Assistant Professor of Linguistics

Overview: The Department of World Languages and Cultures (WLGC) at Utah State University invites applications for a Tenure-Track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Linguistics. For this teaching-centered faculty position (anticipated 3-3 teaching load), we seek to hire an individual with experience teaching and carrying out research in Linguistics. Housed in the Spanish section of the department, this position will be located on the Logan campus and may also provide instructional support to USU’s statewide students and campuses. This individual reports to the WLGC department head. The anticipated start date is August 2024.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will be expected to:

*Teach undergraduate Linguistics courses in English and Spanish; with the possibility of periodically teaching graduate-level courses as part of the Master of Second Language Teaching program housed in the department

*Maintain an active profile as a practitioner and researcher in Linguistics

*Collaborate with the WLGC department head, section coordinators, and other faculty members across the department as needed

*Assist with ongoing curriculum development of the Linguistics minor

*Develop and offer courses that incorporate aspects of human rights, social justice, and overall meaningful understanding of cross-cultural communication

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Linguistics, Hispanic Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, or Second Language Acquisition by August 1, 2024
• Native or Near-Native Spanish language proficiency
• Evidence of teaching excellence in Linguistics, Hispanic Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, or Second Language Acquisition
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching Linguistics courses in English and Spanish
• Previous experience with teaching undergraduate linguistics courses and ability to develop new, interesting courses for students
• Ability to produce scholarly work in their area(s) of specialization
• Proficiency in an additional language from the WLGC (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and/or Russian)

Required documents: Review of applications begins November 15, 2023 and continues until the position is filled. Along with the online application, please attach:

• Cover letter that addresses the position’s responsibilities and minimum qualifications
• CV
• A one-page description of sample linguistics courses that the applicant would be willing/able to teach
• Contact information for three professional references

Please direct questions to Dr. Joshua Thoms, Search Committee Chair, at joshua.thoms@usu.edu. Do not send application materials to this e-mail address. Please use the application link above. The committee may request additional materials later in the selection process.

The Department and College

The recently formed World Languages and Cultures Department explores our connections to the peoples and communities around the world through language and culture. We are a unique and diverse department and believe an essential part of becoming an educated person is understanding oneself and how we connect with people worldwide. We offer programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Linguistics, and Intensive English, as well as Arabic Studies, Asian Studies, and Latin American Studies. Our department also is home to the Master of Second Language Teaching program. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is committed to fostering interdisciplinary scholarship and creative activity and increasing curricular and research coverage of areas that intersect with principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The College’s faculty actively undertakes research projects that reach into every aspect of the modern world, creating understanding and effecting change in important ways.

The University

Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 and is Utah’s land-grant and space-grant university. USU is one of only 146 research institutions in the U.S. and is classified as Research 1 “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. As one of the two premier research institutions in Utah, USU provides a high-quality education at an affordable price. With its main campus in Logan, the university serves approximately 27,500 students, including 24,255 undergraduates and 3,171 graduate students. USU Online has served students from all 50 states and 55 countries for 25 years.

USU’s statewide system features three residential campuses, 30 total campus locations, and 23 Extension education centers. The university employees 903 full-time faculty members, 124 executive administrators, and 1,649 full-time support staff. USU offers 115 undergraduate majors, as well as 91 master’s and 42 doctoral degrees. Learn more about USU.

A core characteristic of USU is engagement with communities and people in economic development, improvements to quality of life, and human capital. Through the practical application of knowledge, the University and its faculty engage and share expertise with the state, nation, and world, preserving the historical land-grant tradition of partnering with communities to address critical societal issues in the interest of the public good.

The USU main campus is located in beautiful Logan, Utah, a city of about 50,000 situated in a picturesque mountain valley about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outstanding recreational opportunities abound in the nearby mountains and proximate region.

USU is sensitive to the needs of dual career couples and provides a Dual Career Assistance program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment.

USU endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access in all aspects of employment to qualified persons with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Human Resource office at 435-797-0122 or submit a request at hr@usu.edu.