A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your CV. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relates to this position. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan is one of the premier sociology departments in the world. The goals of the undergraduate program are to instruct students about the value of recognizing and understanding the influence of social environments on individual outcomes and behaviors, to help them acquire different ways of thinking about the social world, and to provide theoretical and empirical frameworks for understanding social institutions and processes of social change. A major hallmark of the department's curriculum is the opportunities we provide our students to connect their classroom work to practical experience.

The Sociology Department is hiring a LEO Lecturer I to teach two courses per term (part-time 66.67% appointment) in the 2026-2027 academic year. These seminars will expose students to journalistic work on sociologically relevant topics, with specific emphasis on refugee and migration related issues, as well as questions of representation, objectivity, and autobiographical writing. This position will be hired for one year and is not renewable.

Duties of the LEO Lecturer I position includes teaching, developing course materials, evaluating and grading students, holding regularly scheduled office hours, and providing appropriate syllabus and course materials electronically.

This position will be the Instructor of Record for the following two proposed courses:

SOC 295 - Topics in Sociology - Migration and the Media
Migration is one of the most consequential issues of our era, and much the public knows about migration is framed by the media. This course examines how 'the migrant' is constructed in the global media imagination, exploring the role of news media in shaping public perceptions that often reduce complex human movements to extreme binaries: the 'vulnerable body' or the 'dangerous outsider'?

SOC 295 - Topics in Sociology -  The Ethics and Politics of First-Person Reportage
What happens to 'truth' when a journalist or sociologist becomes the subject of their own story? This course explores the complex ethics and craft of first-person narrative journalism, examining the relationship between objective and subjective reporting and unpacking the so-called 'myth of objectivity'.

• Degree in sociology, political science, or other social science, and/or relevant experience.
• Experience in college undergraduate teaching with evidence of excellence in teaching and instruction.
• Expertise in migration and refugee related issues.

The selection criteria used for this search is based on how the applicant's education and experience meets the required minimum qualifications for the position. Excellence in teaching and instruction will be the principal criteria used to select the successful candidate.

• Experience teaching multi-disciplinary seminars and designing course curriculum.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience in journalism and media specifically related to migration and refugee related issues.

This position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement between the U-M and the Lecturers Employee Organization, AFL-CIO, which contains and settles all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Questions about applying for this position can be emailed to: Elizabeth Jahn, Sociology Chief Administrator at soc-chiefad@umich.edu.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The deadline for applications is May 24, 2026.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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