Instructor or Assistant Professor - URSP

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Unit: L D Wilder Sch of Govt & Pub Affrs

Department: Urban/Regional Studies and Planning

The VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Urban/Regional Studies and Planning program, invites applications for a full-time 9-month term (teaching) faculty position. This position is non-tenure eligible faculty at the rank of instructor or assistant professor, beginning August 16, 2026. Candidates with significant career and professional work experience in urban and regional planning will be highly considered. 

Successful candidates will join an interdisciplinary group of colleagues whose focus reflects the core areas in the Wilder School (criminal justice, homeland security and emergency preparedness, public administration, public policy and urban and regional studies and planning) and who work to foster improved community and government relations that promote safe, economically viable and engaged communities. The Wilder School is committed to sustainability, justice, resiliency and equity in government. We seek applicants who will contribute to the strength of our faculty who will complement and expand existing School expertise.

All candidates should show a commitment to high-quality instruction at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels. Evidence of significant career and professional work experience, as well as demonstrated teaching effectiveness is required. 

We are specifically seeking an instructor who demonstrates a profound commitment to high-quality teaching and adds to the strength and skills of our faculty. Successful candidates will have expertise in urban and regional planning, and have demonstrated ability to teach a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses, including general planning and land use, project-based studios, and additional courses in subject-matter areas such as housing, community economic development, or transportation.

We are interested in faculty who will demonstrate through teaching, creative expression, and/or public engagement, the richness of diversity in the learning experience through integrated intersectional approaches and perspectives. The selected candidate will complement and expand our existing expertise in the field of Urban/Regional Studies and Planning and join a dedicated group of colleagues with a commitment to service and community engagement. 

For additional information, please visit  https://wilder.vcu.edu/academic-programs/view-by-program-area/urban-and-regional-studiesplanning/. 

The Wilder School’s mission is to: 

• Engage, teach and inspire students and leaders to understand and solve challenges in our world.

• Advance research that informs public policy and decision making to improve our communities.

• Collaborate with communities through innovative partnerships to enhance quality of life.

The 2025 U.S. News and World Report rankings confirm the Wilder School among the top 15% of graduate schools of public affairs at No. 36 and tied for No.1 in Virginia. The School is also ranked No. 6 in Homeland Security Programs, and No. 33 in Public Management and Leadership. The Wilder School has over 1,400 students and more than 12,000 alumni, with an established environment where diverse perspectives thrive and where a common interest in public service and the betterment of society unites these perspectives together. Our academic excellence attracts the highest quality faculty, staff, and students, and our graduates are leaders in their professions.

Our location in Richmond, the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, combined with our proximity to Washington, DC, provides numerous opportunities for engaged scholarship, teaching and community engagement activities. A creative, interdisciplinary School with both academic programs and training/research centers in the social sciences and professional arenas, we reflect the diversity of the communities we serve providing students and faculty with the knowledge, skills, opportunities and experience necessary for success.

For additional information about the Wilder School, please visit our website at wilder.vcu.edu.

Position Responsibilities:

1. Teaching

This faculty will teach courses in the graduate and undergraduate programs in Urban/Regional Studies and Planning. The faculty member will be expected to carry a teaching load equivalent to eight 3-credit courses per academic year (4/4), involving a combination of in-class, hybrid and online delivery, and student mentorship. Strong candidates will demonstrate experience integrating practical planning with innovative, engaging approaches to teaching that meet the needs of diverse learning styles and intellectual interests.

 2. Service

The faculty member will serve on program, Wilder School, and/or University committees as necessary, as well as in a professional capacity in their field.

Required Qualifications:

Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning or a closely related field, plus five or more years of professional planning practice experience.

Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:

Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning or a closely related field (candidates with ABDs will be considered subject to demonstration of timely progress towards completion of all requirements for their Ph.D. before the start of the appointment). 

Experience teaching urban and regional planning courses at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Current membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Application Process/Additional Information:

Applications must include a cover letter, a detailed CV with the names and contact information of three references, a writing sample, and strong evidence of teaching effectiveness (course syllabi, course evaluations). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled, with priority review beginning November 10, 2025.

Contact: Dr. John Accordino, Search Chair

Email: jaccordi@vcu.edu 

Salary Range: $60,000 - $70,000

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No 

As a preeminent national, urban, public research university and academic health center, Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.