The School of Community Resources and Development in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time, benefits-eligible, academic-year (9-month), career-track faculty Assistant Teaching Professor position in nonprofit leadership and management to begin August 2027. We seek to attract an active candidate with broad experiences and academic backgrounds who will teach four courses per semester in nonprofit leadership and management.
This position is based on the Downtown Phoenix campus in Phoenix, Arizona and requires physical presence at that location, with possible teaching assignments at ASU campuses in Tempe and Glendale. Working from another location requires additional approvals, which are not guaranteed.
The School of Community Resources and Development (SCRD) is one of the four schools in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, a vibrant community of scholars actively committed to excellence in education and innovative responses to collective problems. SCRD is well known for its strong scholarship and teaching impact in the field of nonprofit leadership and management (NLM) and related thematic areas such as philanthropic studies and social entrepreneurship. Our MNLM graduate degree is ranked #3 in the US according to US News. We are the only NACC accredited NLM undergraduate and graduate degree programs of any university in the world. Our degrees work in partnership with the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, a global leader educating, empowering, and connecting nonprofit leaders to accelerate social impact. ASU also celebrates a historic 40+ year legacy as an affiliate of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, guiding students at any level and any degree toward earning the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential. SCRD is in the nation’s 5th largest city at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, a dynamic hub of the multi-campus Arizona State University that provides a multitude of academic and professional connections for students. The mission of our school is to co-create transformative solutions that enhance the social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being of communities. We provide internationally recognized interdisciplinary research expertise, innovative academic offerings and impactful community engagement opportunities through complementary, yet distinctive, programs in therapeutic recreation, nonprofit leadership and management, parks and recreation management, community sports management, and tourism development and management. Courses are delivered through on-campus immersion, asynchronous online, and hybrid platforms.
The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, located on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, has a student body of over 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students, and is home to the School of Community Resources and Development and three other schools focused on strengthening communities and advancing public service. The College fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, community partnerships, and innovative solutions to address pressing social challenges across Arizona and beyond.
Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 12 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University. Repeatedly ranked No. 1, ASU has topped more than 30 lists in the last three years: No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact (Times Higher Education) and No. 1 in the U.S. for sustainable practices (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest-quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations.
All we do at ASU is guided and inspired by the University Charter, which reads:
Arizona State University is a comprehensive public research university measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the communities it serves.
Successful candidates will demonstrate throughout their materials how their teaching will contribute to the fulfillment of this charter.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach four courses per semester at the undergraduate and graduate level, deliver excellent in-class instruction in person and online, while participating actively in School life through service committees for the college, profession, and community.
Additional activities may include supervising senior applied project/thesis projects and participation in master or doctoral degree committees. Possible nonprofit subject areas include, but are not limited to, civic engagement and civil society, leadership and ethics, fundamentals of the social sector, financial management, human resource management, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. As well as possible interdisciplinary areas of sports, recreation and parks.
Though research is not a requirement of the position, there may be opportunities to collaborate with other faculty and community partners on projects and grants.
· Earned doctorate in nonprofit studies, public affairs, business or a closely related field from an accredited institution by the time of appointment.
· Three years of related nonprofit and teaching experience (related experience may include prior teaching, practitioner experience, and/or experience leading and facilitating presentations, training, and other activities).
· Consistent with ASU’s Charter, a demonstrated commitment to inclusion
· Demonstrated prior higher education teaching or guest lecturing experience.
· Demonstrated evidence of successful collaboration with the community in partnership building.
· Demonstrated knowledge and application of trends in the field to best prepare the nonprofit professional of the future.
· Demonstrate ability to work with populations from different backgrounds.
· Demonstrated experience with technology/course management systems.
· Demonstrated ability to teach online and in-person modalities.
Complete application materials must contain the following items:
· Your interest in this position and your fit relative to the required and desired qualifications.
· A statement of teaching philosophy and approach
The initial application deadline is December 1, 2026 at 11:59pm Arizona Time. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.
Please feel free to contact Search Committee Chair, Dr. Lili Wang, lili.wang@asu.edu with any questions.
A background check is required for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.
See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.
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