Assistant Professor (first year as Mellon Faculty Diversity Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow)

The Department of English at Occidental College invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Multiethnic American Literature. The position begins in Fall 2024, and the first year of this appointment will be a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship with a reduced teaching load.

This search is part of Occidental’s new multi-year Mellon Faculty Diversity Initiative (MFDI).  The initiative aligns with the College’s Equity and Justice agenda by enabling us to hire a cluster of Arts and Humanities faculty whose work focuses on race, and whose background, expertise, and experiences will contribute to diversifying Occidental’s faculty. The successful candidate will join the third of three MFDI cohorts to add a total of nine positions in the Arts and Humanities. As part of the MFDI program, the members of the cohorts will be provided enhanced mentoring, professional development, research funds, and a greatly reduced teaching load in the postdoctoral year, prior to transitioning to a tenure-track appointment in the second year.

Position

The successful candidate will specialize in Multiethnic American literature and demonstrate promise of successful scholarship and dedication to teaching in the context of a diverse and inclusive liberal arts college. Specialization in Asian American literatures and/or Native American literatures is especially welcome.

This position carries a 1:1 teaching load in the first year and a 2:2 load in the second, with standard teaching responsibilities (3:2) afterward. Standard responsibilities include teaching five courses annually, both in the candidate’s area of specialization and in the general departmental and college curricula (including an American literature survey course, required English major seminars, and writing-intensive first-year seminars), while also maintaining an active research agenda, and participating in college and departmental service.

All faculty are eligible for a pre-tenure leave following a successful pre-tenure review, and a one-semester post-tenure sabbatical every fourth year.

Required Qualifications

·   Ph.D. in English (or a closely related field such as Comparative Literature or Ethnic Studies) with an emphasis in American literature

·   demonstrated commitment to and excellence in undergraduate teaching 

·   a strong record of scholarship on literature appropriate to the level of appointment

·   demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from minoritized and marginalized social groups

·   ability to balance excellent teaching, scholarship, and service

Preferred Qualifications

·       experience in teaching the broad history of American literature

·       experience in teaching Asian American and/or Native American literatures

Expected Salary Range: $84,500 - $96,000

Application Submission Materials

You must submit a complete application package electronically to be considered. To apply, please visit apply.interfolio.com/131251

·   Cover Letter

·   Curriculum Vitae

·   Research Statement (in which you explain your intellectual orientation and trajectory)

·   Teaching Statement (in which you discuss your experience and goals as a teacher and mentor and how they relate to your vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion)

·   Writing Sample (about 7000-12000 words)

·   Three letters of recommendation

Please direct all questions about the position to the Chair of the English department, Ross Lerner (rlerner@oxy.edu).

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, your application materials must be received by October 16.

The Department and College

In keeping with the College’s mission values of equity and excellence, students who major in English study the work of both long-studied writers and those previously excluded from the traditional literary canon. Course offerings encompass works from British, American and other Anglophone literary traditions, from Medieval and Renaissance literature to emergent and 21st-century writing. You can read more about our department and our curriculum here and here.

Additional Information

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising, and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding are particularly encouraged to apply.

Starting salary during the first-year postdoctoral fellowship is $82,500. Moving expense reimbursement (up to $8000, taxable according to current IRS regulations), start-up funds, and a one-course reduction of teaching load in the first year of the tenure-track appointment are provided. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-information.  

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. 

Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).