Job Details

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC systems westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The primary location of this position is on the main Cullowhee, NC campus.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Western Carolina University is inviting applications for a nine-month, tenure-track position in computer science with the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in August 2025.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science has 18 tenure-line faculty, four of which are computer science, and supports undergraduate programs in computer science, mathematics, and mathematics education. Dedication to excellence in undergraduate education, potential for continued scholarship, and commitment to service are expected. Our computer science courses have an emphasis on substantial software development, making students competitive in the workplace and/or future graduate studies. Students are actively engaged in undergraduate research, contests, and extracurricular activities. The B.S. in Computer Science degree at Western is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The typical teaching load is 3-3 and candidates should expect to teach a wide range of undergraduate computer science courses. Computer science class enrollments typically range from the mid-twenties to low thirties which allows classes to be student focused. More information about the computer science program is available at https://cs.wcu.edu.

The department has a dedicated computer science lab and space for student research. The Mathematics and Computer Science Tutoring Center is also located within the department.

The department, college, and university offer faculty internal funding opportunities to support scholarship, conference travel, and professional development. Moreover, WCU is a 12,000-student regional comprehensive university in the University of North Carolina system. The university offers 115 undergraduate programs and more than 40 graduate programs. The campus is located in the picturesque Cullowhee valley between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains, just minutes from the town of Sylva, public schools, recreation centers, trails, and rivers. Campus is midway between Charlotte and Atlanta, 50 miles west of Asheville, NC, a city with vibrant art, entertainment, food, and culture scenes, and 20 miles west of Waynesville, NC, the largest town in western North Carolina with many options for dining, shopping, entertainment, and craft breweries. The entire region is noted for its excellent quality of life and access to outdoor activities.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Western Carolina University holds inclusive excellence as a core value, and we work together to foster a welcoming community, where all are respected and know they belong.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in computer science or a closely related field by the date of appointment. Demonstrated dedication to undergraduate education, scholarship, and service is expected.

Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by 12/16/2024.

Please include the following:

For questions or additional information, please contact Scott Barlowe, Search Chair, at sabarlowe@email.wcu.edu

*All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript of their highest attained degree, showing all completed coursework and the date the degree was conferred. The transcript must state "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or a similar phrase. For candidates who are ABD, please submit your most recent doctoral program transcript along with your masters degree transcript, if you hold such a degree. The masters degree transcript must have a notation such as "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or similar phrase, to verify it as your highest completed degree.