Assistant Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies (tenure track) LGBTQ+ Studies

Position Type:Assistant Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies (tenure track) LGBTQ+ Studies

Position Type:Regular

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $83,771 to $95,410, depending on the successful candidate's disciplinary focus (humanities or social sciences), and years of teaching experience at the college-level. The position comes with generous benefits (scu.edu/hr/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. For details, go to

https://www.scu.edu/provost/policies-and-procedures/support-for-faculty/housing-assistance/ ​

Purpose:

Job Description:

The Gender and Sexuality Studies Department (previously Women’s and Gender Studies) at Santa Clara University (SCU), a Jesuit, Catholic university located in Silicon Valley invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in LGBTQ+ Studies with a focus on social justice.

We seek a feminist teacher-scholar who conducts socially-engaged research in gender and sexuality studies. Specifically, we seek candidates who approach their scholarship and research through an intersectional lens, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches to the study of gender and sexuality as it relates to other categories of difference. Areas of expertise could include, but are not limited to, feminist/queer/trans science and technology studies, gender, sexuality and health, reproductive justice, carceral studies, critical disability studies, digital media studies, sports studies, or feminist/queer/trans studies of race. We encourage applications from candidates whose work is interdisciplinary in nature and we are especially interested in scholars who would help Gender and Sexuality Studies build its foundational curriculum in LGBTQ+/Queer studies with the aim of developing an interdisciplinary LGBTQ+/Queer Studies Minor that would be housed within the Department.

The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to both teaching and research, be able to establish an active research program involving undergraduate students, and engage in service to the Department, College, and University.

The new faculty member will teach lower-division courses such as Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies, and Introduction to Transgender Studies as well as upper-division specialized courses such as Feminist Theory; Feminist Methods; Gender and Technology; Sex, Science and the Body; Body Politics, and Building Social Justice, as well as develop courses in their area of specialization. We prefer candidates whose specialty courses can qualify for the University's core curriculum, particularly in areas such as experiential learning for social justice; science, technology, and society; civic engagement; culture and ideas; diversity; or other core areas consistent with the candidate’s expertise. We are especially interested in candidates who could support students interested in community-based research and experiential learning opportunities in ongoing LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts both within and beyond SCU.

With its roots in social justice movements of the last three decades, the methods and goals of Gender and Sexuality Studies support the University’s mission of education informed by both ethical and intellectual values. Areas of inquiry include the participation of women in social and cultural production; the construction of gender and its role as a constitutive element of social, political, economic, and legal structures; feminist theory; and the development of ideas about femininities, masculinities, and sexualities. In addition to educating undergraduates in traditional classroom environments, the program provides opportunities for civic engagement through internships, support for faculty scholarship on gender issues across the disciplines, and diverse co-curricular programming for the university.

This position is part of an LGBTQ+/Queer Studies Cluster Hire in the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. The College of Arts and Sciences is building a cohort of critical LGBTQ+/queer teaching and scholarship as part of an intersectional body of research, teaching and mentoring at SCU to contribute to the broader social and political good in light of increasing anti-LGBTQ+ policies and efforts across the US and in varied global contexts. Departments participating in the LGBTQ+/Queer Studies Cluster Hire are Public Health, English, and Theatre and Dance.

Located in the heart of northern California’s Silicon Valley, SCU is a private, Catholic Jesuit liberal arts university committed to promoting social justice in a comprehensive educational setting. It is an AA/EOE employer. Faculty are teacher-scholars who balance a commitment to quality teaching with active programs of research. We assess candidates based on scholarly and teaching potential; contribution to University, College, and Department priorities; potential to meet the criteria for promotion and tenure; and evaluation of diversity, equity and inclusion competencies.

The Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies faculty work closely with affiliated faculty across the University in other departments including Anthropology, Communication, English, Ethnic Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health, Psychology, and Sociology. The Department values community-engaged and collaborative research, is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and strongly encourages applications from members of historically excluded groups, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Over the last decade, Santa Clara University has recruited an increasingly diverse faculty, enrolled more diverse and low-income students, and it recently committed to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. For more information about our programs and faculty see https://www.scu.edu/cas/wgst/ .

Basic Qualifications:

Applicants must have a PhD (completion required by the time of appointment) in Women’s Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Queer Studies, or a closely related discipline in the social sciences, humanities, or related inter- or transdisciplinary fields; prior teaching experience; and a record of active research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of experience teaching and mentoring a diverse population of undergraduates.
   
• Evidence of inclusive pedagogical practices that would advance SCU’s goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
   
• Post-doctoral research and/or undergraduate teaching experience are highly valued, as is community-engaged research and/or applied research.
   
• A record of publication.
   
• Interest in inter or cross-disciplinary engagement with departments such as Psychology, Public Health, Ethnic Studies, Environmental Studies, or others.
   
• Experience in social justice and/or community-based advocacy with a commitment to challenging structural inequities.
   

Responsibilities:

Tenure track faculty at SCU are teaching scholars who are expected to balance teaching, research and service. This is an in-person position. Faculty responsibilities are specified by the Santa Clara University Faculty Handbook (sec. 3.6).



TEACHING:

(1) SCU is on the quarter system and faculty members with an active research program are expected to teach 6 courses per year (2 each quarter). Areas of desired teaching include lower-division foundational courses in the major and upper-division courses serving the major and minor including Feminist Theory, Feminist Methods, Gender, Technology, and Society, Science, Sex and the Body, Visions of Abolition, and Building Social Justice. Strong candidates will be ready to develop lower-division foundational courses for the LGBTQ+ minor (particularly a Cultures and Ideas sequence), as well as upper-division courses in the candidate's area of specialization.

More specifically, teaching responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Conducting and appearing at all assigned class meetings in a timely and prepared manner that demonstrates a command of the discipline and skill in presenting it effectively.
b. Assigning and evaluating assignments that align with the course description and course learning objectives, and providing meaningful and timely feedback to students.
c. Holding regular weekly office hours on campus at times reasonably convenient to students.

d. Assigning and submitting student grades that are appropriate, accurate, and fair measures of student performance to the Office of the Registrar by the designated deadline.
e. Administering numerical and narrative evaluations for all courses.

(2) Develop and teach courses that contribute to curriculum expansion in the relevant degree program and/or the University core curriculum. Faculty teaching university core courses should follow an approved syllabus or work with the chair to design an appropriate syllabus for submission for approval from the relevant Faculty Core Curriculum Committee.

(3) Participate in assessment of student learning for courses in the department.

(4) Advising and mentoring of undergraduate students, including Gender and Sexuality Studies majors and minors.

(5) Fulfill other instructional or academic duties as may be assigned by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or by the Chair of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department.

RESEARCH:

(1) Develop a sustained research program at SCU that will result in the publication of peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs, and/or other scholarly products, in line with the department's scholarship standards.

(2) Develop a research program that can accommodate participation of undergraduates.



SERVICE:

(1) Provide effective service to the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University and profession through contributions such as service on committees, participation in professional organizations and activities, community service related to the scholar's professional expertise or association with the university, and leadership, as appropriate to rank and experience.

To Apply:

Applications must be submitted using the university’s online Workday application.

Please submit the following in PDF form in the Workday application portal:

(1) a letter of interest that articulates your teaching experience and philosophy, your research interests and five-year plan for your research (including how it might foster collaboration with faculty across disciplines)

(2) a statement articulating your knowledge of, track record in, and plans for working with diverse students and enhancing equity, inclusion, and belonging on campus

(3) curriculum vitae

(4) evidence of teaching excellence (teaching evaluations, peer teaching evaluations, etc.)

(6) sample syllabi from courses you have taught or assisted

(7) a representative example of your published or in-progress scholarship

(8) contact information for three references

Longlisted applicants will be asked for three letters of recommendation and complete graduate transcripts to be provided at a later date.

Applications are being accepted now and priority review by the Recruiting Committee will begin October 11, 2024. The position will remain open until filled.

Questions about this position may be directed to the Recruiting Committee Chair, Dr. Sharmila Lodhia at wgst@scu.edu

COVID-19 Statement

The health and safety of the University community is a top priority. The University strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as the vaccination and boosters are safe, effective tools that significantly minimize the chances of serious illness and hospitalization. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions.

Telecommute

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

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.

EEO Statement

​Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and California State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applications from members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged. For a complete copy of Santa Clara University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, see https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/policies-reports/

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Santa Clara University does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/gender, and prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internally or externally. Information about Title IX can be found at www.scu.edu/title-ix . Information about Section 504 and the ADA Coordinator can be found at https://www.scu.edu/oae/ , (408) 554-4109, oae@scu.edu . Inquiries can also be made to the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

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 go to 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

Santa Clara University affirms its' commitment to employ qualified individuals with disabilities within the workplace and to comply with the Americans with Disability Act. All applicants desiring an accommodation should contact the Department of Human Resources , and 408-554-5750 and request to speak to Indu Ahluwalia by phone at 408-554-5750 or by email at iahluwalia@scu.edu.