Tenure-Track Professor in African Literature_

DetailsTitle Tenure-Track Professor in African LiteratureSchool Faculty of Arts and SciencesDepartment/Area African and African American StudiesPosition DescriptionThe Department of African and African American Studies seeks to appoint a tenure-track professor in African literature and cultural studies. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2025. The tenure-track professor will be responsible for teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.We seek a candidate with a grounding in one or more African national, regional, and/or diasporic literatures/cultures; and a dynamic critical approach to the tradition(s) in which they specialize. Specialization in any of the major language traditions for African literature is welcome (Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, Hispanophone, Afrophone). Regardless of specialization, the ability to speak or read an indigenous African language is highly desirable. The candidate will be expected to have expertise in African literature and culture ranging from oral to written literature across the pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial periods, extending to the present. We are especially interested in scholars working on cultural production who employ innovative, interdisciplinary methods and ways of thinking. We seek candidates with the ability to teach African Literature in a global context as well as those with secondary specialization in any of the following areas: African cinema, African popular culture, and African performance. We also welcome applications from scholars with additional interests in any of the following areas: critical geographies/geocriticism, studies of spatiality, eco-criticism, digital cultures, disability studies, gender and sexuality studies, science and technology studies, urban studies, migration, and screen studies. Work that challenges established boundaries, regions, periods, and methods within literary studies is especially welcome.The successful candidate should be able to teach introductory courses in African Literature and African Studies, as well as specialized courses in African Oral Traditions and/African Cultural Studies both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.Basic QualificationsDoctorate or terminal degree in Literature or related discipline required by the time the appointment begins.Additional QualificationsDemonstrated strong commitment to teaching and advising is desired. The ability to speak or read an indigenous African language is preferred.Special InstructionsPlease submit the following materials through the ARIeS portal (arvard.edu). Applications must be submitted no later than September 16, 2024.1. Cover letter2. Curriculum Vitae3. Teaching/advising statement (describing the candidate’s teaching philosophy and practices as well as their approach to creating a learning environment in which students are encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas)4. Research statement5. Service statement describing efforts to strengthen academic communities, e.g., the candidate’s department, institution, and/or professional societies.6. Names and contact information of 3-5 referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received. At least one letter must come from someone who has not served as the candidate’s undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral advisor.7. Publications or copies of creative works, if applicableThe health of our community is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC -recommended vaccines.Contact InformationEli Bernhardt, Department of African and African American StudiesBarker Center, 12 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA 02138Contact Email eli_bernhardt@fas.harvard.eduEqual Opportunity EmployerWe are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.Minimum Number of References Required 3Maximum Number of References Allowed 5Keywordsassistant, associate, faculty, instructor, tenure trackBoston, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA, Northeast, New EnglandAfrican literature, African oral traditions, African cultural studies, critical geographies, geocriticism, spatiality, eco-criticism, digital cultures, disability, gender and sexuality studies, urban, oral, pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial, interdisciplinarySupplemental Questions