Part-Time Faculty - Sociology & Criminology, Academic Year 2026

Part-Time Faculty - Sociology & Criminology, Academic Year 2026 - 2027

Portland, ME, United States (On-site)

The University of Southern Maine’s Department of Sociology and Criminology invites applications for part-time faculty.

We are seeking student-focused instructors who will be responsible for the full delivery and grading of the course. Responsibilities include teaching, assessing student performance, and meeting with students as needed. The instructor will be provided with the learning objectives, program competencies, and suggested topical outline and will be given a previous course syllabus for reference.

Courses to be taught may include but are not limited to:

• Race and Punishment (CRM 365) – This course examines the historical origins of the practice and politics of punishment in the United States, with emphasis on the racial history of the country's criminal legal system. It explores contemporary patterns, practices and policies pertaining to race and punishment in the U.S., in historical context. Particular attention will be given to the dynamics that have driven the rise of mass incarceration across the country, with a view to the historical evolution of criminal punishment in the U.S., in the context of racial capitalism, and the role played by race in this process.
  
  The course also examines race in the context of whiteness and white supremacy, while considering how racialized punitive practices intersect with class status, gender, and religion.
• Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (SOC 371) – This course explores race and ethnicity in Sociology through the application of both classic and current scholarship to social issues and institutions. We investigate disparate access to modern U.S. society through the lens of race and ethnicity in education, health care, housing, food resources, environmental protection, and even access to scholarship itself. Particular attention goes to current issues of race and ethnicity in our society.
  
  The course emphasizes the students’ own power to promote stronger, more equitable social institutions through learning from models of collaboration, inclusion, and empowerment.

Part-time faculty members are paid on a credit hour basis based on prior teaching experience, as determined by the Part‑Time Faculty Association of Maine (PATFA). Eligible part‑time faculty members may elect certain benefits provided by the University of Maine System. The Center for Academic Innovation provides learning design consulting and faculty development opportunities to help faculty create engaging programs, courses and lesson plans grounded in evidence‑based best practices for every modality.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in criminology or a related field.
• Applicants with JDs or PhD students at ABD status will also be considered.
• Previous teaching at the college level is preferred but not required.

How to Apply: Submit a cover letter describing qualifications for the position, a curriculum vitae or resume, and contact information for three professional references.

The University of Maine System is an equal‑opportunity institution committed to fostering a nondiscriminatory environment and complying with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. Consistent with State and Federal law, the System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran or military status in any aspect of its education, programs and activities, and employment.

The System provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you have experienced discrimination or harassment, please contact the System Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services at 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, Orono, ME 04469‑5713, by calling  or via TTY at 711 (Maine Relay System).