Job Description:

Position Summary

The Department of History at Occidental College invites applications for a tenure‐track Assistant Professor in history. The position begins in Fall 2025. The first year of this appointment is as a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow with a significantly reduced teaching load and the following year the position converts to assistant professor, tenure-track.

The History Department at Occidental College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in the Mediterranean World, 600 to 1500 C.E. Successful candidates situate early modern Mediterranean history in a transnational context, and depending on the specific candidate might contribute to a range of fields such as North African, Trans-Saharan, and/or European studies, as well as Medieval and/or Renaissance studies. The candidate's work must engage issues of race, ethnicity, religion and/or social justice, and whose background, expertise, and experiences will contribute to diversifying Occidental's faculty. Preference will be given to candidates whose research addresses cross-cultural contact, economic exchange and political economy, empire and urbanism, or religious cooperation and conflict." Candidates with interest in or experience with digital humanities and/or public history are also encouraged to apply.

Candidates are expected to teach introductory courses as well as upper-level courses in their areas of specialization. Candidates will also periodically teach in Occidental's First-Year Seminar Program. In addition to providing necessary temporal and geographical coverage, this hire comes at a critical time for the department as we seek to restructure our curriculum in line with the Occidental Promise's focus on high-impact, immersive courses with a community-based learning component.

Occidental faculty are committed teacher-scholars who bring research and creative discovery to life for students in classrooms, labs, studios, and mentored projects. The Department is also committed to undergraduate research, regularly mentoring History Department's senior thesis projects, and Occidental's hallmark summer research program. The department seeks an innovative instructor, scholar, mentor, and colleague who shares these commitments to a community-grounded and research-intensive curriculum.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D.in History required, with specialization in the Mediterranean World, 600-1500 CE Must have some focus (research or teaching) on race, religion, and/or ethnicity, and must have background, expertise, and experiences that will contribute to diversifying Occidental's faculty. Must be able to teach introductory courses in the Mediterranean World, as well as upper-level courses in their area of specialization in the department. Must be able to teach First-Year Seminar courses Must be able to mentor undergraduate research, including History Department senior theses and summer research program Demonstrated commitment to and excellence in undergraduate teaching Demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from minoritized and marginalized social groups A strong record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate to the level of appointment Demonstrated commitment to the four cornerstones of the mission of the College: excellence, equity, community, and service
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• We welcome applicants whose research area(s) addresses issues such as cross-cultural contact, economic exchange and political economy, empire and urbanism and/or, religious cooperation and conflict We welcome applicants with interest in or experience with digital humanities and/or public history We welcome applicants whose teaching incorporates community-based learning.

Salary Range

EXPECTED SALARY: $82,500

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer.

Application Submission Materials

Submit a complete application package electronically to be considered by the search committee. An application includes the following:

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  Cover Letter (2 -3 pages) should describe the candidate's education, current scholarship, teaching experience. The cover letter will also address the candidate's commitment to the field of Mediterranean Studies, and their commitment to teaching in a diverse liberal arts environment. Curriculum Vitae Research Statement (2-3 pages) should describe the trajectory of the candidate's research and writing agenda for several years. The statement should identify the primary questions guiding the candidate's research; comment on research methodology; and discuss the research's implications for Mediterranean Studies and other adjacent fields. Writing Sample should showcase the candidate's current or recently completed research project. The writing sample should fit within the long-term research trajectory described in the research statement. The writing sample may consist of an excerpt from the candidate's dissertation; an academic article manuscript; a book manuscript; or a recent publication, whether it be an academic article, edited collection, or an excerpt from a published monograph. (20 pages) Teaching Philosophy Statement (1 page) should discuss the candidate's teaching experience, preferred pedagogical practices, and demonstrated commitment to, past evidence of, and future plans for creating equitable opportunities for learning and mentoring, especially for underrepresented students. Commitment to Inclusive Excellence Statement (1 page) This statement provides the candidate's unique perspective on their past and present
  
  contributions to and future aspirations for promoting justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity in their professional career. This should include their demonstrated commitment to, past evidence of, and future plans for creating equitable opportunities for learning and mentoring, especially for students from marginalized and minoritized groups. The candidate may also speak to how their research and/or service promotes justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. The purpose of this statement is to help the department identify candidates who have professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or willingness to engage in activities that could help the College contribute to its mission in these areas.

Three letters of recommendation

Please direct all questions about the position to: Professor Marla Stone at mstone@oxy.edu

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, application materials must be received by October 30, 2024.

You will upload your application materials to Interfolio, http://apply.interfolio.com/152534

Upon receipt of a complete application package, you will receive a preliminary questionnaire. Please complete this questionnaire by November 2, 2024 to move forward in the search process.

Additional Information

This search is part of Occidental's new multi-year Mellon Faculty Diversity Initiative (MFDI). The initiative aligns with the College's Equity and Justice agenda by enabling us to hire a cluster of Arts and Humanities faculty whose work focuses on race and ethnicity, and whose background, expertise, and experiences will contribute to diversifying Occidental's faculty. The successful candidate will join the fourth MFDI cohorts to add a total of nine positions in the Arts and Humanities. As part of the MFDI program, the members of the cohorts will be provided enhanced mentoring, professional development, research funds, and a greatly reduced teaching load in the postdoctoral year, prior to transitioning to a tenure-track appointment in the second year.

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising, and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College's strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Moving expense reimbursement (up to $5000, taxable according to current IRS regulations), start-up funds, and a one-course reduction of teaching load in the first year are provided. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-information.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).

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