Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor - Youth Information Ecosystems, Critical Technology Studies, and AI Literacy

School/Department Name: School of Information

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $100,000 - $110,000

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 17, 2027

Application Deadline: November 19th, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The School of Information at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for Assistant Professor of Youth Information Ecosystems, Critical Technology Studies, and AI Literacy beginning in August 2027.  We seek a scholar and educator whose work examines how children, adolescents, and emerging adults engage with information, digital technologies, social media, artificial intelligence, and networked environments, particularly in relation to issues of equity, access, identity, learning, participation, and well-being. 

The successful candidate will contribute to the School's mission of preparing information professionals to serve diverse communities in an increasingly complex information landscape. In addition to advancing scholarship and teaching related to youth, information, media, and technology, the successful candidate will provide curricular leadership and strategic vision for the Teacher Librarian Program, strengthening its relevance in a rapidly changing educational and technological environment while expanding its national and international reach. The School of Information (iSchool - SJSU - School of Information - Information Science School) prepares professionals who organize, preserve, analyze, protect, teach, and improve access to information across communities and institutions. Our new faculty member will join a scholarly community with:

• thousands of students and a broad global alumni community
• one of the largest and most diverse schools in the information field
• fully online graduate programs that support working professionals
• an ALA-accredited MLIS program
• an emphasis on access, equity, community service, digital literacy, and ethical technology
• working on problems connected to information access, AI literacy, digital preservation, cybersecurity, and social justice.

The School of Information and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Library and Information Science, Information Science, Informatics, Information Studies, Instructional Design, Education, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in several of the following:
  • youth information behavior/practices
  • media/digital literacies
  • emerging technologies
  • teacher/school librarianship
  • critical technology/social media studies.
• Ability to provide curricular thought leadership for the Teacher Librarian Program.
• Evidence of the capacity to develop and maintain an active program of research, scholarship, and/or professional engagement focused on youth and information, media, technology, and learning.
• Applicants should demonstrate an 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional experience as a school librarian, teacher librarian, school library coordinator, educational technology specialist, or related educational leader.
• Evidence of scholarship, research, or professional leadership related to artificial intelligence, critical technology studies, youth and technology, digital citizenship, platform studies, information ethics, educational technology, or the future of school libraries.
• Experience developing partnerships with schools, districts, educational agencies, professional associations, libraries, community organizations, or international educational institutions.
• Potential to contribute to interdisciplinary research and teaching initiatives related to AI, information science, education, ethics, technology policy, or human-centered technology design.
• Demonstrated expertise needed to shape the future of teacher librarianship at a time of significant technological and social change.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in areas related to critical technology studies, multiliteracies, teacher librarianship, and information practices.
• Provide curricular thought leadership for the Teacher Librarian Program.
• Develop and maintain an active program of research, scholarship, and/or professional engagement.
• Mentor and advise students from diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
• Teach and collaborate across the School of Information's programs and certificates.
• Participate in service activities that support the School, University, profession, and broader community.
• 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 in 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 (2 pages max)
• curriculum vitae
• institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy (2 pages max)
• research plans (2 pages max)
• three references with contact information

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair or Search Committee Chair: Dr. Kristen Radsliff; kristen.radsliff@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

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 background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks 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.