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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Department of French and Francophone Studies and the African Studies Program at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA, invites applications for an Assistant Professor or Associate Professor joint tenure-track position, beginning Fall 2024.

 

We are seeking candidates with an excellent publication record and teaching experience in 20th/21st-century Sub-Saharan and/or North African literatures and cultures for both ranks. We especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented communities.

 

The Department of French and Francophone Studies (FFS) is a vibrant department with interdisciplinary strengths in Francophone studies, cultural history, visual studies, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. The mission of the African Studies Program is to teach and research about Africa, in all its immensity and diversity from the ancient past to the present. As an interdisciplinary program, we cover topic areas in history, culture, geography, economics, politics, and literature, with specific focus in areas such as gender studies, development, linguistics, extractive economies, and post-colonial and decolonial studies in the shaping of modern-day Africa.

 

Candidates for Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies and African Studies must have demonstrated ability as a researcher, scholar, and teacher in a relevant field and have evidence of growth in scholarly achievement. Duties will involve a combination of teaching, research, and service, based on the candidate’s qualifications.

 

Candidates for Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies and African Studies must have demonstrated excellence as a researcher, scholar, and teacher in a relevant field and have an established reputation in scholarly achievement. Duties will involve a combination of teaching, research, and service, based on the candidate’s qualifications.

 

Duties of the Assistant or Associate Professor will include working with and advising graduate students in our dual-degree program in French and Francophone Studies, and African Studies, as well as having the opportunity to design new undergraduate and graduate courses. The successful candidate of both ranks will be expected to teach Approaches to Culture and Society, a core French and Francophone Studies graduate class, an African Studies core class on postcolonial literature, classes on French post-colonial and decolonial literature in English translation, as well as courses on Francophone cultures in both Francophone and Anglophone Africa. The teaching load (2-2) is split evenly between FFS and African Studies.

 

Besides a specialty in Francophone African literatures and cultures, the ideal candidate for both ranks would have an interest and experience in one or more of the following areas: postcolonial/decolonial/critical race studies; gender studies; visual studies; migration and diaspora studies; transnational studies; religious studies; environmental humanities. The capacity to work with the circulation of ideas and peoples between the African continent and Europe, and knowledge of a language indigenous to the African continent will be a plus.

 

Applicants for both ranks must have a Ph.D. in French and Francophone Studies, African Studies, or related field in hand by the appointment date, and native or near-native language competency in both French and English.

 

In addition, successful candidates must either have demonstrated a commitment to building an inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus community, or describe one or more ways they would envision doing so, given the opportunity.

 

To apply, please submit a dossier that includes a cover letter, curriculum vitae (in English), sample article-length publication (in English), and contact information for three references at Penn State’s Job Posting Board. Review of dossiers will begin November 27, 2023. Interview requests will be made in the second half of January 2024.

 

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

 

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to 75% tuition discounts (including for a spouse and dependent children up to the age of 26) and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/benefits for more detailed information.

 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:

University Park, PA