Assistant Professor of Early Modern Literature

 

 

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of Early Modern Literature

School/Department Name: English and Comparative Literature

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $88,000 -  $ 90,000.    

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.  See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 18, 2025

Application Deadline: November 15, 2024 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley and educating students for the workforce in the midst of radical technological changes such as AI, the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for a scholar of another great period of technological change:  the Early Modern period that arose after the invention of the printing press. We seek an Assistant Professor in Early Modern or Renaissance Literature to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in English and World literature prior to 1800.  These will include surveys of literature in English before 1680, Shakespeare, and other courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels.  The ideal candidate will engage with Early Modern emergent technologies in their research and/or teaching.  A developing record of peer-reviewed scholarship, and a Ph.D. in English or related field of study is required by August, 2025.

The right candidate would join a vibrant department that offers BA concentrations in English, Teacher Prep, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing alongside an MA and MFA program. Ongoing initiatives within the college and beyond include a new Digital Humanities Center, an Institute for Ethical Technologies, colleagues investigating AI from a Humanities perspective, and a systemwide DH@CSU which supports our efforts to provide ethical and equitable futures for the diverse populations we serve. 

The Department of English and Comparative Literature and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in English or closely related field of study is required by August 2025
• Ability to teach a range of courses including Shakespeare and specialized and survey courses in literature written before 1800.
• A developing publication record and a research agenda that will secure tenure.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Potential to contribute to our ongoing campus discussion of Humanities and technology, especially the ethical an