Assistant Professor in French

The Department of French, Francophone & Italian Studies at the University of Kansas seeks a colleague for a tenure-track appointment as the Hall Family Foundation Assistant Professor in French beginning August 18, 2025. The area of specialization is open. We are especially interested in literary scholarship that complements without duplicating the areas of specialization represented by current faculty. The position benefits from a dedicated annual research budget.

The Hall Assistant Professor will teach four courses per year (undergraduate and graduate courses); guide research of undergraduate and graduate students and supervise dissertations; advise undergraduate and graduate students; maintain and sustain an active and productive program of research in the area of specialization disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and public presentations; and provide service to the department, College, University, and the profession. This position is a full-time, academic-year appointment. We are especially interested in candidates whose research is interdisciplinary in nature and who could collaborate fruitfully with colleagues in other programs, including but not limited to the Department of African and African American Studies, the Kansas African Studies Center, the Institute for Research in Digital Humanities, the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in French or Francophone Studies; native or near-native fluency in French; record of excellence in teaching college-level courses; evidence or promise of a successful research program; ability to work well with students, faculty, and administrators; willingness to direct or co-direct the Paris Summer Language Institute program.

The University of Kansas is located in the beautiful, historic, and culturally vibrant city of Lawrence, a thriving community 40 minutes from the Kansas City metropolitan area and 30 minutes from the state capital, Topeka. Lawrence, a progressive college town of 100,000, boasts a lively downtown with many music venues, award-winning restaurants, and a nationally celebrated independent bookstore among its many independently owned small businesses. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest school within the campus and plays a central role within the University. Founded in 1865, KU is a designated Carnegie comprehensive doctoral and research university and is one of only 34 public members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). The University enrolls more than 28,000 students and offers students and faculty opportunities to collaborate in its graduate and professional programs, which include education, public health, medicine, law, and a number of allied social science and humanities disciplines.

KU's excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other's success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.

About the College
The College emphasizes interdisciplinary, experiential learning and global awareness, houses a vibrant university wide Honors Program that highlights undergraduate research and service activities, and has created strong affiliations with outstanding cross-disciplinary research centers. Faculty and academic staff have emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding on relationships with centers and entities including the Hall Center for the Humanities, the Institute for Policy and Social Research, the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities, the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction, the Spencer Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum. These relationships have brought a broad range of disciplines together to pursue and conduct sponsored research and education at the international, national, state, regional and local levels, and have created employment structures in which faculty and academic staff share appointments to emphasize collaboration. College faculty and research staff are welcomed as members in all KU's designated research centers and institutes. The College is home to internationally recognized scholars and scientists who brought in $44M in research funding in FY 2021, nearly 30% of the total funded research at KU Lawrence.

Job Duties:
Tenure track positions at the University of Kansas are 40/40/20 (Teaching/Research/Service)

40% Teaching

1. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in French and Francophone studies. Load is 4 courses per academic year, a 2:2 load.
2. Teach outreach courses taught in English.
3. Hold regular office hours for students.
4. Participate in the academic advising of undergraduate and graduate students.
5. Mentor undergraduate and graduate students in research.

40% Research

1. Maintain an active and productive research program.
2. Publish monograph and articles or comparable number of articles for tenure.
3. Publish in peer reviewed journals and edited volumes.
4. Give presentations at professional conferences.

20% Service

1. Serve on committees at the departmental, College, and University levels as opportunities arise.
2. Participate in professional service.
3. Participate in departmental meetings.
4. Serve periodically as director or co-director of the Paris Summer Language Institute.

Faculty Code
Faculty members are expected to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, currently viewable at: http://policy.ku.edu/FacultyCodeKULawrence/faculty-code-of-rights

A complete online application includes the following materials: (1) cover letter; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) research agenda; (4) teaching portfolio (this should include two complete sets of student evaluations, a sample syllabus, and a teaching statement/philosophy); and (5) the names, email and contact information for three professional references.

Review of applications will begin October 30th, 2024 and will continue as needed to ensure a large, high quality, and qualified applicant pool.

For questions, please contact the search committee chair: Paul Scott, Professor of French, 2103 Wescoe Hall, 1445 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045. pascott@ku.edu

Wednesday October 30, 2024

Monday August 18, 2025