Assistant Professor of Asian American Literary and Cultural Studies - University of Oregon

Department: English
Rank: Assistant Professor
Annual Basis: 9 Month

Application Deadline

Dec. 15, 2024; open until filled

Required Application Materials

• Application letter of approximately two single-spaced pages that demonstrates qualifications, current and future research trajectories, teaching experience and other relevant information;
• Curriculum vitae, including the names of three references;
• Writing sample of 20-30 pages;
• Research Statement;
• A one-page (single-spaced) statement that addresses how your research and teaching practices support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how you would contribute to these goals as a member of the UO English community. We welcome candidates sharing how their experiences, whether inside or outside academia, illustrate their commitments to these principles.

At later stages of review, applicants may be asked to submit supplemental materials, including teaching portfolios, letters of recommendation, etc. Please provide the names and contact information for 3 referees.

Position Announcement

The University of Oregon’s Department of English invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor in Asian American and/or Pacific Islander Literary and Cultural Studies to begin in fall 2025. The successful candidate will have a PhD in English, Asian American Studies, American Studies, Indigenous, Race, & Ethnic Studies, or a related interdisciplinary field. The new faculty member will join an energetic intellectual community with an established reputation in multi-ethnic literary studies, environmental humanities, digital humanities, disability studies, and comic studies, among others. We welcome applicants working on Asian American literary and cultural studies in any historical period and in any field of Asian American and/or Pacific Islander Studies. In addition to the subfields named above, possible research agendas might include (but are not limited to) indigeneity, decolonization, postcolonial studies, comparative studies within the Global South, labor studies, migrant and/or refugee studies, transpacific ecologies, gender and sexuality studies, and media studies (including TV and film, games, and pop culture studies).

Candidates can expect to teach 5 courses per year across three quarters; these courses are typically a combination of introductory, mid-level, and advanced undergraduate, as well as graduate-level seminars, with options to teach in summer courses. Expectations of teaching include mentorship of MA and PhD students and eventually directing undergraduate and graduate theses and dissertations. We especially encourage applicants committed to coursework that encourages undergraduate inquiry and research, supports graduate research and professional development, and speaks to diverse student populations. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to the transdisciplinary graduate New Media and Culture Certificate [https://newmediaculture.uoregon.edu/] and the graduate Politics, Culture, and Identity Certificate [https://socialsciences.uoregon.edu/political-science/graduate-programs/specialization-requirements]. The candidate may also have the opportunity to contribute to efforts in emerging programming around Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander initiatives across the University. The department has an established mentorship program and mentorship resources are also available from the Office of the Provost for faculty at all stages of their career.

We actively welcome applicants from communities historically marginalized and currently underrepresented in the academy.

Department or Program Summary

The Department of English at the University of Oregon is a community of active researchers and teacher-scholars who are passionate about literature, language, and narrative. We are committed to offering undergraduate and graduate coursework from the discipline’s leading edge and helping students learn to make ethical, rigorous arguments about literature and culture. Our small classes are taught by experts with a passion for understanding how language and representation shape history, identity, and experience. Students in English classes study and discuss texts of all kinds, including poems, plays, TV shows, movies, video games, song lyrics, essays, and novels. We teach argumentative writing, critical thinking, and ethical dialogue. Our major, minors, and graduate programs include distinctive offerings in environmental humanities, comics studies, medical humanities, disability studies, digital humanities, rhetoric and writing, and the study of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity.

Minimum Requirements

• PhD in Literature or relevant discipline in hand by time of appointment;
• Demonstrated record of or potential for publication and evidence of an active research agenda grounded in Asian American Literary and/or Cultural Studies;
• Demonstrated record of or potential to advise and direct graduate level research;
• Demonstrated record of or potential to teach, advise, and mentor a diverse population of undergraduate and graduate students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching at the college level.

About the University

The University of Oregon is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities and holds a distinguished ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students representing all 50 states and nearly 100 countries. In recent years, the university has increased the diversity of its student body, as well as campus-wide efforts to build a welcoming, inclusive community for our student body. The UO’s 295-acre campus features state-of-the art facilities in an arboretum-like setting within the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya people. The UO is located in Eugene, a vibrant city of 157,000 with a wide range of cultural and culinary offerings, a pleasant climate, and a community engaged in environmental and social concerns. The campus is within easy driving distance of the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and Portland.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

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