Assistant Professor of French & Francophone Studies and Global Studies
$54,000 – $57,000 per year + benefits package
Review of application materials will begin immediately and continue until May 15, 2023.
Full-time, tenure-track position available September 1, 2023.
The Department of Languages and Literature and the Global Studies Program at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) seek a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of French & Francophone Studies and Global Studies to begin September 1, 2023. The position includes teaching commitments in French & Francophone Studies, Global Studies, and opportunities to contribute to other interdisciplinary or pan-university programs, including the First Year Experience and International Honors programs. The teaching load is 6 four-credit courses distributed across a four-week January term and Fall and Spring semesters. Summer teaching is optional and receives extra pay; the standard salary is for 9 months, with pay distributed over 12 months.
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong skills in French language instruction; expertise in postcolonial Francophone African and/or Francophone Afro-Caribbean literature and film; and willingness to teach an introductory course for Global Studies. While teaching is the primary responsibility for faculty at PLU, faculty also advance scholarly research and engage in departmental and university service. Further information about French & Francophone Studies and Global Studies may be found at https://www.plu.edu/academic-programs/program/french-francophone-studies/ and https://www.plu.edu/global-studies/.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Teach French language courses at the elementary and intermediate levels.
Design and teach courses on postcolonial Francophone African/Afro-Caribbean literature, film, and culture in French and English translation.
Teach introductory course in Global Studies.
Develop and advance a program of scholarship.
Advise majors in French & Francophone Studies and Global Studies.
Participate in departmental and university service, including faculty governance.
We seek faculty who view themselves foremost as educators; who are committed to inclusive teaching strategies that center student learning; and who are creative, flexible, and embrace self-reflection and growth. PLU students come from diverse backgrounds and value systems and include many first-generation college students, non-traditional students, students of color, and LGBTQ students. We especially encourage applications from individuals who value diversity in community and who strive to foster inclusion and promote equity in their teaching, research, and service.
Required Qualifications:
Ph.D. in French & Francophone Studies or similar program. ABD will be considered, but Ph.D. must be in hand by the start date.
Evidence of strong skills in French language instruction.
Expertise in postcolonial Francophone African/Afro-Caribbean literature, film, and/or culture.
Broad interest in global education.
Commitment to student-centered, inclusive pedagogy.
Ability to work effectively with diverse student body.
Applicants should submit:
Letter of interest in which you address your teaching experience, your scholarly interests and relevant professional service if applicable.
Statement of teaching philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods you use to help students achieve them, and how you assess student learning. This statement should also explicitly address how you create an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity. If you have limited teaching experience, you are welcome to describe the methods and assessments you plan to use in the classroom and your own goals for developing as an inclusive instructor.
Curriculum Vitae.
Three confidential letters of reference will be requested by PLU for semi-finalist candidates.
For questions or more information, please contact Ami V. Shah at shahav@plu.edu and/or Rebecca Wilkin at wilkinrm@plu.edu
Other Information:
Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.
Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a diverse faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2022–23 academic year, 35.3% percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 46.7% percent self-identify as students of color; and 32.2% percent are Pell Grant–eligible.
Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,900 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.
PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty-shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and minoritized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu. For detailed benefits information: https://www.plu.edu/human-resources/wp-content/uploads/sites/141/2022/10/benefits-summary-faculty-2023.pdf.
