Position Information

Proposed Faculty Rank Assistant Professor

Department 00007 - Ethnic Studies

City Salt Lake City, UT

Track Tenure Track

New Position to Begin 7/1/2025

Details

The Division of Ethnic Studies within the School for Cultural & Social Transformation at the University of Utah is seeking applications for an assistant professor of Black Studies. We are looking for a dynamic scholar who is deeply committed to advancing Black Studies through research, teaching, service, and community engagement. The ideal candidate will have a strong interdisciplinary approach to the field and be dedicated to pushing the boundaries of Black Studies as both a field and praxis. We especially invite applicants whose research is transdisciplinary and explores one or more of the following areas:

• Black embodiment, including Disability Studies, and medical racism

• Black Queer Studies

• Black spatio-temporalities, including Black geographies, migrations, Black fugitivities and futurities, afro-futurism, global, decolonial, anticolonial, diasporic, online and outer space/cosmos, and Black ecological thought

• Black archival theory, including accounting, numeracy, Black technologies and digitalities, methods – quantitative and qualitative, science and the mathematics of Black life

• Black arts and performance, including Black Aesthetics, Visual Studies, Sound Studies, Black curation, Museum Studies, Black Literary Studies, Performance Studies, and Poetics

Applicants must be capable of teaching a range of courses including both introductory courses such as Introduction to Black Studies, as well as Advanced Critical Studies courses which address students’ interests such as in social movements, policy, economics, climate justice and the environment, racial justice, science, technology, and medicine, and their intersections.

A Ph.D. is required at the time of appointment.

The Division of Ethnic Studies is the only degree and tenure-granting Ethnic Studies division in the intermountain west offering courses and scholarly expertise across the Ethnic Studies ethnic and racial sites of inquiry (American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Latinx Studies, and Pacific Island Studies). Ethnic Studies faculty are award winning scholars with strengths in decolonial theories, Diaspora and Migration Studies, Feminist Studies, Queer theory, Critical Mixed-race Studies, and Indigenous Studies and the Division has taken concerted efforts to expand into a global consideration of race and ethnicity. The cutting-edge research across the disciplines is exemplified in how Ethnic Studies faculty hold joint or shared appointments across campus and with faculty in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and education.

Ethnic Studies is a division in the School for Cultural and Social Transformation (Transform), an interdisciplinary college committed to cutting-edge thinking about shifting sexualities, changing genders, dynamic migrations, identities, abilities, and emergent struggles against racist thought and action. In addition to the Divisions of Ethnic and Gender Studies, the school is home to programs in Disability Studies and the Mellon Foundation Grant-funded Pacific Islands Studies Initiative. Since the school’s emergence, innovative research activities have occurred through internal and external grant funded activities such as the Transformative Intersectional Collective, the creation of the Center for Pasifika Indigenous Knowledges, the queering STEM postdoctoral training, the establishment of a Black Feminist Eco Lab, the creation of the examining racialized and gender-based violence, archival research, and numerous community-engaged projects. Currently, Transform is home to Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies , one of the oldest feminist journals in the country. Transform seeks a dynamic scholar whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to its core goals of innovating scholarship and putting theory into practice.

The University of Utah is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education and has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation among research universities with the “highest research activity.” The University provides numerous opportunities for internal research funding and offers a generous benefits and retirement package:https://www.hr.utah.edu/benefits/. The University is located in Salt Lake City, the center of a metropolitan area with a population of approximately 1.25 million residents. Salt Lake City is home to sizable LGBTQ , Latinx and immigrant populations. Utah is also home to the largest population of Pacific Islanders in the contiguous U.S. The city’s proximity to the Wasatch Mountains, world-class ski resorts, and national parks makes it an ideal location for outdoor recreation. The Salt Lake City International Airport is Delta Airlines hub with direct flights to most U.S. cities and direct international flights to a number of major cities. Salt Lake City has extensive arts and cultural activities. The area has received international recognition for its light rail system, foodie culture, Sundance Film Festival and the state will host the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Primary Responsibilities : The primary responsibilities of the candidate are to:

• Teach a 2:2 course load in Black Studies

• Conduct research and publish in the field

• Perform service at the divisional, college, university and community levels

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or other terminal degree in Black Studies and/or related fields

• A strong pedagogical approach to teaching Black Studies courses

• A documented commitment to engaging with and supporting students of various backgrounds

• Evidence of successful teaching experience in Black Studies and related fields

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders

Applications must include:

• Cover Letter : Provide a detailed cover letter of not more than three pages single-spaced outlining your research qualifications, teaching experience, and your work within the discipline of Black Studies. Your cover letter should highlight how your expertise aligns with the position and demonstrate your commitment to advancing scholarship and pedagogy in this field.

• Curriculum Vitae : Submit a current C.V. that includes your educational background, research, teaching experience, and any relevant professional and service activities.

• Sample Syllabus : (use Applicant Document-Other to upload) Include a sample syllabus from a course you have taught or plan to teach. This should showcase your ability to design and organize course content effectively, as well as your approach to engaging students and delivering subject matter in the discipline of Black Studies.

• Professional References : (provided within the application questions) The names and contact information of three professional references who can speak to your qualifications and experience. Please note that we will reach out to these references only after notifying the candidates.

Applications deadline: Applications reviewed as received. Early deadline is November 15, 2024. Candidates will be considered until the position is filled.

For any questions, please contact the committee chair: Dr. Andrea Baldwin atandrea.baldwin@utah.edu

EEO/Non-Discrimination Information

All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action ( OEO /AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at:

https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/

Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu

Notice

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

https://safety.utah.edu/safetyreport This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

Special Instructions for Candidates

Open Date 09/10/2024

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Requisition Number PRN01269CF

Type Faculty