Assistant Professor, Africana Studies

The University of Arizona’s Department of Africana Studies invites applicants for the position of Assistant Professor, tenure-track starting April 1, 2024. We are looking for an interdisciplinary scholar focusing on Africa, Central America, South America, and/or the Caribbean in any of the following areas: culture, literature, family/gender studies, health, political science, history, religions, digital Africana studies, film, theater, dance, hip-hop studies. The successful candidate will teach all levels of our courses in Africana Studies; will contribute to program building; will develop and teach courses in the University´s General Education curriculum, and will have proven capacity and dedication to actively recruit Africana Studies majors. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities and inspire on campus and throughout the world a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach four courses a year, including undergraduate courses in the candidate's particular area of interest.
• Contribute to curriculum development.
• Keep an active research agenda and record of publication commensurate with a research-intensive institution.
• Contribute to University initiatives focused on fostering diversity and inclusive excellence, enhancing student engagement, and mentoring students including those from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Assist in recruiting majors and minors.
• Contribute to departmental, college and university service.
• Participate in Departmental and College-wide activities such as Convocation, Welcome Back receptions, Homecoming, Commencement, Black History Month, and the Tucson Humanities Festival.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Robust research skills
• Demonstrated student-centered pedagogical knowledge; ability to serve the 21st-century educational needs of a diverse student population
• Superior communication and collaboration skills
  Ability to teach several current Africana Studies general education courses.
• Demonstrated interest in recruiting undergraduate Africana Studies majors and minors and Hip-Hop Studies minors.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Africana Studies or related field.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching at the college level.
• Demonstrated scholarly achievement or significant scholarly potential

Preferred Qualifications

• Record of publication
• Evidence of ability to secure external funding
• Experience and expertise with online/hybrid teaching, multimedia technology, and an aptitude for creative and innovative teaching.
• Experience using cutting-edge teaching methods and/or curricular design to effectively promote student learning and engage a diverse student body.
• Candidates with study abroad and/or living experiences abroad are preferred
• Experience teaching at the University of the Arizona
• Experience teaching the following courses: Introduction to Africana Studies and Contemporary Afro Brazil
• Experience in the following areas of expertise: Caribbean popular culture