Job Details

Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Position Number: 6669055
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Position Type: Liberal Arts - Sociology

Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Job ID: 291634
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

About Us

For more than 60 years, Kennesaw State University has been known for its entrepreneurial spirit and sense of community. A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State is located just north of Atlanta and combines a suburban setting on two metro-Atlanta campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta. As one of Georgia's largest universities, Kennesaw State offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to over 50,000 students. Our high-impact research and Division I athletics also draw students from throughout the region and across the globe. A member of the University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2) committed to becoming a world-class academic institution positioned to broaden its academic and research missions and expand its scope on a local, regional, and national level.

Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. As part of the University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State exemplifies the power and promise of a student-centered, research-driven university. In addition, Kennesaw State supports the University of Georgia's core values of accountability, excellence, integrity, and respect. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Kennesaw State is launching a new strategic plan in 2024-2025. For more information, visit https://www.kennesaw.edu/.

Location

Our Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.

Department Information

We are a collective of interdisciplinary and community-engaged scholars committed to investigating and addressing social problems, which are broadly defined as conditions or behaviors that have a negative impact on society. We examine and understand these problems using scientific approaches, including applied, theoretical, and evaluation research. Faculty expertise broadly includes sociological, criminological, and criminal justice research areas related to social harms, social organization and disorganization, policing, courts, and correctional systems, life course sociology and criminology, causes and correlates of crime and deviance, responses to crime, laws, policies, and practices, and myriad forms of inequality. Finally, SCJ faculty are scholars and teachers committed to excellence in teaching and mentorship to ensure our graduates are ready for life and work after college. Faculty in the department engage in multiple forms of experiential education and high-impact practices to synthesize their teaching, research, and service roles.

With more than 400 full-time faculty and 8,100 degree-seeking students, the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences is dedicated to pioneering workforce readiness in the humanities and social sciences. By staying true to our Liberal Arts values and integrating practical knowledge and experiential learning into our curriculum, we empower our students to become responsible citizens ready for the demands of the modern workplace. The home of three schools and eight departments, the College offers more than 80 graduate and undergraduate programs of study in both traditional and interdisciplinary fields. These programs enable students to develop leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, as well as a strong sense of civic engagement.

The College is committed to the success of our students, faculty, staff and communities. We seek candidates whose experience has prepared them to fulfill that commitment and engage our students, partners, and stakeholders effectively.

Job Summary

Kennesaw State University is now accepting applications for an administrative faculty position as a tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice with a preferred start date of July 1, 2026. This is a twelve-month contracted position. This position is for work to be performed in the state of Georgia.

Responsibilities

In collaboration with the dean's office and offices across campus, the department chair is responsible for the following:

Serves as a member of the Dean's Leadership Team
Oversees faculty and staff in line with university policies and procedures, including managing processes related to hiring and recruitment, professional development, annual and multi-year review, workload assignments, and other personnel-related processes.
Manages the unit's budget, including making budget proposals and requests, planning spending, and approving spending proposals in line with state and university policies.
Cultivates relationships for charitable gifts and partners with the dean's office to identify community partners and development opportunities.
Oversees course and curriculum matters within the unit, including enrollment management, student recruitment, course and program assessment, curriculum updates, and appeals.
Ensures proper development, implementation, revision, and communication of policies and procedures within the department, including bylaws, annual review, and promotion and tenure.
Models research and creative activity through regular conference presentation and publication in appropriate national and international professional academic venues
Facilitates and advances impactful, nationally prominent research and scholarly activity within the unit, including in the areas of grant-seeking, public scholarship, interdisciplinary research, and scholarship of teaching and learning, and other types of impactful scholarship.
Facilitates and supports professional service and outreach
Implements a strategic vision for the department and supports and enhances teaching effectiveness, scholarship, research, and creative activities, student success, and community engagement.
Other duties as assigned by the Dean

Teaching assignments will be based on earned degrees and SACSCOC Faculty Credentials Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

A terminal degree, or the foreign equivalent, in Sociology, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Criminology & Criminal Justice, or related field with an academic background and appropriate credentials to be a tenured Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences at KSU is required.
Demonstrated record of excellence in teaching, research/scholarship, and professional service commensurate with the rank of a tenured full professor.
Demonstrated record of successful administrative and/or leadership experience in a university, college, and/or department/school setting (i.e., associate dean, chair, graduate director, undergraduate coordinator, internship director, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

Previous experience in a large, complex, multi-faceted department and/or institutional setting that includes faculty with varied areas of expertise.
Demonstrated leadership skills to support collaboration, transparency, and shared governance.
Understanding of current and emerging criminology, criminal justice, and sociology fields.
Previous experience designing and/or implementing successful curricular innovations, increasing enrollments, and recruiting and retaining majors and minors.
Administrative experiences such as managing budgets, hiring, strategic planning, faculty and staff development, faculty recruitment and retention, etc.
Understanding of technology necessary to meet current educational and administrative needs.
Ability to identify emerging and innovative opportunities to promote program and scholarly growth.
Experience cultivating relationships with community, professional, and alumni/ae stakeholders.
Evidence of fostering a positive work environment and constructive interpersonal relationships.
Effective and strong communication skills.
Evidence of mentoring faculty and facilitating successful applications for promotion, tenure, and post-tenure.
Demonstrated ability to work with faculty in building a strategic vision for the department.
A record of cultivating external and internal resources.

Required Documents to Attach

CV
Cover Letter
Unofficial Transcripts (Official Transcripts and Official International Course-by-Course Evaluations Due Upon Hire)
Names, affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses of at least 5 references

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Apply Before Date

Review of applications will begin immediately. For full consideration, please apply January 2, 2026.

Contact Information

For questions about this faculty opening, please contact Stacy Keltner, skeltner@kennesaw.edu.

For technical support or assistance completing a job application, please contact the Shared Services Center at (877) 251-2644 or support@usg.edu.

For questions about a specific job posting at Kennesaw State University, please contact the search chair listed under the contact information section on each posting. For general questions about faculty jobs please email facultyjobs@kennesaw.edu.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Kennesaw State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the KSU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the KSU community.

For additional information on this policy, or to file a complaint under the provisions of this policy, students, employees, applicants for employment or admission or other third parties should contact the Office of Institutional Equity at English Building, Suite 225, eeo@kennesaw.edu.

Background Check

Per the University System of Georgia background check policy, all final candidates will be required to consent to a criminal background investigation. Final candidates may be asked to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment. Applicants for positions of trust with screening results which confirm a disqualifying criminal history will be immediately disqualified from employment eligibility.

All applicants are required to include professional references as part of their application process. Some positions may require additional job based screenings such as motor vehicle report, credit check, preemployment drug screening and/or verification of academic credentials. https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_Background_Investigation_Employment.pdf

To apply, visit https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psp/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=43000&JobOpeningId=291634&PostingSeq=1