Professor of Africana

The Program in Africana and the Program in Digital & Computational Studies (DCS) at Bates College together invite applications for an open-rank tenure-line position, to be appointed in Africana, beginning  August 2025.  

While areas of expertise are open, the preferred candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinarity.  The candidate’s engagement in the Africana Program will be in the social sciences and/or humanities.  Topics may include, but are not limited to: Black transnational and diaspora studies; Black aesthetics, such as music and performance;  new media and cultural studies; Black disability studies; comparative race, ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, and sexuality studies; social movements; racial capitalism; carcerality; health and inequality; law; or public policy.   The candidate’s engagement with DCS may include, but is not limited to, areas such as:  data science; science and technology studies; data curation; digital humanities; or new media studies.

The Africana Program adopts progressive interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of people of African descent globally.  Courses in Africana examine conceptualizations of “race,” its use as a tool of critical analysis, and intersections  with other social and political identities.  DCS is an interdisciplinary program that bridges core elements of computer science, data science, and digital studies, connecting to the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and/or other existing interdisciplinary programs on campus.  The DCS curriculum asks students to interrogate the practices, values, cultures and assumptions of the digital world, while engaging with computing for social good.  Examples of courses that bridge other disciplines and DCS can be found among the list of DCS courses.

The responsibilities of the position include the three main areas of faculty work: teaching, professional achievement, and governance and engagement. The teaching load is 5 courses per academic year, either as a 2-3 or 3-2 across two semesters, or as a 2-2-1 across two semesters and the Bates Short Term.  Duties also include: periodically contributing to our college-wide First Year Seminar program, advising  senior theses, serving as an academic advisor, and fulfilling governance commitments to the college. The successful candidate will periodically teach Interdisciplinary Studies: Methods and Modes of Inquiry (AFR 250) and co-teach Introduction to Africana (AFR 100). The candidate will cross-list and/or contribute at least one course per academic year with DCS. 

Our students represent a wide range of interests, experiences, and diverse identities. We seek a colleague who is committed to building a strong and diverse community of learning in our related fields. We encourage applications from individuals underrepresented in the professoriate, who are the first in their families to attend college, who have followed non-traditional pathways to higher education, or those who are employed currently contingently. We seek individuals with a demonstrated interest in advancing the college’s continuing commitments to equity and inclusion. Candidates should identify their strengths and experiences in these areas throughout their application.

Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine—a diverse and growing community roughly 45 minutes from the state’s largest city, 2 ½ hours north of Boston, and 4 ½ hours south of Montreal.

Faculty scholarship and creative work at Bates are robustly supported by start-up packages, a paid pre-tenure leave, support for post-tenure sabbaticals, internal grants, professional travel funding, and a well-staffed external grants office.  Community-engaged learning—with community partnerships facilitated by the Harward Center—and study abroad are both broadly encouraged and institutionally supported. Pedagogical development and innovation is further buttressed by our highly engaged Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.  Educational access and racial  justice are central to Bates’  history and mission and our faculty led initiatives reflect this commitment.   Additional interdisciplinary opportunities at Bates are available through the new Immersive Media Studio, funded by a grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the Digital Media Studios, and the Visualization Lab. 

Applications should include the following:

• A cover letter summarizing your interest in this position and your qualifications, both scholarly and pedagogical.
• A current CV.

• A teaching statement that includes: discussion of what courses you would teach and/or develop; discussion of how your work can bridge Africana and DCS; and discussion of how your work will meet Bates' standards of excellence in terms of inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy.  (The standards of excellence for faculty at Bates are articulated in Article II of the Faculty Handbook, and include a commitment to inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy, impactful professional work, and contributions to the broader Bates community.) For candidates with prior teaching experience, please include at least one sample syllabus.
• A research statement that describes your current scholarship and future plans in a way that is accessible to a hiring committee of faculty having varied interdisciplinary specialties.
• The contact information for three references.  Letters of reference will be solicited when candidates are invited to the first round of virtual interviews.

Review of applications begins on 15 November 2024, and will continue until the search process is concluded.  Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and verification of degree.  Candidates must have completed their Ph.D. by August 2025.  Candidates can find information about current Bates salaries and benefits in Part 2 of the Faculty Handbook.