Assistant Professor, Catalyzing Antiracist and Decolonial Futures

INTRODUCTION

The University of Connecticut’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences invites applications for four tenure-track Assistant Professors whose work will contribute to the Catalyzing Antiracist and Decolonial Futures (CARDF) cluster. This four-position CARDF cluster is part of a larger seven-position anti-racism/anti-bias hiring initiative.

CARDF applicants will be hired in each of four home departments: English, Literatures Cultures & Languages, Philosophy, and Political Science, though candidates with cross-disciplinary interests may be considered for more than one of these positions. Each applicant will also be jointly appointed with one of the participating Centers, Institutes, or Programs: Africana Studies, Asian and Asian American Studies, Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies, or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

The cluster hiring initiative of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seeks faculty to join our vibrant collective of Centers, Departments, Institutes, and Programs in engaged anti-racism and anti-bias scholarship. We envision such scholarship as rooted in intersectional struggles against dehumanization, denigration, and dispossession, and struggles for decolonization and liberation. Anti-racist and anti-bias scholarship thus involves the active work of dismantling systems of oppression, including larger systems of thought, through generating reparative alternatives, modes of justice and healing, and visions of transformative futures. We hope insights born of such struggles will inform the development of a dynamic role for UConn in shaping a contemporary global society conducive to human dignity and planetary well-being.

We are seeking scholars engaged in at least one of three modalities of anti-racist scholarship:

  1. Those who contribute to understanding the processes that generate, connect, and sustain anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Latinx racism, settler colonialism, and antisemitism, exploring how each of these forms of racialization, racism, and oppression is both distinct and related to the others;
  2. Those whose research focuses on movements, strategies, policies, or programs for effectively fighting colonialism, racism, or xenophobia, evaluating what can be learned and replicated from them;
  3. Those who study and contribute to visions of futures that are no longer colonial or racist or xenophobic and how such horizons inform social movements and cultural projects.

We expect work undertaken in these modalities could focus around specific themes such as institutions and processes, for instance around dispossession, mass incarceration, or war-making; social movements, for instance around education, environmental justice, public health, or sanctuary; cultural production, for example, Afro-futurism, speculative fiction, translation, literary forms as sites of resistance, digital media, museum studies, or religious imaginaries.

We seek scholars committed to inter- or transdisciplinary collaborative research and teaching, institution building, and sustained community engagement.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and maintain a strong program of research and publication. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their hiring department and institute, as well as co-teaching courses with other participants in the broader initiative. They will also be expected to mentor graduate and undergraduate students, participate in public engagement, and contribute to the broader work of anti-racist and decolonial research and teaching at the University and in the region.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

Ph.D. in a humanities or social sciences discipline (or international equivalent) by August 23, 2021. A strong research focus in one or more of the three modalities of anti-racist scholarship outlined above. The ability to contribute substantially through research, teaching, and/or public engagement to the diversity of the College. For applicants to Literatures Cultures & Languages, fluency in at least one other language, in addition to English. Spanish is a priority, but additional competence in Portuguese or French would be an asset. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

Demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary work. A strong teaching focus in one or more of the three modalities of anti-racist scholarship above. Demonstrated experience with community-engaged scholarship. For non-Literatures Cultures & Languages positions, working knowledge of at least one other language, in addition to English. 

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, 9-month, tenured position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2021.  The successful candidate’s academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Faculty may also be asked to teach at one of UConn’s regional campuses as part of their ordinary workload. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/17559 and submit the following application materials:

  • Cover letter that addresses the criteria for the position,
  • Curriculum vitae,
  • Research statement (of innovative questions and concepts that guide scholarship, experience in proposal development, mentorship of students, etc.);
  • Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, ideas for new course development, etc.);
  • Equity and Inclusion statement 
  • Sample journal article or chapter
  • Three (3) letters of reference.

Preference will be given to those who apply by December 15, 2020; however, screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

For questions about this position prior to January 1st, please contact the search chairs, Jason Chang (jason.o.change@uconn.edu) and Jane Gordon (jane.gordon@uconn.edu). After January 1st, please contact search chairs, Sandy Grande (sandy.grande@uconn.edu) or Jane Gordon (jane.gordon@uconn.edu).  

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check. 

These positions will be filled subject to budgetary approval.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

 

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations


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