General Summary of Position:
This being an internal opportunity, only current UML Employees, irrespective of Bargaining units are eligible to apply for this position.
The Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is seeking to fill a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor of Italian Studies.
The department is interested in hiring an innovative and dynamic scholar who will bring to our Italian program a focus in the Italian Speaking World with a specialization in film and women studies. We are seeking candidates with an expertise in film, gender studies and motherhood in Italian literature and cinema who can teach language courses as well as more general undergraduate literature and culture courses related to the Italian Speaking World. The teaching load at UMass Lowell ranges from 3-3 to 2-1 depending on the Faculty member's research productivity and publication record. Teaching load includes elementary Italian courses (levels 1-4) and advanced Italian courses taken by our majors and minors at the undergraduate level as needed. Salary is commensurate with experience, and start-up funds are provided.
The Department of World Languages and Cultures (WLC) is housed within the University's College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (FAHSS). The College is the largest unit of the University, with 11 academic departments and over 200 full-time faculty members. FAHSS has experienced significant growth in recent years, including hiring over 70 new faculty members, achieving a 70% growth in funded research expenditures, and the addition of several new interdisciplinary graduate programs. The Department of WLC currently trains undergraduate majors as well as a significant number of students who either minor in a language and its culture or who choose Languages as a concentration through the Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts degree. Our students can choose between one of the four options within the major: French, French and Spanish, Italian and Spanish, and Spanish. Besides the B.A. in World Languages, the department of WLC serves the College of Fine Arts Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) by scheduling and delivering the language requirement courses for all majors with a language requirement. Our Department offers nine minors including Asian Studies, Arabic Studies, Film Studies, French, German Studies, Italian Studies, Latin American Studies, Portuguese Studies and Spanish. WLC works closely with the Office of Study Abroad and International Experiences to promote and support study abroad and internship opportunities not only among our Modern Language majors and minors but also for all students in our College and University.
The Department of WLC currently includes thirteen full-time and five part-time faculty members with expertise in the various languages offered (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). All full-time faculty members are actively engaged in teaching, research, and service according to their rank (visiting lecturers, teaching professors, tenure-track, tenured). During the past years, the tenure-track and tenured faculty have published several single-authored books as well as a variety of scholarly articles, review essays, book chapters, translations, and edited collections. The faculty also work with local schools, community organizations, professional and language organizations to advance the study of languages at UMass Lowell. Faculty members have won many grants and fellowships.
- Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a concentration in Italian Literature and a strong record of scholarship
- Qualified candidates should demonstrate a clear and active ongoing research agenda and have a strong record of publication
- The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to and participate in the life and development of the department, advise students, and serve on committees
- Experience in administrative duties is required
- The ideal candidate should demonstrate a commitment to strengthen the Italian program by creating new courses as needed and engage actively in service activities for the department, college, and university
- Native or near-native fluency in Italian and English is a requirement
- Start date for this appointment is September 1st, 2023
- All offers of employment are conditional based on successful completion of a background check. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Minimum Qualifications (Required):
- An earned Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a concentration in Italian Literature is required at the time of application. ABD candidates will not be considered
- A record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate to the level of academic appointment
- Demonstrate experience in administrative duties
- Demonstrated record of student recruitment and retention within the Italian program
- Experience in curriculum developing and demonstrate excellence in creating more diverse courses
- Experience with inclusive teaching strategies in the Italian Language classroom
- Experience in developing and using OERs within the Italian curriculum
- Experience in undergraduate advising and mentorship
- Demonstrate evidence of establishing a film festival
- Demonstrate excellence in integrating study abroad into the Italian curriculum
- Demonstrate excellence in coordinating an exchange program with Italy
- Demonstrate evidence of editing an undergraduate student online journal
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level
- Native or near-native fluency in Italian and English
- The ability to work effectively with diverse groups
Special Instructions to Applicants:
This being an internal opportunity, only current UML Employees, irrespective of Bargaining units are eligible to apply for this position.
Please include the following required documents with your application:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover Letter (approximately one to two pages, single-spaced)
- Names and contact information for three professional references will be requested at the time of application.
