Assistant Professor of Spanish

The Department of Spanish at Amherst College invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor with a start date of July 1, 2024. We are seeking a colleague whose research and teaching demonstrate foundational knowledge of critical debates in Latin American studies broadly and inclusively defined, and whose pedagogy and scholarship meaningfully push or disrupt the boundaries of the Latin American or US Latinx canon in terms of critical approach, genre and media form, or diverse political geographies and histories. Research and teaching areas may include but are not limited to Afro-Latinidad and/or the Afro-Caribbean, Pueblos Originarios in Abiayala, and/or US Latinx Diasporas. 

Preferably, the candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to community-engaged teaching and learning. We are especially interested in candidates who can aid the department in further developing meaningful and relevant collaborations with community-based organizations.

Minimum requirements include a Ph.D. in Spanish or related discipline by the start of the appointment, and native or near-native fluency in Spanish and English. Instruction in the Spanish department is primarily in Spanish. Knowledge of Indigenous or other languages key to understanding Latin America and its diasporas is also welcomed though not required.

The candidate would join a vibrant and inclusive Spanish department that has explored decolonial and antiracist approaches to its curriculum. The department has also greatly expanded its pedagogy to meaningfully include community engagement efforts at the college, in the Connecticut River Valley, and beyond. The teaching load is two courses per semester with additional honors thesis advising duties. The college offers ample research support and a generous sabbatical leave policy

Amherst College is one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country. Nearly half of our students identify as domestic students of color, and another 11 percent are international, with non-U.S. citizenship; 16 percent are the first members of their families to attend college. Amherst is committed to providing financial aid that meets 100 percent of every student’s demonstrated need, and nearly 60 percent of our students receive financial aid. Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at teaching and mentoring students who are broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual identity, disability/ability, and religion.

Candiates are asked to apply electronically via Interfolio to http://apply.interfolio.com/126915. Complete applications will include: a cover letter describing how your teaching and research interests speak to the job description, a current curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation. First-round interviews will be held via Zoom. Finalists will be invited to campus in early December. Applications received by October 1, 2023, will be guaranteed full consideration. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.  Questions about the search can be directed to academic department coordinator Lauren Gladu (lfgladu@amherst.edu) or to the search chair, Dr. Sony Coráñez Bolton (scoranezbolton@amherst.edu). 

Amherst is a private undergraduate liberal arts college, with 1,800 students and more than two hundred faculty members. Located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, Amherst participates with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts in the Five-College Consortium. Amherst College is an equal opportunity employer and encourages persons of all genders, persons of color, and persons with disabilities to apply. The college is committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff.  More information for prospective candidates about Amherst College is available here: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/provost_dean_faculty/faculty_hiring/for-candidates.