Assistant Professor, Japanese (TE)

Job Type: Location Type: On-site

 

Assistant Professor, Japanese (TE)

Posting Number
req23632

Department
East Asian Studies

Department Website Link
https://eas.arizona.edu/

Location
Main Campus

Address
Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The Department of East Asian Studies in the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SILLC) at the University of Arizona invites applications for an in-person tenure-eligible position at the rank of Assistant Professor to serve as Japanese Language Program Director. This position will begin in August 2026.

We welcome applicants whose area of research specialization engages with theories of language, broadly conceived, especially the social and cultural dimensions of language acquisition and usage. While the area of expertise is open, preference will be given to candidates in Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics or Sociocultural Linguistics, Japanese Language Pedagogy, East Asian Studies, and related fields in an East Asian context.

We seek a candidate who will provide leadership and innovation in our Japanese language program while pursuing a research agenda that compliments our departmental strengths in Japanese literature, religious studies, and history. Demonstrated success in developing online Japanese courses is especially desirable. Native or near-native proficiency in English and Japanese is required, and a Ph.D. in hand is required at the time of appointment.

Application review begins November 15, 2025.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities and inspire on campus and throughout the world a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

Duties & Responsibilities

The successful candidate will direct the Japanese LanguageProgram, supervising instructors and teaching assistants across all levels ofthe language curriculum. Teaching responsibilities will include generaleducation courses for undergraduates, upper-level undergraduate and graduateseminars in the candidate’s area of expertise, and Japanese-language courses.

The candidate is expected to maintain an active research agendawith promise of scholarly achievement, contribute to and expand grant-relatedprojects in Japanese language education, and support recruitment ofundergraduate majors and graduate students in Japanese and East Asian Studies. The successful candidate will also have opportunities tocollaborate with the Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for EducationalResources in Culture, Language and Literacy, the Graduate InterdisciplinaryDoctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT), andnumerous initiatives connecting language and culture across the University ofArizona campus. The new hire willalso have the ability to work effectively with the department head, faculty,staff, and students.

• Faculty members on the tenure-track in the College of Humanities with a regular workload at the University of Arizona typically teach two courses each semester. Language program directors receive course reductions. The teaching assignments for this position may include Japanese language courses, a general education course, and upper-level courses related to Japanese or East Asian linguistics or language pedagogy, and/or a graduate course for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in East Asian Studies in the candidate’s area of specialization.

• Direct the JapaneseLanguage Program, including supervision of instructors and teaching assistants.
• Maintain an active researchagenda and record of publication commensurate with a Research I institution.
• Assistin recruiting East Asian Studies majors and graduate students, includingparticipating in Departmental and College-wide activities such as East AsianStudies Festival, Meet Your Major Fair, Study Abroad Fair, Language Fair,Convocation, Welcome Back receptions, Homecoming, study abroad programs,Commencement, and the Tucson Humanities Festival.
• Contribute to departmental, college, and university service priorities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Robust research skills.
• Demonstrated student-centered pedagogical knowledge.
• Superior communication and collaboration skills in both Japanese and English.
• Ability to teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses related to Japanese or East Asian languages and applied linguistics.
• Ability to develop and deliver online and hybrid Japanese language courses.
• Demonstrated interest and potential in recruiting undergraduate students in the Japanese language program, East Asian Studies majors, and graduate students.
• Demonstrated commitment to best practices in teaching and pedagogical leadership, including an ability to teach in multiple modalities (in person, hybrid, online).
• Demonstrated student-centered pedagogical knowledge; ability to serve the 21st-century educational needs of a student population with a broad range of experiences.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in hand at time of appointment focusing on the social and cultural dimensions of language (e.g. Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics or Sociocultural Linguistics, Japanese Language Pedagogy, East Asian Studies, or related fields in an East Asian context).
• Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese and English.
• Evidence or promise of scholarly achievement aligned with the expectations of a Research I university.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in innovative Japanese language curriculum development, course design, and program management.
• Experience with contributing to grant projects related to Japanese language education.

Rank
Assistant Professor

Tenure Information
Tenure-Eligible (TE)

FLSA
Exempt

Full Time/Part Time
Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week
40

Job FTE
1.0

Work Calendar
Academic

Job Category
Faculty

Benefits Eligible
Yes – Full Benefits

Rate of Pay
DOE

Compensation Type
salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required:
Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies
1

Target Hire Date

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates
Susan McGee
susanmcgee@arizona.edu

Open Date
10/2/2025

Open Until Filled
Yes

Documents Needed to Apply
Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Five Additional Documents

Special Instructions to Applicant
Please upload required documents for full consideration (please do not type directly into the application system).

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• Writing sample
• Digital teaching portfolio, which will include:
  • A teaching philosophy statement; a recruitment of undergraduate majors approach statement; and a research statement (combined into one attachment).
  • A lower-division language course syllabus reflecting innovative teaching and a graduate Methods course syllabus both developed by the candidate, lesson plans, formative and summative assessments and feedback; and evidence of professional development (conference attendance, webinar and workshop participation), and a reflective statement on the evidence presented (combined into one attachment).
  • Two recently completed (quantitative and qualitative data) teaching evaluations (combined into one attachment).
  • Optional but beneficial components may include: awards, recognitions, and certificates, community engagement, and recording of teaching (combined into one attachment).

Within a few business days after submitting your application you will receive an email asking you to provide contact information for 3 references, at least one who can speak to your teaching ability (do NOT click the “Submit” button until you have added all 3 references using the plus “+” sign button). Your references will then be requested to upload a letter of recommendation into the system. Once the 3 letters of recommendation have been uploaded, the application will be considered complete. Full consideration will be given to complete applications.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.
Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.