Department Contact: Alma Meza, 575-646-4022, almeza@nmsu.edu

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Advertising Summary: The College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation has a job opening for a College Assistant Professor for the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration and Leadership to begin July 1, 2026.

Visit the NMSU website at https://careers.nmsu.edu/jobs/search for additional information. NMSU is an equal opportunity employer.

Position Details

Position Title: College Assistant Professor of Practice in Early Childhood Education

College/Division: College of Hlth, Educ & Soc Trans

Department: 350150-CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate: 81,000

Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0

FLSA Status: Exempt

Bargaining Unit Announcement: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Contingent Upon Funding: Contingent upon funding

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Job Duties and Responsibilities: The successful candidate for this College Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education position will provide undergraduate and graduate instruction in online asynchronous, hybrid, and face-to-face formats and support coordination of and recruitment to graduate programs in early childhood education. Regular on-campus presence and in-person job duties are required.

Early Childhood Education at NMSU is dedicated to preparing teachers and educating persons for higher education in research, scholarship, practice and policy. The field of Early Childhood Education is concerned with the well-being, development, and learning of children from birth through age eight. Our program focuses on early children education through a theoretical orientation which places early childhood education within broader social, historical, political, and cultural contexts. Coursework provides a context for students to critically examine early care and education. Themes of bilingual/multilingual and multicultural education and care, critical thinking, and reflective teaching are infused throughout the Early Childhood coursework.

● Our Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education includes face-to-face and online classes as well as several field-based experiences in birth through third grade educational settings, including in collaboration with the university lab school.
● Our Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education program is completely online and designed for working professionals.
● Our Master’s plus Licensure program and Alternative Licensure Graduate Certificate program require both online courses and face-to-face field experiences. Licensure programs require students to complete 100 hours of practicum in a K-3 classroom setting and meet other New Mexico Public Education legislative mandates.
The ideal candidate will be adept at providing dynamic and community-informed in-person and online instruction. They will keep organized records and demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills. The candidate should preferably demonstrate a successful history of teaching courses in early childhood education to students from diverse backgrounds.

The College Track Assistant Professor will teach four courses in the fall semester, four courses in the spring semester, and two courses in the summer semester with .8 FTE toward teaching and .2 toward service.

This position will work directly with the Coordinators of the Early Childhood Master’s Programs, Graduate Certificate Program, and the Clinical Director of Early Childhood Education to revise on-line courses, further develop graduate programs, mentor and advise students, and teach graduate and undergraduate early childhood education courses.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience: 
1. Possess an earned doctorate degree or achieved all but dissertation (ABD) status from an accredited institution of higher education in Early Childhood Education or related field.
2. Experience with teaching in a higher education setting, preferably experience with on-line and in-person teaching.
3. A minimum of five-year’s experience in early childhood education (birth through age eight).
4. Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills.
5. Evidence of providing service to the professional and/or academic community.

Equivalent Qualifications: 
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Preferred Qualifications: 
● Multilingual (with emphasis on Spanish, Indigenous languages, and/or American Sign Language)
● Experience with recruitment to teacher education programs and/or graduate programs

Special Certification/Licensure: 
1. Be able to provide undergraduate and graduate instruction in multiple areas of TPAL, specifically Early Childhood Education.
2. Provide evidence of an ability to teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
3. Be able to work collaboratively with diverse students, faculty, and community members, including local community colleges and local partners in education.
4. Familiarity with the unique educational context of New Mexico and the Southwest Borderlands.
5. Provide successful on-line and in-person instruction and ability to design on-line and in-person courses.
6. Contribute to the School of TPAL with a regular on-campus presence and completion of in-person job duties as needed.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.