Assistant Professor of German

Stetson University invites applications for a 9-month, full-time, tenure–track position in German (Department of World Languages and Cultures), beginning August 2022. We are looking for a candidate to bring a broad transnational, global, and diverse perspective to shape the future of Stetson’s World Languages and Cultures Department. We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute innovative coursework and (inter)disciplinary scholarship while expanding the teaching of German at the university.
QUALIFICATIONS:
This position requires a PhD in German Language and Culture or a related field. The successful candidate must demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and be willing to teach German courses in language, literature, cinema, and culture at all levels. Applicants with an expertise in either Film Studies, Race/migration Studies, and/or Jewish Studies are strongly preferred. The successful candidate will have an active, demonstrated research agenda and show the promise of a productive scholar. We are especially interested in and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have experience working with students from linguistically, culturally, racially, and socially diverse backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for students from underrepresented groups. The Department of World Languages and Cultures is also greatly interested in additional expertise in Translation Studies and Gender Studies.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The teaching load is three undergraduate courses per semester. Qualified candidates are expected to teach German language and culture from the introductory to advanced levels. Additional teaching-related responsibilities include co-curricular activities of the World Languages and Cultures Department (http://www.stetson.edu/artsci/languages/), as well as contributions to the College’s General Education mission. As teacher-scholars, candidates will be expected to be excellent teachers and maintain an active research agenda. Service to the Department of World Languages and Cultures, including advising; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the University is required. For more information on Stetson’s teacher-scholar model; expectations in teaching, scholarship, and service; our tenure policies; and our support for faculty development, please see the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs website: http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/index.php.
THE DEPARTMENT:
The Department of World Languages and Cultures (http://www.stetson.edu/artsci/languages/) currently consists of ten full-time
faculty members with expertise in Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, and
Russian. (Arabic and Chinese are also offered through external or contingent
faculty.) The Department offers majors with tracks in German Studies, Hispanic
Studies, French and Francophone Studies, and a new track in Translation; we also
offer minors in French, German, Spanish, and Russian. Stetson also offers a major in
Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies and a minor in Latin American and
Latino Studies. Our faculty members are highly engaged teacher-scholars providing
students unique experiences in their language education.
THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:
Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.stetson.edu/portal/artsci/) is
the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools. With nineteen
academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal
arts core of the University; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural
sciences, education, and creative arts. A great strength of the College is its faculty of
approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars. The College offers 31 undergraduate
majors and 34 undergraduate minors; six graduate degrees are offered in Education,
Counselor Education, and Creative Writing. Every undergraduate major requires a
senior research project, giving students the opportunity to design and carry out
independent research under faculty mentorship. Our academic programs are
shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility.
All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby
students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional,
and global community. The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences
prepare students to live significant lives, to interact with and positively affect the
world around them.
THE UNIVERSITY:
Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private,
selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional
academic programs. Collectively, Stetson’s faculty works with nearly 4,000 students
in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s historic
main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls more than 3,000 students in
undergraduate programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business
Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s
first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1954, and, with the
addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working
full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs offered
include Business, Accounting, Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Creative
Writing. Florida’s oldest private institution of higher learning, Stetson has regularly
been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first
private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with
rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes
civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and
with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think
critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively.
Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacherscholars
nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance
and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally,
and globally. Stetson University affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core
value of academic excellence. We are committed to achieving equal access in
education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of
outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to
meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research and
service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which
individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work
together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling
careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a
globalized world.
THE COMMUNITY:
DeLand is a town of 32,000 inhabitants located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and
35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as
recreational activities and is served by three Airports: Orlando International
Airport, Sanford International Airport, Daytona Beach International Airport.
SALARY: Salary is competitive.
STARTING DATE: August 10, 2022
APPLICATION:
Applicants should send the following materials electronically both to Dr. Yves-
Antoine Clemmen at yclemmen@stetson.edu and Cathy Burke, administrative
assistant at cburke@stetson.edu : 1) cover letter detailing how the applicant’s
professional accomplishments and experiences meet the requirements of the
position; 2) curriculum vitae; 3) writing sample of no more than thirty pages; 4)
evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., teaching statement, student evaluations of
teaching, peer observation letters); 5) two sample syllabi, one for an introductory or
intermediate and one for an advanced German class; 6) a minimum of three
reference letters (sent under separate cover). In the cover letter, candidates are
encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to
social justice, diversity, and inclusion. Evaluation of applications will begin on
December 1, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Zoom interviews will be
held in early January with subsequent campus visits.
Stetson University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirms cultural diversity
and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence at Stetson University. We are
committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation
through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from
diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in
curriculum, research and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a
community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and
viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding
and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse
society and a globalized world. We strongly encourage members of historically underrepresented
and economically-disadvantaged groups and women to apply for
employment. Stetson University is an EEO, ADA, ADEA, and GINA employer.