Assistant/Associate Professor of American Indian and Indigenous Studies

Posted: 11/14/2025

Montana State University Billings is a preferred employer in the region-WE WANT YOU!
 
The following are reasons why you should join our team:
 
Sick Leave – Earned per Contract Rate
Employee and Dependent Tuition Waiver
Opportunities to engage in professional development opportunities
Committed to employee wellness and access to a robust Employee Assistance Program
Medical Benefits that are robust and affordable
Visit MUS Benefits to learn more about our benefit package including
Medical, Vision, and Dental
Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability are incorporated into our benefits
Learn more about our retirement benefits at MUS Retirement
Campus vibrancy- coffee shops, FREE attendance to MSUB concerts, athletic events, and lectures, access to recreation center, library, etc.
Beautiful campus environment that features our MSUB Mile walking path.
 
The ideal candidate will be prepared to advise students. The teaching load for faculty at MSUB is ¾ (21 credits per academic year), and the person selected for this position will also have primary responsibility for overseeing the AIIS minor, which includes updating curriculum to ensure that the minor is contemporary and relevant. The ideal candidate will foster relationships with our seven tribal colleges and leaders in the local and regional American Indian communities. Montana has the fifth highest percentage of American Indians in the U.S. and a total of seven reservations. Native Americans comprise 9.8% of the total student population at MSUB.
 
The person selected for this position will teach introductory and upper division classes in the program, will have opportunities to offer Special Topics courses in their areas of expertise, and will supervise internships. The teaching load is 3/4 (21 credits per academic year) and the person selected will be expected to deliver their courses in modalities that best serve the student population, as well as advise students in the program. The ideal candidate will offer courses that also interest students majoring in history, environmental science, sociology, criminal justice, and political science. The person in this position will be expected to work with colleagues at the state’s tribal colleges to help recruit and retain students from the twelve Indigenous nations in Montana as well as support them in degree completion.
 
Required Qualifications:
Doctoral degree. (ABD considered) in American Indian Studies, Indigenous Studies Anthropology, American Studies, Cultural Studies, or related discipline.
 
Preferred Qualifications
1. Experience working with tribal leaders, collaborating with tribal colleges, and fostering connections with community members and future students.
2. An interdisciplinary approach to pedagogy and innovation in creating contemporary curriculum that appeals to students with a variety of majors.
3. Research focus and scholarly contributions that reflect the dynamic nature of the discipline while promoting Indigenous methodologies and centering Indigenous knowledge.
 
Additional consideration may be given to candidates who are able to offer courses that will be of interest to students majoring in sociology, political science, environmental studies, and/or criminal justice.
 
Montana State University makes accommodation for any disability that may interfere with an applicant’s ability to compete in the hiring process or an employee’s ability to perform the job. In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU Billings provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans.
 
The American Indian and Indigenous Studies program is housed within the interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences & Cultural Studies, which includes sociology, criminal justice, political science, and environmental studies. The department offers a range of coursework and a minor in the American Indian and Indigenous Studies field.
 
Montana State University in Billings is the third largest university in Montana and is located in the largest city in the state. The University has five colleges through which it serves a diverse student body and broad regional community. To provide our students with the best chance of success in achieving their goals, we are committed to closing gaps in recruitment, retention, and completion initiatives. Our programs are responsive to community needs and the person leading the AIIS program will work closely with The Director of American Indian Outreach at the Native American Achievement Center to recruit and support all students, including those from any of Montana’s tribal nations. MSUB is an innovator in teaching strategies and modalities that accommodate individual students’ learning needs and busy lifestyles. Interested individuals can obtain more information about the University at www.msubillings.edu.
 
Applicants will be reviewed and interviewed on an ongoing basis after the screening date.
The screening date begins 10 calendar days after a position is posted on the employment website.
 
Montana State University Billings is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination. As such, the University does not discriminate in the admission, access to or conduct of its educational programs and activities nor in its employment policies and practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, gender, age, political beliefs, marital or family status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation or preference. In support of the University’s mission to be inclusive and diverse, applications from qualified minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are highly encouraged.
 
Montana State University Billings makes accommodation for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant’s ability to compete in the hiring process or an employee’s ability to perform the duties of the job. In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU Billings provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference or request accommodation, contact the Human Resources Office, Montana State University Billings, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT 59101-0298, 406-657-2278, employment@msubillings.edu.
 
MSU Billings Non-Discrimination Policy and Discrimination Grievance Procedures can be located on the MSU Billings Website: http://www.msubillings.edu/humres/eeos.htm
 
 
To Apply:
 
https://employment.msubillings.edu/postings/7563