Job Opportunities

Assistant Professor – Social Scientist of the Caribbean and its Diaspora (Africana Studies)

Job ID: 22825
Location: Brooklyn College
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

FACULTY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Brooklyn College, a senior College of the City University of New York (CUNY), invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Africana Studies within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with a starting date in August 2022.

We are seeking a Social Scientist who specializes in Caribbean Studies and Politics with a preference for a scholar who uses quantitative research methods to teach courses about the Caribbean and its Diaspora at the introductory and advanced/upper levels, as well as related General Education department and college-wide courses. Working within Africana Studies, and in conjunction with the Caribbean Studies Program, teaching responsibilities of this position include Caribbean political systems and a range of courses that speak to the Caribbean diaspora and political institutions. Other courses could include the following: identity and society, immigration, climate change/environmental justice and urban society. These courses will be cross listed with the appropriate department/s.

The Africana Studies Department is committed to in depth treatments of Africa and its diasporas in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. As one of the oldest Africana departments in the country, it is also one of the first to move from the African American Studies model to a more global diasporic curriculum that is now the standard among such departments. We are currently the only department in the Social Sciences that offers a substantial number of courses in Caribbean societies and politics.

We are seeking a candidate who is committed to enhancing a global perspective and invested in maximizing the academic utility of our location, establishing greater rootedness in “place,” and builds upon the experiences of our students. The borough of Brooklyn hosts the largest Caribbean population outside of the Caribbean basin, and a large portion of Brooklyn College’s students are of Caribbean origin or descent. We would hope that the instructor would take into account the academic utility of the rich social, political, and cultural context of our location in Brooklyn, while building on the interests of our students, the largest number of whom (both double majors and students taking our courses as electives) have majors in the Social Sciences, Education, and Business respectively.

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), sitting at the heart of a great urban college, educates students to be leaders of character, wisdom, and influence in an interdependent, global society through high quality humanities and social science programs. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is the intellectual hub of Brooklyn College. HSS empowers interdisciplinary team-based problem solving, rooted in rigorous disciplinary training. We foster collaborative engagement among faculty, students, and communities, in the co-creation of knowledge. Our students build skills in critical thinking, creative expression, data analysis, and the capacity to articulate evidence-based decisions. HSS prepares students to be adaptive and resilient in a rapidly changing global economy, and to be effective publicly engaged citizens in a rapidly changing society.

Brooklyn College serves students from over 150 countries who speak over 100 languages and dialects and thus constitutes a vibrant microcosm of the rich diversity and energy that characterizes the borough of Brooklyn and the greater New York City area itself. Its mission features “a special commitment to educate immigrant and first-generation college students from the diverse communities that make up our city and state.” The college ethos is invested in the educational and eventual career success of all of its students. We are committed to fostering a spirit of camaraderie and shared ideals across the entire spectrum of our varied constituency. By accessing a first-class and affordable college education in an inclusive and nurturing intellectual milieu, our students acquire the skills, confidence, and global mindedness that allow them to thrive in a rapidly changing, unpredictable marketplace of ideas that is increasingly mindless of borders and spans the gamut of cultures and vernaculars.

Our search is one in a college-wide cluster hire of faculty with a research focus on race, ethnicity and racial justice. Brooklyn College seeks faculty who are eager to engage with the diversity of our student body and have a demonstrated commitment to inclusion and heterogeneity through teaching, research and/or service. We seek to recruit and retain faculty from historically underrepresented groups who reflect the mosaic of our student population. Successful candidates will bring their unique creativity, sensitivity, insights and perspectives to a community that welcomes innovation in scholarship and teaching. Together we will model the finest that a public urban liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies college can be for the present and future.

Responsibilities include:

  • Teach existing undergraduate courses cross-listed courses in Caribbean Studies, Political Science and general education courses.
  • Offer advanced upper level courses with a quantitative focus.
  • Develop and revitalize the Caribbean Studies Program to reflect new directions in the field.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Ph.D. in a Social Sciences discipline with at least a specialization in Politics including but not limited to Africana Studies/African American Studies, American Studies, Caribbean Studies and Political Science by June 1, 2022
  • Demonstrated potential for effective teaching at the undergraduate level
  • Demonstrated potential for scholarly research and peer-reviewed publications

COMPENSATION

Salary commensurate with experience and credentials. All appointments are subject to financial availability.

CUNY offers faculty a competitive compensation and benefits package covering health insurance, pension and retirement benefits, paid parental leave, and savings programs. We also provide mentoring and support for research, scholarship, and publication as part of our commitment to ongoing faculty professional development.

HOW TO APPLY

STEP ONE – Click “Apply Now”

From our job posting system, select “Apply Now”, create or log in to a user account, and provide the requested information. If you are viewing this posting from outside our system, please visit https://cuny.jobs/brooklyn-college/new-jobs/

Applicants should upload the following in .doc or .pdf, or .rtf format:

  • An application letter indicating the desired position, and should detail how their teaching, service and/or scholarship has supported the success of students from racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds that are underrepresented in their academic fields; applicants who have not yet had the opportunity for such experience should note how their work will further CUNY’s commitment to diversity.
  • Current and detailed curriculum vitae
  • A one-page document describing the candidate’s three-year research agenda
  • Copies of publications and/or working papers

STEP TWO – Go to https://websql.brooklyn.cuny.edu/hrref/

All applicants are required to have three confidential letters of recommendation submitted electronically by their recommenders by visiting the link above and entering the contact information for three (3) recommenders.

The online system will automatically email your recommenders a request to submit a letter via the system. Full instructions will be provided.

Emailed or hard copy applications will not be considered.

CLOSING DATE

Review of applications to begin immediately and will continue until December 12, 2021.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.