Philosophy Department Chair

Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: GMU Worker

Job Category:Instructional Faculty

Job Type:FullTime

Location: Fairfax VA

Workplace Type: On site required

Salary:Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check:Yes

About the Department:

The mission of George Mason Universitys Department of Philosophy is to educate its students to address key contemporary issues and enduring philosophical questions through a range of philosophical approaches to foster critically engaged citizens and to facilitate student and faculty research that advances the discipline and engages important matters of global and public concern.

We are a pluralistic department with expertise in the two main strands of modern western philosophy (the analytic and continental traditions) as well as in the history of philosophy with a particular focus on ancient and modern. This is coupled with faculty specialization in ethics (including bioethics environmental ethics moral psychology feminist ethics and global health ethics) social and political philosophy philosophy of law philosophy of race and gender and philosophy of science. Our combined expertise enables us to equip students with a range of methods and approaches with which to address key contemporary issues of social public and global relevance. We offer a B.A. in Philosophy as well as a B.A. in Philosophy with a concentration in Philosophy and Law and an interdisciplinary concentration in Philosophy Politics and Economics as well as a new minor in Ethics and AI and an M.A. in Philosophy with a focus on Traditional and Contemporary Philosophy as well as an M.A. with a concentration in Ethics and Public Affairs. We are committed to the value of philosophy beyond the classroom walls and providing our students with mentoring experiences including via GRA positions and OSCAR funded projects.

Our nationally recognized awardwinning faculty include 10 tenured or tenuretrack professors and 4 term professors. Philosophy faculty contribute to Masons R1 status by publishing books and articles in top peerreviewed journals in their field and with established academic presses. They regularly speak at national and international conferences and serve on the executive committees of professional organizations including the International Bioethics Association the International Association for Environmental Philosophy the Public Philosophy Network and philoSOPHIA: a society for continental feminist philosophy. Some have research portfolios funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research the National Institutes of Health and private foundations among other funding organizations and many also have active affiliations with external federal or academic institutions and NGOs including the U.S. Department of Energy New America the WHO and NIH. Our faculty are distinctive for their success in translating philosophical oriented work.

The department is also home to the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy (IPPP). Originally chartered in 1976 and housed in the Department since 2011 the IPPP is the oldest research institution in the United States providing expertise on the normative dimensions of public policy and one of the most influential.

About the Position:

The Chair will serve a fouryear term start date is August 25 2025. The position is potentially renewable. The standard duties of a department chair are outlined in the Faculty Handbook section 2.12: Chair reports to the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. They will perform the following duties:

• Plans and monitors budgets;
• Schedules courses;
• Oversees and mentors faculty and staff including performance evaluation and P&T processes; and
• Collaborates productively with other University units.

In addition the ideal candidate will:

• Lead and facilitate curricular development at undergraduate and graduate levels and support initiatives that provide students with exceptional learning experiences in philosophy and foster enrollment growth;
• Lead the 202526 Academic Review Process to include collaborating with Philosophy faculty to review department and program goals as outlined in the 201819 Academic Program Review SelfStudy Report finalize the 2025 Selfstudy Report and set an agenda for strategic goals and priorities for the next 5 years;
• Demonstrate commitment to allinclusive excellence and to maintaining a professional and collegial work environment for faculty and staff alike; and
• Demonstrate an openness to innovation as well as a commitment to transparency.

Required Qualifications:

A competitive candidate will be a tenured faculty member at GMU and have the following characteristics:

• Serve as tenured faculty by time of appointment as Chair;
• PhD in Philosophy or related field with a record of active engagement in philosophy;
• Ability to lead and enhance the mission and visibility of the Philosophy department and the and to liaise with the Director of the IPPP in support of its activities;
• Demonstrated leadership ability;
• Stated commitment to support and provide leadership on inclusivity and collegiality;
• Experience of peer mentoring in the context of a department program or professional organization; and
• A record of active scholarship and successful teaching.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in academic program administration;
• Record of success in collaborative and/or interdisciplinary endeavors;
• Experience with P&T committees preferably in CHSS;
• Experience with academic administration such as: enrollment management academic scheduling curricular development and budgeting;
• Experience in mentoring and supporting professional development particularly of Philosophy faculty or staff for example: GTA/GRAs pretenure or term faculty or those seeking promotion; and
• Fundraising and/or Grant experience.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration applicants must apply forPhilosophy Department Chair at and submit the online application.

Applicants must apply online at for position number WG1GMU to complete demographic information. Also they should attach a CV and a 23 page cover letter expressing their qualifications goals and vision for the department.

Questions may be directed to: Search Committee Chair Daniel Houser .

Review of applications will begin April 14 2025 and continue until the position is filled.

Posting Open Date:March 31 2025

For Full Consideration Apply by: April 14 2025

Open Until Filled:Yes