Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

The Department of History at Western Washington University consists of twenty tenured or tenure-track faculty whose courses serve a very active history major and make significant contributions to the university’s general education curriculum. History courses cover nearly every historical era and much of the globe. The department encourages its faculty to participate in interdisciplinary programs such as East Asian Studies, Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Canadian-American Studies, and the Honors program. Faculty in the department provide high quality courses that prepare majors and non-majors with skills in research, analysis, and writing. The department likewise houses a small but strong M.A. program in history. The department supports Western’s mission to bring together individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives in an inclusive, student-centered university that develops the potential of learners and the well-being of communities. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. To learn more about the History Department, visit https://chss.wwu.edu/history.

One-Year Visiting Instructor/Assistant Professor of History beginning on September 16, 2026, through June 15, 2027. The position is open to historians of Medieval Europe.

The successful candidate will teach seven courses over three quarters. These courses are taught in person on the quarter system. The courses include three sections of HIST 112 “Western Civilizations: 476-1713,” sections of upper-division lecture courses in Medieval Europe from WWU’s catalog and/or in the candidate’s area of specialization. Candidates will be able to teach upper-division seminar courses in their specialization. No service is required during the term of appointment.

• PhD preferred
• Demonstrated potential for effective teaching and high-quality scholarship
• Ability to work effectively with diverse students and colleagues

Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and experience; benefits eligible. The salary range is $5890-6620 per course ($41,230-46,340 for seven courses), based on degree status and relevant teaching experience. The individual will be hired at the Instructor or Visiting Assistant Professor level, depending on the degree completed. The successful candidate would be eligible for benefits, including some support to present at a conference.

Bargaining Unit

 United Faculty of Western Washington

Application Instructions

Please log in below and submit your application via WWU's Electronic System for Employment (PageUp).  

For general questions contact the chair of the search committee, Sarah Zimmerman by email: sarah.zimmerman@wwu.edu

Required Supplemental Materials

Cover letter, c.v., graduate transcript, sample syllabi for HIST 112 and one upper-division course, a chapter- or article-length writing sample, names and contact information for three referees. Reference letters will only be requested for finalists, and the Western PageUp application system will send out the requests for confidential letters to the references provided.

Review of applications will begin on April 15, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted remotely.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at student.life@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires and rehires, which includes a sexual misconduct background check.