Visiting Assistant Professor
American Studies
Position Overview
The Department of American Studies at the University of Kansas seeks to hire a Visiting Assistant Professor for a two-year appointment (full-time, non-tenure-track) beginning in August 2024.
We seek candidates conversant in contemporary American studies and active in interdisciplinary scholarship. The preferred area of expertise is Latina/o/x studies. The ideal candidate will be prepared to teach introductions to American studies and Latina/o/x studies, as well as topical courses related to their own research. The capacity to mentor and train students in critical, interdisciplinary scholarship is strongly preferred as well.
The academic year runs from mid-August to mid-May with winter and summer breaks. This position will run from August 18, 2024 until May 16. 2026. In a continuing effort to enrich the academic environment and provide equal educational and employment opportunities, KU actively encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups in higher education. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the time of appointment.
The University of Kansas is located in the beautiful, historic, and culturally vibrant city of Lawrence, a thriving community 40 minutes from the Kansas City metropolitan area and 30 minutes from the state capital, Topeka. Lawrence, a progressive college town of 95,000, boasts a lively downtown with many music venues, award-winning restaurants, and a nationally celebrated independent bookstore among its many independently owned small businesses. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest school within the campus and plays a central role within the University. Founded in 1865, KU is a designated Carnegie comprehensive doctoral and research university and is one of only 34 public members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). The University enrolls more than 28,000 students and offers students and faculty opportunities to collaborate in its graduate and professional programs, which include education, public health, medicine, law, and a number of allied social science and humanities disciplines.
Job Description
60% - Teach three courses (3:3) per semester
20% - Conduct, present, and public research.
20% - Provide service to the department, university and profession. This is likely to include participation in departmental meetings and contributions to the Chicanx/Latinx Studies minor.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in American Studies, Latina/o/x Studies, or a closely aligned field.
- An active research program including work in progress extending beyond the dissertation.
- Classroom teaching experience
Contact Information to Applicants
Interim Chair, Ben Chappell
bchap@ku.edu
Additional Candidate Instruction
Submit all application materials online at
https://employment.ku.edu/academic/27450BR. A complete application will contain:
- a cover letter describing the candidate’s research focus and teaching experience
- a curriculum vitae
- sample syllabi of courses taught or planned
- contact information of three references familiar with the candidate’s qualifications.
In addition to the materials above, learning about each applicant's contribution and engagement in areas of diversity is an important part of KU's mission. As a result, applicants will be presented the following question at the time of application:
- Describe your experiences working with people from diverse backgrounds and explain how those experiences reflect your commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Application review begins April 22, 2024, and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is received.
