Assistant Professor of Japanese, Tenure Track

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Swarthmore College invites applications for a Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Japanese. The position will start in August 2024 and carries a four-course teaching load (two courses per semester). Teaching responsibilities include a combination of Japanese language courses, taught primarily in Japanese, and Japanese Studies courses, taught primarily in English, related to the candidate’s area(s) of expertise, such as linguistics, literature, or cultural studies. Additional responsibilities will include advising of Japanese majors and minors, and assistance with co-curricular activities and administration of the Japanese Section. We welcome candidates who will demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm for both language teaching and the teaching of Japanese Studies courses, will work effectively with colleagues, and will contribute to the continued development of our Japanese and Asian Studies Programs; we also encourage candidates to pursue collaboration with our numerous interdisciplinary programs on campus. Candidates are expected to maintain an active research program and show potential for substantial contributions to their field. Possible areas of specialization include Japanese linguistics, applied linguistics, language acquisition and pedagogy, Japanese literature, cultural studies, media studies, and gender and sexuality studies.

The Japanese program is a vibrant component of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, offering students four years of rigorous Japanese language instruction, courses in Japanese literature, film, and linguistics, and numerous co-curricular and study abroad opportunities.

Located in the suburbs of Philadelphia and near Wilmington, DE, Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to diversity, and actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information on Faculty Diversity and Excellence at Swarthmore, see https://www.swarthmore.edu/faculty-diversity-excellence/information-candidates-new-faculty.

Qualifications

College-level Japanese-language teaching experience and fluency in both English and Japanese is expected. The ideal candidate will have Ph.D. in hand at the time of the appointment; candidates at advanced ABD status may also be considered.

Application Instructions

Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate transcript, three letters of reference, and a statement of teaching philosophy. The statement of teaching philosophy should detail the candidate’s language teaching experience and approach, and should include information on your experience and/or plans to teach to students from a variety of backgrounds, as well as courses you can contribute to our curriculum. Apply via Interfolio: apply.interfolio.com/128801.

Candidates are also strongly encouraged to submit a video demonstrating language teaching; a link to an online video can be specified in the cover letter.

Questions may be directed to Professor Will Gardner, Search Chair, wgardne1@swarthmore.edu.

Review of applications will begin on October 23, 2023 and continue until the position is filled.

Effective July 21, 2021, Swarthmore is requiring all new employees to show proof of being fully vaccinated by their start date, unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption. For more information about Swarthmore's vaccine requirements, please visit the Swarthmore COVID-19 Response website.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.