Assistant Professor of Multicultural American Literature (Society, Technology, and Environment Cluster Hire)

Summary : The English Department seeks an assistant professor, full-time, 9-month, tenure-track to start August 6, 2024, specializing in the field of American literature with a secondary area of interest in the digital humanities.

The teaching load is three courses per semester. This position is part of a cohort hire of scholars devoted to innovative curricular and multidisciplinary research initiatives.

The successful candidate will be a tenure-track faculty member in the English department. They will be expected to collaborate with humanities teacher-scholars, writers, and artists / designers in CLAS and in other parts of the university to explore the relationships between human communities and the technologies and environments that influence them.

Required Qualifications and Education :

Ph.D. in English with a focus in Multicultural American literature (historical period is open) and Digital Humanities;

ABD candidates will be considered for a two-year contract with the provision that the Ph.D. must be completed by December 2025.

• Potential for successful college-level teaching and research.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, such as the ability to interact with others with respect, empathy, and cultural humility.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. This could include experience using inclusive teaching practices;
• research relating to minoritized populations or social inequality; community-based outreach to minoritized and underserved communities;

and other forms of DEI-infused teaching, scholarship, and / or service.

Preferred Qualifications Note : These qualifications should be minimal. :

• Candidates whose research portfolios demonstrate public-facing or community-engaged scholarship, multidisciplinary collaboration, and / or a demonstrated environmental humanities background are especially encouraged to apply.
• The ideal candidate would have research and teaching interests with the potential to engage the West Michigan community.

Responsibilities : Duties each semester include a 9-credit hour teaching load, baseline scholarship and service, and a significant focus (equivalent to 3 credit hours) of additional responsibilities in teaching, scholarship / creative activity, and / or service depending on the candidate's interests and the department’s needs.

In addition to creating a curriculum directly connected to their scholarly interest, the candidate is expected to teach surveys in American literature, foundational courses in genre and approaches to critical theory.

The candidate must show willingness to collaborate with colleagues within the department, in other departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), or in other Grand Valley State University (GVSU) colleges.

The salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The university offers an excellent comprehensive package that includes health / vision / dental plans, life insurance, retirement, sick / leave disability, tuition waiver, adoption resources, wellness coaching, and free access to campus fitness facilities.

Family and child care options on and off-campus are also available. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit .

Department / College :

The English Department offers a liberal arts education grounded in the principles of interdisciplinarity. The scholarship of 18 full-time faculty spans the broad fields of Linguistics and Literatures in English that serve as the foundation of the English major.

In addition to their research, faculty are committed to high impact learning at home and abroad, with programs to Africa and Europe enhancing an ongoing concern with diverse local and global matters.

Through the additional field of English Education, the department supports students by offering courses that explore inclusive pedagogies which will prepare them to meet the needs of today’s learners.

Altogether, the English Department at GVSU supports a diverse array of collaborative opportunities for faculty and students within the department, across the campus, as well as within the Grand Rapids community at large.

is the largest college at Grand Valley, offering over 50 bachelor degrees and a growing number of advanced degrees in the natural and mathematical sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and the social sciences.

CLAS is a student-centered and diverse learning community that engages in critical inquiry, extending knowledge to enrich and enliven individual and public life.

Our faculty are active teacher-scholars committed to equitable, inclusive, career-connected, and community-engaged liberal arts and sciences education.

There are many opportunities for collaboration within CLAS and across a broad group of partners on and off campus. We are interested in attracting a cohort of new faculty committed to these core values as we seek to foster a community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive together.

Campus / University : Grand Valley University (GVSU) is a public comprehensive institution located in West Michigan with campuses in Allendale, downtown Grand Rapids, and Holland, plus centers in Detroit, Muskegon and Traverse City.

The University attracts more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students with high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities, and has been nationally recognized for innovativeness and its contribution to students’ social mobility.

The greater Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a population of around one million people, is affordable, and offers rich cultural amenities.

Grand Valley is located within easy driving distance of Chicago, Detroit, Lake Michigan beaches, and many other superb summer and winter recreational venues.

Information can be found at . Grand Valley is highly rated for safety, sustainability, and veteran and LGBTQ friendliness, and is committed to supporting employees and their families in work-life balance.

The university seeks to create an inclusive and diverse environment for faculty and students while promoting enrichment of society through excellent teaching, active scholarship, and service.

More information can be found at .

How to Apply : A complete application must include : (1) a cover letter addressing qualifications and your interest in and potential contribution to the cluster, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a statement that describes ongoing and anticipated activities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, research / creative activity, and service, with particular attention to experiences engaging and supporting a diverse student body, (4) contact information of three professional references, and (5) graduate transcripts (unofficial issued to students are acceptable to apply).

The online application will allow applicants to attach these documents electronically. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to submit official transcripts prior to the interview.