Duties:
- Teach the following courses online SOC 470/870 Grant Writing, SOC 671 Program Development and Evaluation, SOC 677 Internship: Advanced Grant Writing, and teach the occasional on-campus version of Grant Writing and possibly others among these grants courses.
- Teach other basic or general education courses online or on-campus as needed within the program, such as SOC 680 Nonprofit Organizations, SOC 140 Understanding Society: Introductory Sociology, SOC 145 Cultural Anthropology, or SOC 384 Social Problems.
- Actively engage in professional development of teaching through FHSU’s Teaching Innovation and Learning Technology (TILT) unit.
- Administer Sociology’s Grant Proposal Writing and Program Evaluation 9-credit certificate.
- Serve as faculty mentor to sociology majors pursuing the grant writing and nonprofit development certificates.
- Share in advising of graduate students.
- Administer grant writing badging agreements with other campus academic units.
- Promote grant writing curriculum with other campus academic units.
- Expand programming in Sociology’s Center for Grant Writing and Nonprofit Development.
- Offer grant writing and nonprofit development paid consulting, possibly in conjunction with FHSU’s new Professional and Continuing Education office (e.g. in-person workshops) and/or through FHSU’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs (e.g. client-responsive grant proposal writing).
- Along with teaching, perform program/university/community service and scholarship aligned with teaching assignments. Proportionate weight across three areas of the job is as follows: teach 4 courses in fall semester and 4 in spring semester constituting (70% weight), service (20% weight), and scholarship (10% weight).
- Demonstrate collegiality, professionalism, and a strong commitment to teaching excellence and the university mission.
- Communicate and collaborate with faculty in the Sociology Program and School of CLS.
Rank: Assistant Professor of Sociology, non-tenure track (or Lecturer, non-terminal degree)
Qualifications: Federal and foundation grant writing success required; nonprofit development work preferred. Sociology master's degree required for Lecturer rank; doctoral degree required for Assistant Professor rank.
Priority Deadline: Review of applicants will continue until the position is filled.
Appointment Date: August 2025
Salary: The good faith estimate of the salary for a non-tenure track Assistant Professor is $55,589, and for an Instructor/Lecturer it is $50,888. These salary levels are based on current College and University Professional Association (CUPA) averages by rank and discipline.
Required Application Documents, applicants must submit the following:
Applicant documents should be submitted in one PDF.
- Cover letter addressing how applicant’s experience aligns with duties and how the applicant expects to quickly develop effective teaching practices, if having no teaching experience
- Resume/Vita
- Statement of teaching philosophy or anticipated learner-responsive approaches to teaching
- Three (3) samples of successful grant writing, at least one of which is from a federal funding and one from Foundation funding
- Names and contact information for three professional references (include email, telephone, and nature of association) - references will not be contacted until final stages.
Finalist will be requested to provide the following additional documents.
- Evidence of teaching excellence, if available (e.g. teaching evaluations, awards, pedagogical publications, etc.)
- Copies of all university transcripts showing graduate coursework – can be unofficial copies for purposes of the application
If you have questions regarding the position, please contact:
Name: Dr. Brett Zollinger
About the Sociology Program and its grant writing and nonprofit development emphases:
The Sociology Program requires all majors to take SOC 470 Grant Writing, and it offers a popular 9-credit grant writing certificate that is earned by completing two additional courses -- SOC 671 Program Development and Evaluation and SOC 677 Internship: Advanced Grant Writing. The 677 Internship requires students to conduct a needs assessment with an organization, author a proposal to fund organizational programming, and to submit the proposal for a grade. Some go ahead to submit it to funders, and some of those are funded -- resulting in success as a grant writer while a student! The two 600-level courses along with SOC 870 Grant Writing support graduate-level exposure to content and support the MPS in Social Entrepreneurship and the (pending) MPS in Community Development concentrations. The incumbent would advise a small number of graduate students. The position would promote the skills-rich grant writing and nonprofit organizations curriculum with other academic programs, to help ensure majors outside of Sociology do not miss a learning opportunity they would welcome and would serve them, their organizations, and their communities well over their career and lives as civically engaged alumni.
Sociology has a Center for Grant Writing and Nonprofit Development, with three primary activities as of now, 1) an online peer network (Make the World Better Team) to facilitate grant writing successes among those who have completed at least one Sociology grant writing course, 2) the CNN Heroes forum, where CNN Heroes agree to allow us to publish their answers to questions submitted by the incumbent, providing experience-based advice/information to others wishing to start a nonprofit organization or otherwise fill social need gaps, and 3) via adjunct faculty, Sociology offers three annual sessions of a non-credit, 8-week online grants training geared toward working professionals, which is also offered for CEU credit and Sociology Program certification by optional testing.
These teaching and outreach efforts help FHSU to realize both the Student Success and Impactful Partnership goal themes of FHSU’s Strategic Plan.
Currently the Sociology Program offers up to $1,500 per year in professional development funding, which is in addition to up to $1,200 available per year for professional development from university funds.
Community of Hays
FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home.
Notice of Non-discrimination – Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status.
Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.
Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or
www.kpers.org for further information on how this might affect you.
