Description

The School of Public Affairs in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) invites applications for Academic Associate positions during the 2026-2027 academic year to assist the School of Public Affairs faculty in our baccalaureate and graduate programs, including: 

•       BS in Public Service and Public Policy
•       BS in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
•       Undergraduate certificate program for the Next Generation Service Corps
•       MPA
•       MPP
•       MS in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
•       MS in Program Evaluation and Data Analytics programs

      Bob Ramsey Executive Education program

Academic Associates are part-time appointments who are hired on one-semester, renewable contracts to assist with one or two courses (not to exceed 0.40 FTE) per semester, either in-person or online. Academic Associate positions are fixed-term appointments that are not eligible for benefits, sabbaticals, or tenure. Salary is based upon qualifications and assigned teaching load. Official transcripts are required prior to employment. Individuals employed as Academic Associates may not hold multiple, non-benefits eligible appointments at Arizona State University.

For this position, we seek to attract a pool of qualified people who are available to teach in-person courses on ASU’s campuses in Downtown Phoenix, Tempe, or Glendale, as well as a pool of faculty who are also able to teach online. 

About the School:

The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, located on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, is home to the School of Public Affairs (SPA) and three other schools focused on strengthening communities and advancing public service. The Watts College of Public Services and Community Solutions has a student body of over 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students. SPA has a rich and active research and teaching culture within a unique and dynamic setting that strongly values research and teaching in public policy and public administration. This is evidenced by an energetic, productive, and collaborative group of faculty with deep and broad expertise in a range of areas in public policy and public administration, and a student body whose intellectual and professional interests span multiple areas of policy and management.

The School of Public Affairs’ program is ranked #11 in the nation in US News and World Report. US News and World Report also ranks 7 of SPA’s subfields in the top ten in the nation, and 2 subfields in the top 20. A unique attribute of SPA is that it is home to several research centers offering a broad range of collaborative and engagement opportunities. SPA continues to attract a growing array of students motivated by the promise of public service and drawn to the unique opportunity of an interdisciplinary public affairs education. For more information about the School of Public Affairs and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, please visit https://spa.asu.edu and https://publicservice.asu.edu.

Essential Functions:

The successful candidate(s) will assist faculty with in-person or online courses, which includes activities such as grading student work, preparing course materials, teaching specific lessons, tutoring or running study sessions, holding office hours, moderating discussion boards, and responding to student questions.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• An earned master’s degree by time of appointment in Public Administration, Public Policy, Emergency Management or Homeland Security; OR 
• An earned graduate degree from a related field from an accredited institution by time of appointment with content expertise in topics relevant to Public Administration, Public Policy, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Economics, Emergency Management and/or Homeland Security, Statistics, or Data Analytics.
• Consistent with ASU’s Charter, a demonstrated commitment to inclusion.

Desired Qualifications:

• 2 years demonstrated full-time relevant clinical/professional experience, post graduate degree.
• Experience working across multiple sectors, especially in leadership capacities.
• Demonstrated evidence of higher education and/or online teaching experience.
• Experience with technology/course management systems such as Canvas.
• Experience with R or similar programming languages (e.g., python, SAS, Stata).
• Proficiency with GitHub and Markdown.
• Excellent English written and verbal communication skills.       
• For Emergency Management/Homeland Security positions, expertise in one or more of the following content areas:
  • Emergency Management (e.g., mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery)
  • Community resilience and sustainability
  • Biosecurity or biodefense
  • GIS, risk assessment, or decision support systems
  • Cybersecurity or IT related to emergency management
  • Disaster logistics, supply chain, or operations management
  • Public safety or public health in emergency contexts
  • Inter-sector coordination or international humanitarian assistance 
• For all other positions, expertise in one or more of the following content areas:    
  • Public Administration or Organizational Behavior
  • Public Budgeting, Finance, or Human Resource Management
  • Public or Cross-Sector Leadership
  • Public Policy Analysis or Public Sector Economics
  • Public Service Ethics
  • Research Methods or Statistical Analysis