The Department of English Literatures at Mount Allison University is seeking candidates for a tenure-track probationary position at the rank of Lecturer or Assistant Professor (subject to budgetary approval) in the subject area of Literatures of Africa and the African Diaspora.
This subject area can include literatures of continental Africa, the Caribbean and island nations, and of the African diaspora in North America, Europe, and around the world.
This area of expertise should be situated within the larger fields of post-colonial, global, and world literature in English.
Candidates are sought with one or more intersecting areas of secondary expertise (parenthetical lists are examples only, and no single candidate is expected to engage every example):
• Contemporary literary forms (for example: digital literature, graphic novels, zines, multimedia texts, spoken word, rap/hip-hop)
• Literary approaches to contemporary popular culture (for example: gaming, film, television, and video, digital cultural platforms, social media studies, popular music, performance art)
• Interdisciplinary literary studies (for example: literature and science studies, feminist literary analysis, digital humanities, literature and environmental studies)
In their cover letters candidates should describe their specific expertise profile in relation to their research and teaching backgrounds. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain a balance between research and teaching, as Mount Allison University places a high value on both research and teaching and providing research opportunities for undergraduate students.
Mount Allison University is a top-ranked undergraduate university in Canada that prioritizes engaged and creative undergraduate teaching. Candidates are asked to include a Teaching Proposal of up to 1000 words that describes their plan to develop courses and course materials within the Mount Allison Department of English Literatures. Candidates are encouraged to look at the current offerings in the list of Department Courses link, but to also reimagine new courses and approaches to teaching that will support the ongoing decolonization and diversification of our current program. Faculty in the department are expected to teach first- and second-year introductory courses in literature, as well as third- and fourth-year courses on specific subjects in English literature.
Candidates should describe how their teaching will engage multiple levels of university teaching, with details concerning specific themes, texts, and pedagogical methods. Candidates should connect their teaching proposal to one or more of the following teaching approaches or pedagogical theories:
• Interdisciplinary teaching practice
• Indigenous/ decolonized/ anti-racist teaching and learning
• Experiential learning
• Learning competencies and skill development
• Creative practice/ research-creation pedagogies
Please do not send Teaching Portfolios or Statements of Teaching Philosophy.
Qualified candidates will have a complete PhD in English Literature or another field directly related to the described position. The Department of English Literatures seeks to reverse the historic under-representation of equity-seeking groups among our faculty. We thus encourage applications from those who would contribute to the diversification of our staff and faculty including, but not limited to, individuals willing to self-identify as being of African heritage or African Descent, including people from the Caribbean and the Americas. Applicants are invited to write a statement that identifies them as a person of African Descent or other racial or cultural minority group, as expressed by their current connection to their community, or their personal or family narrative that describes their past connection to such a community.
Candidates should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and 1000-word Teaching Proposal as one PDF document directly to: english@mta.ca. Further materials may be requested later in the search process.
Three letters of reference from academic referees should be sent directly from the referee to: english@mta.ca.
Application materials should be addressed to:
Professor Janine Rogers
Chair of the Search Committee, Literatures of Africa and the African Diaspora
Department of English Literatures
Mount Allison University
Sackville, New Brunswick
Canada
Mount Allison acknowledges, honours, and respects that the land named Sackville, NB is part of the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People who are the historic inhabitants, custodians, and dwellers on the land where our University is built and confirms its commitment to strengthening relationships with all Indigenous people.
Mount Allison is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage applications from members of racialized communities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual and gender identities. We seek candidates with qualifications and knowledge to contribute specifically to the further diversification of our campus community.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are given priority. Canadians and permanent residents should indicate their citizenship status in their application.