Assistant Professor - Diversity and Democracy - Goldman School of Public Policy and the Othering & Belonging Institute

The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) and the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) at the University of California, Berkeley seek applicants for a tenure-track, Assistant Professor appointment in democracy policy. This position is part of a cluster hire through the Othering & Belonging Institute, in which the successful candidate will be an integral part of the Diversity and Democracy Cluster in addition to having a tenure-track faculty appointment in GSPP. OBI's Democracy and Diversity Cluster focuses on three overlapping areas: 1) diversity and identity; 2) diversity, civil society and political action; and 3) legal or philosophical frameworks for diverse democracies. This search has a particular interest in democracy policy - that is, research and teaching that protects, promotes, and delivers on the promises of democracy through public policy.

We seek accomplished scholars who use rigorous methods to study how public policy shapes civic identity, civic participation, and disputes about civic standing. Specific areas of focus can include, but are not limited to: determinants of belonging; the role of educational institutions in promoting democracy and strategies for co-governance; policy implementation and the role of community organizations, bureaucracies, and experts; the courts and legal analysis of voting and election systems, political incorporation and civil rights; and the influence of technology and the broader information environment on civic learning and participation. We welcome applicants from any relevant discipline who use empirical approaches (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) to address issues with clear relevance to contemporary policy challenges. We will prioritize candidates with a strong track-record of research in the areas above or adjacent ones and who contribute actively to our rigorous interdisciplinary, evidence-based community of scholars and practitioners. We will also prioritize candidates who actively disseminate their research to, and learn from, diverse audiences of practitioners, policymakers, and affected communities.

Successful candidates will support and advance the research goals of GSPP's "Democracy Policy" initiative and OBI's Diversity and Democracy Cluster at the University of California, Berkeley. The Democracy Policy initiative and OBI's cluster both aim to build hubs of teaching, practice, and scholarship that examine how public policy shapes democratic processes and institutions, and how those processes and institutions in turn shape public policy. Democracy policies include policies governing elections and voting; speech and expression; policies that shape the functioning of educational institutions wherein quality public education is a gateway public good; information, journalism, and media integrity; civic, social, and political identity; institutional trust and responsive, accountable government; and data and technology.

The successful applicant's faculty home unit will be at GSPP, and the faculty member would also join a dynamic cluster of OBI faculty across academic units who together will connect and advance the study of democracy and diversity on the Berkeley campus. The cluster structure will provide support and cross-disciplinary opportunities intended to foster the success and career development of faculty hired into the cluster.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty

PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Candidates should have a strong track-record of independent and/or collaborative research excellence, experience teaching, and familiarity with or interest in a professional graduate school setting, and a commitment to interdisciplinary perspectives and collegial service. The ideal candidate will be a scholar whose work directly informs urgent policy questions facing democratic societies today.

• 3-5 letters of reference required

Reference letters must be requested by the deadline to have a complete application in APRecruit, but the search committee expects to receive the letters by the deadline, or asap afterwards.

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment