Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor – Computational Linguistics

School/Department Name: Linguistics and Language Development

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 92,000 -  $ 95,000.  

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.  See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 18, 2025

Application Deadline: November 15, 2024 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Linguistics and Language Development at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an assistant professor position in computational linguistics beginning in August 2025. The successful candidate will become part of a growing department building computational linguistics expertise, and would have the opportunity to teach courses in computational linguistics and general linguistics.

SJSU is the only CSU campus in northern California with a dedicated linguistics department, founded in 1991. Situated in the Bay Area—among the most diverse regions in the world—the Department is committed to fostering understandings of language structure and use in the context of an increasingly multicultural and technological society. The Department is further dedicated to exploring societal inequities, how language contributes to those, and how such inequities may be alleviated through research, scholarship, and practice. Find out more about our department at www.sjsu.edu/linguistics.

The Department administers a BA degree in linguistics and a brand new MS in computational linguistics. In collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, the Department also offers a BS degree in computer science and linguistics. More broadly at SJSU, the university is embarking on a major multi-pronged AI initiative, and the College of Humanities and the Arts has opened a new center, the Advanced Institute for Ethical Technologies, whose aim is aims to develop a transdisciplinary approach to technology that integrates the insights, values, and practices of the humanities/arts as well as the human/social sciences with the knowledges and skills of science/engineering. The ideal candidate would be invested in collaboration with other members of the college and/or University around issues of ethical technologies. 

The Department of Linguistics and Language Development and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

• Ph.D. in Linguistics or a related field by the time of appointment
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research in computational linguistics
• Demonstrated ability to teach courses in linguistics at the undergraduate level and courses in computational linguistics at both undergraduate and graduate levels
• Strong commitment to teamwork and collegiality
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Research experience in:
  • developing and/or evaluating language resources
  • modeling language acquisition and/or change
  • building language education applications
• Industry experience related to natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning
• Ability to seek and secure grant funding
• Commitment to collaboration within and across institutional contexts
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Teach courses in linguistics, especially in computational linguistics, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, in addition to other linguistics and general education courses as needed
• Be actively engaged in scholarly activities as evidenced by seeking grants, presenting professional papers, and publishing peer-reviewed articles
• Advise undergraduate and graduate students and assist with program coordination and development
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
•  Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.
  
  

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• diversity statement
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• names and contact information for three references (to be contacted for confidential letters of recommendation at the semi-finalist stage)

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair or Search Committee Chair: Stefan Frazier <stefan.frazier@sjsu.edu>

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.