Gustavus Adolphus College

St. Peter, MN

Assistant Professor in African American History

Deadline: October 12, 2020

Department: History

Type of Appointment : Tenure-track/tenured

Position Title: African American History; African Diaspora

Position Details: Gustavus Adolphus College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position of Assistant Professor in the Department of History to begin September 1, 2021.

Institution Information: Gustavus Adolphus College seeks employees who are committed to and will be resolute in advancing inclusion and equity. We seek candidates whose experience has prepared them to help us realize our college-wide goal of engagement and inclusion of culturally and racially diverse audiences in liberal arts and sciences. The Gustavus Acts strategic plan renews our commitment to equip students to lead purposeful lives, and to act on the great challenges of our time by diversifying and expanding the Gustavus community and delivering a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education.

To support these goals, Gustavus Adolphus College has launched a hiring initiative to enhance its existing interdisciplinary program in African Studies, including building an African Diasporic focus. African Studies has been a minor at Gustavus since 2011, with emphasis on academic coursework and co-curricular programming offerings every semester; contributing faculty typically also work closely with other interdisciplinary programs such as Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies. Minnesota is home to a vibrant and growing African and African American community, and we believe that representation from this community positively contributes to our student body. We seek faculty members whose impact will be to advance academic and cultural programs in areas relevant to African and African American history, arts, and culture, while also helping the College recruit, retain, engage, and support students of color.

The Gustavus history department offers a dynamic undergraduate liberal arts program that emphasizes global history, the role of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, and a capstone experience where seniors pursue independent research projects. The faculty are actively engaged in research and contribute widely to campus interdisciplinary programs.

Major/Essential Functions: Primary teaching responsibilities will serve the history department and African studies program. These include survey courses in U.S. history, intermediate and upper-level courses in African American History and African Diaspora, the history methods course, and the senior research seminar. Other responsibilities will include contributions to the general education curriculum (such as the College’s First Term Seminar, January Term, or the Three Crown Curriculum), and interdisciplinary majors and minors. Gustavus faculty engage in teaching, scholarly research, and service to the college and department. Minimum Qualifications: PhD in African American history or ABD candidates who will complete their degree by September 1, 2021 Active research agenda in African American history Ability to teach courses in African diaspora Prior teaching experience at the college level Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom Preferred Qualifications: Research agenda in African American history before the 1920s Ability to teach courses that make connections between Africa and the Americas Application Procedures: To apply, visit https://gustavus.edu/jobs and complete the online application. The documents that must be uploaded include the following: Letter of application that explicitly addresses the position’s qualifications as stated above Curriculum vitae A one-page, single-spaced statement of teaching philosophy; the statement should address how the candidate promotes innovative, engaging, and dynamic teaching practices that foster an active learning environment Transcripts (scanned copies acceptable) The names and contact information for three professional references (at least one must be able to address teaching experience and teaching effectiveness; please indicate the teaching reference in your letter of application). Please do not ask references to submit letters of recommendation; the committee will conduct reference checks by phone. The deadline to apply is Monday, October 12, 2020. While applications may be accepted after this date, it is not guaranteed that they will be considered. The search committee will not consider incomplete applications. The committee will request additional materials (e.g., syllabi, writing prompts for assignments, teaching evaluations, and scanned copies of school transcripts) prior to phone interviews.

Gustavus Adolphus College is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status in its education or employment programs.

Area(s) of Specialization Desired: African American History; African Diaspora

Position Start Date: September 1, 2021

Interfolio Letters: Not Accepted

Teaching Load: 3/3