Assistant Professor of English

The English Department at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time tenure track faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences in Environmental Literary Studies, with an emphasis on literary approaches to environmental humanities. Initial appointment to this position will be for a term of four years, beginning fall semester of 2025, and will carry the rank of Assistant Professor.

Founded in 1833, Oberlin is a private four-year, highly selective national liberal arts college near Cleveland, Ohio and is also home to an outstanding Conservatory of Music. Together, the two divisions enroll approximately 2900 students. Oberlin College was the first college in the US to make interracial education and co-education central to its mission. The College continues to view a diverse, equitable and inclusive educational environment as essential to the excellence of its academic program. Among liberal arts colleges, Oberlin is a national leader in successfully placing graduates into PhD programs.

Oberlin’s English department addresses a range of questions pertaining to literary, cultural and social texts. Faculty teaching and research interests span areas such as critical race studies, postcolonial theory, early modern culture, the history of the novel, twentieth-century poetry, ecocriticism, and global Anglophone writing. Within this broad understanding of English, students can define their own trajectory in conversation with other fields, from philosophy and art history to anthropology and comparative American studies. Whether taking one English class or planning to pursue graduate study, our students gain an enhanced attention to aesthetic detail, a keen critical mindset, and a sophisticated approach to reading, writing, and cultural discourse. Additional information about the English Department can be found here: https://www.oberlin.edu/arts-and-sciences/departments/english.

The incumbent will teach the standard teaching load (4.5 courses per year) in the general area of Environmental Literary Studies including introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses, along with regular offering of the college-wide First-Year Seminar Program. The incumbent will also be expected to engage in sustained scholarly research and/or other creative work appropriate to the position and participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including academic advising, mentoring undergraduate research and service on committees

Qualifications:

Among the qualifications required for appointment is a PhD degree in English or a related field degree (in hand or expected by first semester of academic year 2025-2026). Candidates must demonstrate interest and potential excellence in undergraduate teaching. Successful teaching experience at the college level is desirable. Oberlin College is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. The incumbent will bring understanding of or experience working with underrepresented and diverse academic populations. Oberlin is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the excellence and diversity of the academic community through their research, teaching, and service. Oberlin recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran’s status, and/or other protected status as required by applicable law.

Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. Completed applications received by the November deadline will be guaranteed full consideration. Preliminary interviews will be held via Zoom. Questions about the position can be addressed to: Danielle Skeehan, Chair of English, at dskeehan@oberlin.edu.