Assistant Professor - Spanish

Assistant Professor - Spanish

Brief Summary of Work for this Position
The Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of North Carolina Wilmington invites experts in Spanish heritage language teaching and learning to apply for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Spanish, to begin August 2024.

The successful candidate will teach a 3-3 load, including the Spanish for Bilingual Speakers courses and relevant undergraduate and graduate courses in their research field. As UNCW is an R2 institution, the candidate will be expected to maintain an active research agenda.

This position serves as the coordinator of the Spanish for Bilingual Speakers program, assisting heritage learners with course placement and colleagues with the differential instruction of heritage learners of languages other than English, and liaising with the university’s Centro Hispano (https://uncw.edu/seahawk-life/connections-belonging/centro-hispano/).

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, or a closely related field, on or by August 1, 2024. Note: Applicants who are ABD for the terminal degree may be considered; however doctoral degree must be obtained within the first academic year of employment
• Experience in teaching heritage learners of Spanish
• Native or near native proficiency in Spanish and English
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, including differentiated instruction for heritage learners
• Active research agenda in Spanish as a Heritage Language.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Experience teaching heritage Spanish courses
• Experience in developing and/or coordinating courses related to heritage populations
• Evidence of effective engagement outside of the classroom with heritage populations.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit
The Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts is one of the largest academic units at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. With over 50 faculty members, we offer on-campus and online master’s degrees in Spanish; on-campus and online post-baccalaureate certificates in Hispanic Studies; a combined BA/MA program in Spanish; bachelor’s degrees in French, German, and Spanish; and minors in Classics, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. We also offer classes in American Sign Language, Arabic, and Italian.

Our classes contribute to core general education requirements for all undergraduate degrees at UNCW. Our Hispanic students are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group on campus with just over 1,500 self-identified Hispanic students, representing just under 10% of the total student enrollment.

College/School Information
The College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (CHSSA) is home to 14 academic departments and offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Public Administration as well as combined bachelor’s/master’s degree programs in Spanish and English. The CHSSA also houses the Gender Studies and Research Center, an interdisciplinary and intersectional community of students, scholars, and advocates committed to social justice and equity.

In addition, the CHSSA offers a full complement of minors including interdisciplinary minors such as Africana studies, American studies, Asian studies, classical studies, European studies, forensic science, journalism, Latin American studies, medical humanities, Middle East and Islamic studies, Native American studies, and women and gender studies. Undergraduate certificates for professional writing and publishing, as well as a number of post-baccalaureate certificates such as conflict management and resolution, emergency and disaster management, forensic science, science and medical writing, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and Hispanic studies are a part of the college’s offerings.

The CHSSA contributes significantly to the curriculum that comprises UNCW’s University Studies Program, through which all undergraduates gain a foundation in the liberal arts and develop the transferable skills essential for life in the twenty-first century. The CHSSA strives in its undergraduate programs and in its University Study offerings to nurture creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, diversity and inclusion, and academic integrity in students while providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge in their chosen fields. Graduate programs in the CHSSA are designed to develop intellectual competence and to prepare the student for careers in business, industry, government, teaching or for further study at the doctoral level.

Applied learning is a hallmark of the student experience in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts. Each of the CHSSA’s departments requires an applied learning experience as a part of the curriculum for its undergraduate majors. Examples include faculty-directed research, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects, all of which challenge students to integrate various strands of knowledge and to apply that knowledge to broader, real-world or real disciplinary situations.

Upon completion of their studies, all CHSSA students will have the necessary preparation for rewarding careers, advanced study, effective citizenship, and meaningful lives. The College of Humanities, Social Science, and the Arts offers limitless opportunities to engage in collaborative and interdisciplinary research and service while also making a positive societal impact. Come and join our vibrant academic environment that values discovery, innovation, and creativity.

University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Please apply online at https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/30171

Special Notes to Applicants
Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59PM EST on November 27, 2023, the posting closing date.

To apply, please complete the online application process available at https://jobs.uncw.edu/ and attach the following materials as an Adobe PDF document including:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Combined Unofficial Graduate Transcripts
• Research Summary – a Statement of Research Plans (1 – 2 pages)
• Teaching Philosophy- Statement of Teaching Philosophy that addresses the teaching of heritage language learners (1 – 2 pages)
• Three professional references, **if ABD one of the references must be Dissertation Chair
• If needed, applicants may upload additional materials under the Other category.

Please note that a minimum of three references are required for all applications. **If ABD one reference must be Dissertation Chair. Letters of reference may be requested at a later date.

Letters of application without the requested components will not meet the application requirements.

For questions about the position or online application process, contact the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Amanda Boomershine at boomershinea@uncw.edu

EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

Eligibility for Employment
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.