Job Description
Assistant Professor of Critical Indigenous and Environmental Studies Description The Departments of Environmental Studies and Race, Ethnic, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at St. Olaf College invite applications for a full-time, tenure track position in Critical Indigenous and Environmental Studies at the Assistant Professor level to begin August 2026.
This position will be jointly appointed to the Departments of Race, Ethnic, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (REGSS) and Environmental Studies. The departments seek a teacher-scholar of Critical Indigenous Studies focusing on environmental themes and topics and with a demonstrated commitment to environmental justice and in forging relationships with Indigenous communities. Candidates with demonstrated experience in or potential to develop teaching and research that engages with public-facing scholarship are particularly encouraged to apply.
Primary teaching responsibilities in Environmental Studies include teaching at least one core course (ENVST 137, 237, and 399) in addition to elective courses in the candidate's area of expertise in Environmental Studies. Primary teaching responsibilities in REGSS include introductory core courses (RACE 121: Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies; RACE 252: Race, Ethnicity, and Indigenous Studies) and additional mid- and upper-level courses in the candidate's areas of expertise. Specialized areas of particular interest to the departments include, but are not limited to: indigenous feminisms, migration and diaspora, sexuality and gender studies, reclamations/decolonizations, food sovereignty, climate justice, and Indigenous geographies.
Salary : $74,190 - $79,000
Qualifications Ph.D. in Critical Indigenous Studies, Critical Ethnic Studies, or a related field, such as American Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, and Geography. ABD candidates are welcome to apply and will receive full consideration, but must have a Ph.D. by the start date of the appointment.
About the Department Our Environmental Studies and Race, Ethnic, Gender, and Sexuality Studies are both central, robust, and growing departments at St. Olaf. Located within our Interdisciplinary and General Studies faculty division, they draw upon a wide variety of faculty and students who are invested in interdisciplinary methods that address major scholarly and social questions that impact communities and people. These departments are well supported and strongly positioned as the college redoubles its efforts in sustainability, equity, and inclusion. Faculty across both departments seek to create communities of critical thinkers and agents committed to reconciliation and reparation addressing the legacies of both environmental exploitation and colonization in the homelands of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation.
For more information about the departments, visit wp.stolaf.edu/environmental-studies/ , and wp.stolaf.edu/race-and-ethnic-studies/ .
We strive to be a campus of welcome where students, faculty, and staff thrive by bringing their full humanity—gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic class, disability, religion, spirituality, and age—to St. Olaf each day. Our goal is to generate conversations and processes that over time create greater clarity, transparency, trust, cooperation, consensus, respect, and measurable outcomes. Practices that support this goal include listening, cultivating a growth mindset, respecting those with different views, being informed by data, and understanding that the work is ongoing, collaborative, organic, and ever evolving. We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our Community and Belonging webpage to learn more about our commitment and to identify how you might contribute to these efforts.
How to Apply Throughout your materials, include how you would contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive learning community at our college through your teaching, research, and/or service. A complete application includes the following:
References: Provide contact information for three professional references who can speak to your abilities in teaching and scholarship. Letters will be solicited from references by the search committee for candidates who advance to the interview stage.
Supporting Documents and URLS:
- Cover letter outlining your qualifications and why you are interested in this particular position
- Curriculum vitae
- Graduate transcripts (unofficial)
- Teaching Statement (of no more than 1000 words) that offers insight into your pedagogical methods, values, and ambitions
- Professional Statement (of no more than 1000 words) that offers insight into your current projects and future directions for your scholarship
Review of applications will begin on October 10, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by that date will receive fullest consideration. Finalist interviews are expected in December. Questions about the position, department, or College may be directed to Profs. Jake Grossman and Lau Malaver, Search Committee Chairs, at tt2026envst@stolaf.edu .
About Us Who We Are:
Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff. The college is located on a picturesque 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota, a vibrant, historic river town of 20,000 located 45 minutes south of culturally rich and diverse Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The college offers an academically rigorous, nationally ranked liberal arts education that fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit and emphasizes learning in an inclusive and globally engaged community. We encourage applications from candidates committed to multicultural understanding and the enrichment of our diverse community.
The college offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 9% retirement match, contributions to eligible employees' health savings accounts, a significant tuition discount (up to a 90% reduction) at ACM, GLCA, and ELCA colleges and universities for employees' children, and generous paid time off. For a full review of the college's benefits, please see the summary of our benefits here:
To provide a safe and secure educational environment, St. Olaf College verifies the accuracy of all credentials presented by applicants and conducts a criminal background check on every new hire.
A summary of the Flexible Work Policy for staff:
A link to our Community and Belonging page:
A virtual campus tour:
An overview of Northfield:
An overview of the Twin Cities:
For Staff Application Assistance:
hrstaff@stolaf.edu
507-786-3068
For Faculty Application Assistance:
facultysearch@stolaf.edu
507-786-3356
Nondiscrimination Policy
St. Olaf College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. St. Olaf College prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon these and any other legally protected status in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admissions and employment.
Inquiries about this nondiscrimination policy may be referred to St. Olaf College's Director of Equal Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. St. Olaf's Director of Equal Opportunity (who serves as the College's Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504 Coordinator) is Pamela McDowell, Tomson Hall, mcdowell@stolaf.edu, (507) 786-3465.
To apply, visit
Job Tags
Full time, Work at office, Flexible hours,