Assistant Professor – German

Industry:

Company: Trinity College Dublin

Job Family Group:
Faculty
Time Type:
Full time
Department/Office:
Modern Languages & Literatures (Rita Urquijo-Ruiz)
Exemption Status:
United States of America (Exempt)
Job Description:

The Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Trinity University seeks to hire a full-time generalist assistant-professor tenure-track position in German starting in Fall 2025. The area of specialization is open, though we would especially welcome expertise in twentieth- and/or twenty-first century literature and culture with a focus on interdisciplinary fields such as race studies, gender studies, ecocriticism, film and literature, philosophy and literature, and science and literature. Responsibilities will include: teaching all levels (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) of our undergraduate German-language program and advanced courses in German-language literature and cultures; developing interdisciplinary courses taught in English for German Studies (in such areas as Women’s and Gender Studies, Jewish Studies, Race Studies, Comparative Literature, International Studies, the Environmental Humanities); and teaching University-wide First-Year Experience courses, and courses in Trinity University’s interdisciplinary general education program. The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to departmental and university service and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

BACKGROUND

Trinity University is a highly selective secular and private liberal arts institution with approximately 2400 undergraduate students from the U.S. and more than 45 foreign countries. Our campus is located in the heart of San Antonio, a vibrant and diverse city that affords students the opportunity to learn from and participate in a multicultural urban environment. On-campus centers and resources include the Humanities Collective, which supports and promotes students’ and faculty members’ humanistic research; the Collaborative for Learning and Teaching, which provides pedagogical programming and professional development opportunities for faculty members in all disciplines; and the Student Success Center, which offers academic advising and tutoring services to Trinity undergraduates. Discover more about Trinity University here. Additional information can be found on the Resource Guide to Trinity & San Antonio.

Trinity University’s commitment to recruitment and retention of talented scholars from diverse backgrounds includes opportunities and funding for professional development, a fully-funded semester-long junior research leave (after three years of teaching and successful reappointment), and regular, fully-funded, post-tenure research leaves. Support for teaching, grant-writing, use of new digital tools and community engagement in courses is also readily available to all faculty.

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures is the largest single department at Trinity University. It houses German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian sections as well as the Global Latinx major, and it also offers courses in Japanese and Italian. Our faculty come from all over the world, and their research includes women’s and gender studies, social justice, Marxist studies, film studies, ecocriticism and the environmental humanities, art history, philosophy, international studies, sport studies, Jewish studies, architecture, and media studies and graphic novels. Our faculty consistently publish widely and in renowned presses and journals in both North America and in countries around the world. We are a diverse department working with communities locally in San Antonio and Texas as well as globally.

Both the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the University as a whole value and safeguard academic freedom for faculty members in their teaching and scholarship. Trinity is guided by a set of core values and is committed to implementing practices in pursuit of an inclusivecampus for all students, faculty, and staff to feel welcomed and engaged in a community of
learning.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary teaching responsibility will be within the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in the German section, which will include teaching at all levels (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) of our undergraduate German-language program. Our faculty are also expected to contribute to teaching the First-Year Experience and other courses in Pathways, the University’s interdisciplinary general education program, and we encourage teaching additional courses in English for interdisciplinary programs or for other departments including German Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Jewish Studies, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Comparative Literature, International Studies, the Environmental Humanities, Philosophy. The successful applicant will be expected to undertake ongoing research that leads to publication, and to contribute to departmental and university service.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Required: Ph.D. or equivalent in German or Comparative Literature by the start of the appointment, August 2025

EXPERIENCE

Required:

• Teaching experience in undergraduate German (lower division)
• Ongoing research agenda in relevant field of German literatures and cultures

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Native- or near-native fluency in German and English

HOW TO APPLY

For internal applicants, please apply through Workday using the ‘Jobs Hub’ application, see instructions provided here.

For external applicants, when starting the application, select “Apply Manually.” Only complete fields with a red asterisk, which are required. Please create your Workday application account using a personal email address, as you will need to maintain access to this account throughout the pre-hire process, if selected.

For all applicants, you do not need to complete the “(Work) Experience,” “Education,” “Certifications,” or “Languages” fields – these details will be provided in your curriculum vitae.

In the “Application Documents” field, please upload the following, each as a separate pdf file [note: a maximum of five (5) files can be uploaded]:
• Letter of Application
• Curriculum vitae
• Dissertation or book abstract
• Writing sample (article- or chapter-length)
• Because Trinity University is committed to the value of intentional inclusion and building inclusive communities, we also request that you provide a brief statement (250-500 words) describing your past efforts as well as your future plans to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in your teaching, your research, and/or your other professional activities.

Application deadline: November 15, 2024.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Heather I. Sullivan, Search Chair, mllsearch@trinity.edu

Please ensure that all required documents are uploaded prior to submitting an application. If you have revisions needed to an application already submitted or need help submitting an application, please contact Human Resources at 210-999-7507 or email humanresources@trinity.edu.