities campus. CLA enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, over 40% of the undergraduate enrollment on the Twin Cities campus, 1,400 graduate students, and has an annual all-funds budget of $290 million.

CLA is a destination for curious, compassionate individuals who are committed to making our increasingly interdependent and diverse global community work for everyone. That foundational commitment begins in our CLA Constitution. CLA is committed to increasing enrollment of underrepresented and under-resourced students, diversifying our faculty across all disciplines, recruiting, and retaining a diverse staff, and…