Assistant Professor of African American Literature

The Department of English at Mount Holyoke College invites applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of African American Literature. We welcome complementary expertise and teaching in Africana and Black diasporic studies including Caribbean literature, Black Atlantic, Black Canadian, Afro-Latin, and other transatlantic and hemispheric studies. The Department likewise aims to support scholars with interdisciplinary and global interests; our faculty specialize in a wide array of subjects, working in areas of literature and cultural studies including gender studies, queer theory, labor, postcolonial theory, media studies, visual culture, Asian American Studies and Black Studies, among others. There will be opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with such programs as Africana Studies, Latina/o Studies, Gender Studies, Film Media Theater, and Critical Race and Political Economy. 

The successful candidate will teach introductory courses in African American literature and the study of literature as well as courses within their expertise. The teaching expectation is 4 courses per academic year. Applicants should have teaching experience, and a Ph.D. in hand
before August 2023.

This position is part of an initiative to hire three faculty members in Africana Studies at Mount Holyoke College. Exemplifying Mount Holyoke’s commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive learning community led by an accomplished faculty, the cluster hire is intended to enhance collaboration among departments and to increase opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange across teaching, research, and public engagement efforts. It will strengthen curricula as the College launches a new major and department in Critical Race and Political Economy.  Building on long-standing efforts to hire persons who are Black, Indigenous or people of color, the cluster hire initiative will also deepen community and strengthen faculty retention.

Please submit a cover letter, CV, writing sample (up to 25pp. uploaded as a single PDF) and three statements concerning (1) research interests, (2) teaching philosophy, and (3) mentoring a diverse student body. Additionally, please send a syllabus for an African American Literature survey course and a dream seminar of your choice. Please include contact information for three references as part of your application. Reference letters will be requested at a later date in the search process. For best consideration, we will begin reading applications by October 25, 2022.  Please contact the English department (english@mtholyoke.edu) with any questions.

Mount Holyoke is an undergraduate liberal arts college with 2,200 students and 220 faculty. Over half the faculty are women; one-fourth are persons of color. Mount Holyoke College is located about 90 miles west of Boston in the Connecticut River valley, and is a member of the Five College Consortium consisting of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts.
Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not
discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the finalist successfully passing a background (including criminal records) check.


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