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Position Type: Assistant Professor in American Literature, Early Period to 1900 Position Type: Regular Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $86,284 to $95,901, depending on the successful candidate's years of teaching experience at the college level. The position comes with generous benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, and University contributions toward retirement. Recognizing the high cost of housing in the local area, there are two University housing assistance programs: rental assistance to ease the transition into the local housing market, and housing purchase assistance for tenure-stream faculty.

Purpose: The department of English at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic university, seeks applicants for a full-time, tenure-track position in Early American literature, covering the colonial period through the 19th century, with additional desirable expertise in environmental humanities and/or literary and cultural theory. SCU is a welcoming and inclusive community of teaching scholars whose work is grounded in the University’s fundamental values. Those values, which include academic excellence, social justice and community engagement are infused with a culture of care that defines our community—upholding the dignity of all. The University draws on the many resources of the greater Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, where we are located. The Santa Clara University English Department includes a community of scholars, creative writers, teachers, and students who seek to understand and engage the world by activating connections among literature, cultural studies, creative writing, rhetoric, composition, technical and professional communication, and interdisciplinary inquiry. The department supports work in ethnic studies, media studies, gender and sexuality studies, and digital humanities, and it contributes to interdisciplinary programs in these fields. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2027 and be expected to teach, engage in scholarship, and do service for the department, college, University, and profession. SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-stream faculty are expected to teach six courses per year (two each quarter), assuming they are actively engaged in scholarship.

1. PhD in English literature or a related field by appointment start date.
2. Evidence of effective, high-impact, and inclusive teaching and mentoring of a diverse undergraduate student population.
3. Demonstrated commitment to scholarly excellence, such as a record of recent conference presentations or publications, and a clear trajectory of publication in top venues as understood in the candidate’s specialized field.
4. Experience with inclusive pedagogical practices that promote access and academic success for all students.
5. Familiarity with the following model of teaching and learning used in the Department: English Studies model.

Tenure-track faculty at SCU are teaching scholars who are expected to balance teaching, research, and service. This is an in-person position. Faculty duties are governed by SCU’s Faculty Handbook. More specifically, duties include but are not limited to the following.

Teach lower- and upper-division courses in the major and university core curriculum, as assigned by the chair, including courses such as foundation courses for the major, courses in the candidate’s areas of specialization, core writing courses (first-year and advanced writing), and new courses. On average, one-third of the annual teaching assignments will be first-year writing courses. High-quality teaching is prioritized at SCU; therefore, significant faculty-student interaction is expected.

The University offers many different opportunities to develop teaching skills through Faculty Development, including regular lunchtime workshops on pedagogy, teaching and technology grants, communities of practice, teaching mentors, and a scholarship of teaching and learning faculty group. Teaching will be evaluated according to the Teaching Effectiveness Standards and Evaluation (TESE) document developed by each department. Ignatian pedagogy, a hallmark of Jesuit, Catholic universities, is based on the principle of cura personalis, that is, teaching the whole person. At Santa Clara University we define effectiveness in teaching as respectful, challenging, inclusive, engaging, and evidence based. Teaching Expectations and Academic Policies at SCU can be found here.

Develop a program of research at SCU that will result in meeting the English Department’s established scholarship standards. Each department has collectively created a document that outlines the standards for scholarship that lead to tenure and promotion in that department, which will be shared with candidates invited to campus. The Department of English encourages faculty to involve undergraduate students in faculty research. SCU offers significant support to early career faculty in the development of their program of research. All new faculty will be assigned mentors, placed into a cohort learning community with other new faculty, and offered faculty retreats, workshops and numerous professional development opportunities to build their programs of research.

Provide effective service to the Department of English, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University and the profession through contributions other than teaching and scholarship, such as service on committees, participation in professional organizations and activities, leadership, and community service performed by virtue of professional expertise or association with the university, as appropriate to rank and experience.

Starting Date September 1, 2027

Inquiries may be sent by email to English Department Administrator Jessica Szyndrowski, jszyndrowski@scu.edu. Include English Department Search Committee for American Lit in the email subject line.

Telecommute Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to perform their work within one of these states.

Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy or related conditions, reproductive health decision-making, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. For a complete copy of Santa Clara University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website at https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/.

Clery Notice of Availability Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please visit the Campus Safety Services website. To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.

Americans with Disabilities Act Consistent with its obligations under the law, Santa Clara University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants who wish to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the Department of Human Resources ADA Team at hraccommodations@scu.edu or by phone at (408)554-5750. Please note: This contact information is intended for accommodation requests only. Resumes or inquiries about application status sent to this inbox will not be reviewed or forwarded. For resumes or questions regarding application status, please contact hrservicedesk@scu.edu.

Work Authorization: A foreign national who is appointed to a tenured or tenure-track faculty position is eligible for visa sponsorship assessment by Santa Clara University together with its legal counsel. Santa Clara University is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offering its 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s, Ph.D., and law degrees. Santa Clara University does not sponsor work visas for staff positions. If hired, as a condition of employment with the University, individuals must provide verification of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Santa Clara University offers a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees with programs and resources designed to promote and sustain personal health care, well-being, and the financial objectives of our employees and families. Visit our benefits page for more information.