Job Description
Native American Studies Department Head
Montana State University
Position Information
Announcement Number: FAC - VA - 25028
For questions regarding this position, please contact:
Steven Davis
Assistant Dean of the Honors College
(406) 994–2822
steven.davis2@montana.edu
Working Title: Native American Studies Department Head
Brief Position Overview
The Department of Native American Studies at Montana State University invites applications for the position of Department Head. The successful candidate will be a leader who will help the Native American Studies Department continue to provide outstanding scholarship, teaching and service. The ideal candidate will have a community-centered attitude and collaborative nature, allowing them to engage creatively with students, staff, faculty, and community members in the development of cultural, academic, student success programming in support of the Department's ongoing efforts aligned with our vision, mission, values, and NAS Cultural Standards (Knowledge, Relationship, Land, and Sovereignty) as guided by our Internal Oversight Committee, Cultural Oversight Board, and the President's Council of Elders.
Faculty Tenure Track: Yes
Faculty Rank: Associate or Full Professor
Position Number: 4A6745
Department: Native American Studies
Division: College of Letters & Science
Appointment Type: Faculty
Contract Term: Fiscal Year
Semester: If other, specify From date: If other, specify End date: Union Affiliation: Exempt from Collective Bargaining
FTE: 1.0
Benefits Eligible: Eligible
Salary: Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications.
Contract Type: MUS
If other, please specify: Recruitment Type: Open
Position Details
General Statement
Montana State University invites applications for the position of Department Head of the Department of Native American Studies. The department seeks candidates who have experience in managing budgets, obtaining external funding, and developing and implementing strategic plans.
Montana State University values all perspectives and is committed to continually supporting, promoting and building a whole community, which includes people of many backgrounds. The College of Letters & Science (CLS) at Montana State University encourages individuals interested in advancing the University's Strategic Plan goals to apply. CLS is committed to developing a faculty, staff, and student body which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in research, teaching, and service/outreach engagement, and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, the College encourages applications from candidates from all backgrounds. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
Duties and Responsibilities
Department Head responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Provide a dynamic vision and leadership for the Department in concert with MSU, College of Letters and Science strategies and priorities, and NAS Cultural Standards: Knowledge, Relationship, Land, and Sovereignty.
• Lead, coordinate, expand, and administer the Department's teaching, scholarship, and outreach programs.
• Lead, coordinate and collaborate American Indian and Alaska Native Student Support Services (AIANSSS).
• Engage, build, and sustain relationships with Tribal communities.
• Foster a Department culture that supports faculty, staff, and student well-being.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate personnel; assign faculty & staff workloads; guide curriculum development; coordinate promotion & tenure processes; foster prudent growth in faculty scholarship; and work with the Dean and other Department Heads to forward the mission of the College and University.
• Teach and/or maintain active scholarship in the field of Native American Studies or related disciplines.
• Manage budget development and fiscal oversight through both philanthropic organizations and federal grant procural.
We hope to attract applicants who can teach in a University community and have demonstrated ability in helping students from all backgrounds to succeed.
Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
1. A terminal degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
2. Demonstrated administrative and leadership abilities with a record of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, mentorship, outreach, and engagement– i.e. evidence of teaching, scholarship, and service that will merit a tenured faculty appointment.
3. Evidence of Indigenous-led engagement and/or Indigenous community-based scholarship with a demonstrated ability and record of success to generate resources through philanthropic fundraising and grant procural.
Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
1. Demonstrated record of excellence in teaching.
2. Demonstrated record of excellence in research and/or scholarship.
3. Demonstrated record of excellence in outreach and engagement
4. Demonstrated record of excellence in recruitment, retention, persistence and graduation success with a priority and focus on American Indian Alaska Native and other Indigenous students from diverse backgrounds.
5. Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary issues affecting Native communities, and protocol for engaging ethically with Native communities.
6. Evidence of community-based or co-produced research and scholarship with commitment, and service to one or more Native communities.
7. Evidence of ability to instruct and engage in research from an Indigenous perspective.
8. Indigenous language speaker and traditional knowledge holder.
The Successful Candidate Will
• Demonstrate integrity of the highest order, an intellectual curiosity and self-confidence balanced with humility, authenticity of character and a strong work ethic.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at the university, state, tribal, and national levels; possess demonstrated ability/success in fundraising; have a broad understanding of the philosophy and challenges of a land-grant university; and have an appreciation for rural, tribal culture & values.
• Lead an interdisciplinary, scholarship-active Department of faculty committed to excellence in education at all levels and who are engaged in service to the profession and society.
• Have strong skills working with people individually and in groups, demonstrated leadership qualities, excellent verbal and written communication skills, the capability to contribute to the department's scholarship and teaching programs, and the ability to represent the department to University faculty and administrators, local, state, and federal government officials, off-campus organizations, and the public.
Position Special Requirements/Additional Information
In accordance with MSU policy, hiring will be conditional upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University's rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Physical Demands
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
The Program
The Department of Native American Studies currently confers a non-teaching minor in Native American Studies (NAS), a Master of Arts degree, and a graduate certificate. There are opportunities to engage with approximately 800 Native students representing over 50 tribes on campus. The Indigenous diversity in Montana comprises twelve tribal Nations within seven reservations plus the Little Shell. The NAS Department has historically drawn students from each of these as well as Native Nations across the United States and internationally. The Department has a solid and growing reputation in Indigenous higher education advancing our NAS Core Values, Cultural Standards, & Student Well-being Model.
The Department
The Department of Native American Studies is in the College of Letters and Science. It is the only Indigenous Studies/Native American Studies program in a mainstream institution accredited by the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). The Katz Family Endowed Chair in Native American Studies is one of only three such chairs in the United States. Uniquely, the NAS Department is home to the American Indian and Alaska Native Student Success Services (AIANSSS), providing wrap-around cultural programming and support to Indigenous students from all across campus (not just those enrolled in NAS academic programs). The Department supports two collaborative, Indigenous-led research and educational programs: the Native Land Project and the Buffalo Nations Food Systems Initiative. The Department has the capacity to host short-term Elder(s)-in-Residence and is currently seeking funding to purchase accommodations with the goal of hosting EIR's for a full semester or academic year.
The Department offers a non-teaching undergraduate minor in Native American Studies (NAS), a graduate certificate in NAS and a Master of Arts in NAS. A new graduate certificate in Indigenous Food Systems has been approved and a new suite of courses to support this certificate are under development. Courses in Native American Studies are an integral part of the Diversity Category in the University Core requirements. Faculty teaching loads may include undergraduate and graduate courses.
The Department of Native American Studies and its American Indian and Alaska Native Student Success Services are housed in American Indian Hall, a 32,000 square foot state-of-the-art office and classroom building opened in January of 2022.
Faculty and staff in Native American Studies acknowledge and practice the Departmental core values of Honesty, Generosity, Kindness & Inclusivity, Hard Work, Family, Humility, Spirituality, Humor & Respect. We are guided by a Student Well-being Model developed collaboratively with our students, staff and faculty as part of the Department's ongoing and successful work to earn and maintain accreditation with the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). Integral to the Student Well-being Model are our Cultural Standards —Knowledge, Relationship, Land, Sovereignty—standards that we actively endeavor to weave through all the Department's cultural, academic and administrative activities.
The College
The College of Letters and Science (CLS), the largest center for learning, teaching and research at Montana State University, offers students an excellent liberal arts and sciences education in nearly 50 majors, 25 minors and over 25 graduate degrees within the four areas of the humanities, natural sciences, mathematical sciences, and social sciences.
Building on the great strength of our traditional disciplines, the college provides exciting opportunities for faculty and students at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary inquiry. CLS is dedicated to supporting student success, discovering and disseminating new knowledge, and providing an atmosphere in which discovery and learning are integrated and valued. CLS is at the confluence of intellectual tradition, discovery, and innovation.
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies: 1
Desired Start Date: June 30, 2025
Position End Date (if temporary): Open Date: Close Date: Applications will be:
Screening of applications will begin on December 15, 2024; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
EEO Statement
Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran's Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran's preference, please complete the veteran's preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.
FLSA Details
FLSA Determination
FLSA Status: Exempt
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter addressing each of the Required and Preferred Qualifications
Job Tags
Full time, Contract work, Temporary work, Local area,