Comparative Literature Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position overview
Position title: Visiting Assistant Professor
Salary range: Based on a part time annual salary of $70,083 (pending final budget approval) Appointment is eligible for renewal depending on need, funding and performance. *** All appointments are contingent upon the appointee being able to provide, in accord with Federal law, evidence of authorization to work in the United States *** *** This position is contingent on funding and enrollment ***
Anticipated start: The first day of Fall quarter is September 21, 2026.
Review timeline: Initial Review Date of Applications to begin: August 28, 2026 Application deadline: September 24, 2026
Application Window
Open date: August 7, 2026
Most recent review date: Monday, Sep 7, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date: Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
Position: Part-time Position in Japanese, Comparative Literature, and Media Studies (Visiting Assistant Professor or Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Starting Date: The first day of Fall quarter is September 21, 2026.
Salary: Based on a part time annual salary of $70,083 (pending final budget approval) Appointment is eligible for renewal depending on need, funding and performance.
*** All appointments are contingent upon the appointee being able to provide, in accord with Federal law, evidence of authorization to work in the United States ***
*** This position is contingent on funding and enrollment ***
Note: All applicants who currently hold an appointment at another University of California campus are ineligible for the Visiting Assistant Professor title at the University of California, Riverside and will default to the Adjunct Assistant Professor title.
Qualifications:
Minimum requirements are a Ph.D. in Japanese and Comparative Literature or a related field; applicants who are ABD are also encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to candidates with experience and success in teaching Japanese and Comparative Literature at an American university.
UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.
Duties:
Duties consist in the instruction of 5 courses (from the undergraduate through the graduate level) as well as advising of graduate and undergraduate students in Japanese and Comparative Literature, and service to the Japanese program and the Department of Comparative Literature and Languages.
Courses of instruction:
Fall:
Japanese/Asian Studies/Comparative Literature 56, "Cultures of Japanese Empire"
Japanese/Asian Studies 154f, "History of Japanese Popular Culture"
Winter:
Japanese 35, "Modern Japanese Society"
Comparative Literature 221, "Film and Literature"
Spring:
Japanese 110, "Advanced Reading in Japanese"
Application Procedure:
Please provide cover letter, CV, teaching statement, sample syllabus or syllabi, teaching evaluations (narrative and numerical), and 3 letters of recommendation. Materials should be uploaded using UCR's on-line application system: Browse Open Recruitments or Log In - AP Recruit( Browse Open Recruitments or Log In - AP Recruit ) Letters of recommendation must be confidential. Please use the APRecruit system to have your recommenders upload them directly.
Applicants who use Interfolio should use the feature that allows letters to be uploaded directly into AP Recruit. Applicants can input an Interfolio-generated email address in place of their letter writer's email address. Interfolio refers to this as "Online Application Deliveries." The following link at Interfolio shows how to set up the feature:
Interfolio Product Help
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications and supporting material should be received by August 28, 2026.
Department Contact person - Prof. Anne McKnight: Anne.McKnight@ucr.edu )
Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
Minimum requirements are a Ph.D. in Japanese and Comparative Literature or a related field.
Preferred qualifications
Applicants who are ABD are also encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to candidates with experience and success in teaching Japanese and Comparative Literature at an American university.
UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.
Application Requirements
Document requirements

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Statement of Teaching
• Sample Syllabus or Syllabi
• Teaching Evaluations (narrative and numerical)

Reference requirements

• 3-5 letters of reference required

Letters of recommendation must be confidential. Please use the APRecruit system to have your recommenders upload them directly.
Apply link: https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF02319
Help contact: anne.mcknight@ucr.edu
About UC Riverside
The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities (AAU) and the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). A commitment to the UCR mission ( https://apro.ucr.edu/mission-statement ) is a preferred qualification.
We seek to hire scholars who will both advance our research directions and effectively educate our undergraduate and graduate students, while also engaging with University and Professional service activities. Research and teaching statements that are included with application materials are opportunities for candidates to share knowledge, experience, and goals that support the mission of UCR. For more information on UC's criteria for successful faculty, refer to the Academic Personnel Manual (APM) 210 - Criteria for Appointment, Promotion, and Appraisal ( https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-210.pdf ). For Non-Senate faculty positions, review criteria and duties are governed by the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under state or federal law. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, State, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.
"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer. A Misconduct Disclosure Survey will be completed through Truescreen, which is the vendor that administers this process for the campus.
For the University of California's Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy please visit:
https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH .
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students, and Third Parties, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination .
For the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy, please visit: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-035.pdf .
Job location
Riverside, CA