The Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Assistant Professor of Spanish in Mexican literatures and cultures to begin July 1, 2024. The period of specialization is open, but we welcome applications from 19th and 20th c. scholars. Candidates with expertise in border studies, hemispheric studies, and / or Indigenous / Afro-Latinx studies are encouraged to apply. In addition to a candidate grounded in the literatures and cultures of Greater Mexico, complementary expertise in Chicanx Studies is highly desirable. We are especially interested in candidates with a strong theoretical background who incorporate interdisciplinary and novel approaches. Knowledge of an indigenous language is considered a plus.
The successful candidate will be a scholar with an active research agenda and a high level of academic engagement in the field. Teaching excellence and native or near-native fluency in Spanish and English are required. The teaching load is two courses per semester (2-2), encompassing both graduate and undergraduate-level courses in Spanish and our Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies Program. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Spanish or Latin American Studies or a related field in hand by time of appointment.
Complete applications will include a cover letter, CV, writing sample, teaching statement, diversity statement (no more than one page), and contact information for three references. Letters of recommendation will be requested from the three references listed on the application for candidates who advance to the interview stage. For full consideration, applications must be received by November 3, 2023. Questions may be addressed to Prof. Talía Dajes, chair of the search committee (t.dajes@utah.edu).
A diverse scholarly community stimulates innovation and educational excellence. The College of Humanities and the Department of World Languages & Cultures work to maintain a respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone can flourish. We are actively working to increase our diversity and to promote belonging and community for all. We value constructive input and welcome feedback from our community.
Located in metropolitan Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, the University of Utah is the state’s flagship R1 research institution and a member of the Association of American Universities. The university emphasizes exceptional scholarship, quality teaching, and professional service. It serves over 34,000 students from across the U.S. and the world, with over 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, such as law and medicine. The university’s language programs benefit from and serve the state’s extensive K–12 Dual Language Immersion program, which includes Spanish.
Known for its proximity to seven world-class ski resorts within 40 minutes of campus, the University of Utah encourages an active, holistic lifestyle, innovation, and collaborative thinking to engage students, faculty, and business leaders. Salt Lake City is a vibrant, major metropolitan area with a diverse, multicultural population and numerous cultural and outdoor activities.
About University of Utah - World Languages & Cultures
Founded in 1868 as the department of Modern Languages, the Department of World Languages & Cultures (WLC) is housed in the College of Humanities (CoH). The WLC mission embraces the teaching, research, and public life dimensions of the College of Humanities and the mission of the University of Utah.
The department provides its students the opportunity to gain linguistic competency, cultural literacy, and the analytical framework to engage successfully and on a high level with the people and culture of a language community other than their own. To that purpose, we seek to combine the practical aspects of language acquisition with the development of interpretive skills at all levels of instruction. The emphasis on the practical goes back to the department’s inception. The entry under “Modern Languages” in the 1868-69 University of Deseret First Annual Catalogue reads: “In the department of Modern Languages, every effort will be made to render them practical. So far as possible, they will be made the communication medium between the Professor and [their] Classes.”
WLC faculty contribute to the university’s research mission in literary and cultural studies, linguistics, and second... language (L2) pedagogy. The department teaches twenty-two languages, works of literature, and cultures, from beginning language classes to advanced and graduate seminars in various subject areas. WLC awards undergraduate and graduate degrees, minors, and certificates. We provide the instruction that makes the university BA language requirement possible.
The department is affiliated with several programs and centers housed in CoH and beyond, contributing teaching and research expertise and serving a variety of student interests. In addition, we support the university’s public life mission through lectures and programming in the community, community-based research projects, our Community-Engaged Learning and Continuing Education courses, and close cooperation with Utah’s Dual Language Immersion and Bridge Programs.