Assistant Professor of Native American Studies

APPLICATION WINDOW

Open date: September 15, 2022

Review starting: Tuesday, Nov 15, 2022 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Jan 1, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Department of Native American Studies at the University of California, Davis, is one of three PhD-granting programs in this field in the U.S., and the only one with a hemispheric perspective. Located on the lands of the Patwin peoples, our program acknowledges and supports the sovereignty and rights of Indigenous nations over their ancestral and traditional lands.

The NAS Department invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Native American/Indigenous literature and literary studies, to begin on July 1, 2023. We welcome applications from inter-, multi-, trans-disciplinary scholars with another major area of research and teaching such as Indigenous religious traditions/belief-systems/wisdom traditions or another intellectual trajectory that would complement the current strengths of our faculty. Preferred geographic focus: North America (inclusive of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and/or the U.S./Mexico borderlands. We encourage applications from candidates who are themselves creative writers as well as scholars; who consider the community impacts of their research through a program of publicly engaged scholarship; and whose work encourages creative production and language revitalization through the promotion of writing in Indigenous languages.

Successful candidates will be expected to teach in the field of Native American and Indigenous literature and literary studies, other subjects that complement departmental offerings, and share in the teaching of required courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Graduate mentoring is an important component for all our faculty. Additionally, this position carries the responsibility of supervising and mentoring graduate students chosen as Associate Instructors to teach NAS 005 Introduction to Native American Literature (a course that fulfills the lower division writing requirement for the campus).

 

Qualifications

By the time of appointment, applicants should have earned a PhD (or equivalent) in Native American or American Indian Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, English, Comparative Literature, or a related field. Successful candidates should have a record of innovative and effective teaching experience centered in Native American and Indigenous literature and literary studies. They should also show promise in graduate student mentoring; a commitment to ongoing professional and scholarly development in Native American and Indigenous literature and literary studies; and active participation in departmental, university, professional, and/or public service, broadly defined.

 

Application Instructions

Candidates should submit all materials in PDF via UC Davis Recruit: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05188

Candidates are asked to submit: 
● Cover letter (2-3 pages) 
● Curriculum vitae
● Research statement (2 page maximum)
● Teaching portfolio that includes: a statement of teaching philosophy, 1-2 proposed or current course syllabi, and one set of student evaluations
● Statement of contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion (2 page maximum). Ideally this statement should also speak to lived Indigenous experience and community connections, with a description of past and/or potential contributions through teaching, mentoring, research, and service to Native American and Indigenous Studies and/or communities. More information about how to prepare diversity statements is available at: 
https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/guidelines-writing-diversity-statement
● Writing sample (the length of an article or chapter) 
● Contact information for three referees willing to submit letters of reference should the search committee request them at a later date.

Questions may be addressed to Professor Liza Grandia, chair of the search committee at:  lgrandia@ucdavis.edu

About NAS at UC Davis

In 2019, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our undergraduate academic program (major, minor, and systemwide online minor in development) and the 20th anniversary of our graduate program (MA and PhD). Next year marks the 30th anniversary of our departmental status. Through our graduate program, we also offer a Designated Emphasis (DE) in Native American Studies, which provides NAS faculty the opportunity to mentor students from units across the campus. The NAS Department houses the Native American Language Center, the Indigenous Research Center of the Americas, and the Yocha Dehe Endowed Chair in California Indian Studies. Finally, UC Davis is home to the following entities that support and promote Native American/Indigenous issues on campus: the Native American Academic Student Success Center (a.k.a. “the Native Nest”), several undergraduate student organizations, the NAS Graduate Student Association, the C.N. Gorman Museum, the Tribal Justice Project, Native American/Indigenous Advisory Committee to the Chancellor, the NAGPRA Project, and the Patwin/Native American Honoring Project. The University of California has also demonstrated a commitment to supporting Native American student tuition through the Native American Opportunity Plan.  More information about the department can be found at: https://nas.ucdavis.edu

 

Campus information

 

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for applicable deadlines. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands. 


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