Visiting Professor of Chinese (Open Rank)

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Swarthmore College invites applications for a full-time two-year appointment in Chinese at the level of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor to begin in Fall 2025. This is a non-tenure track position; rank and salary is commensurate with experience.  The successful candidate will have research interests in Chinese/Sinophone cinema or media studies and modern and/or contemporary Chinese/Sinophone literature. Pending the curricular needs of the Chinese program, candidates will be encouraged to teach an upper-level seminar on the topic of faculty interest and to develop a first-year seminar to attract non-majors to Chinese cultural studies. Candidates should have the ability to rotate into the Chinese section’s advanced Chinese language classes, and language teaching experience in a college or university setting is highly desired.

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures contains six programs: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Russian. The Chinese program offers a robust undergraduate curriculum in modern and classical Chinese as well as Chinese literature, film and media studies, and cultural studies. The program offers both majors and minors in Chinese, and supports majors in Asian Studies as well as Comparative Literature and Linguistics and Languages. The teaching load is 2/2. Classes for majors are small, students are motivated, and interdisciplinary opportunities for collaboration with colleagues and students are real and abundant. Additional information about the Chinese Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures can be found at https://www.swarthmore.edu/chinese.

Located in the suburbs of Philadelphia and near Wilmington DE, Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to diversity, and actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information on Faculty Diversity and Excellence at Swarthmore, see http://www.swarthmore.edu/faculty-diversity-excellence/information-candidates-new-faculty

Qualifications for consideration at the rank of Assistant Professor include a Ph.D. in hand by August 2025, fluency in English and Mandarin Chinese, a passion for teaching and mentoring undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds and identities, and the potential for innovative and impactful scholarship. 

Qualifications for consideration at the rank of Associate/Full Professor include a Ph.D., at least five years of teaching experience at a North American college or university, a passion for teaching and mentoring undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds and identities, and demonstrable proof of ongoing innovative and impactful scholarship. If applicable, please include information about academic leadership experience (e.g., program or section head) in your cover letter.

Apply at: apply.interfolio.com/158837. Applicants should include a brief cover letter describing their intended research and teaching contributions to Swarthmore College, a curriculum vitae, a teaching statement, and three letters of recommendation. The cover letter should describe the applicant’s program of research (including research interests, recent and current research, and anticipated areas for future work) and its potential to engage undergraduate students. The teaching statement should describe the applicant’s interests in teaching at an undergraduate institution, previous teaching experience, and approach to teaching and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. At least one letter of recommendation should comment specifically on teaching.

Applications will not be considered until letters of recommendation have been submitted. Please address any questions you may have to Sunka Simon, Interim Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081.

All applications received by December 1, 2024 will receive full consideration, and review of applications will continue until the position is filled.