Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2025 - Ranked 1st in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
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-site in Cullowhee, NC.

The Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University invites applications for a nine-month, non-tenure track fixed-term faculty position at the rank of Instructor. Anticipated begin work date is August 2026.

The instructor will teach a 4-4 course load within Western Carolina Universitys undergraduate anthropology program. We seek a broadly trained anthropological archaeologist with a regional focus on the Eastern Woodlands of North America. The successful applicant will be able to teach survey classes in anthropology as well as upper-level archaeology courses in their area of specialization.

Western Carolina Universitys anthropology program is known for its undergraduate forensic anthropology program as well as its archaeological collaborative work with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).

A masters degrees in Anthropology

A Ph.D. in Anthropology or a related discipline

Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by 4/3/2026.

Please include the following: letter of application, current CV, teaching philosophy statement (no more than two pages), list of three professional references with complete contact information, and unofficial transcripts showing degree conferral dates for all degrees at the masters degree level and higher*.

For questions or additional information please contact Ben Steere at basteere@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.