English and Journalism - Assistant Professor - World Literature

Position Announcement

October 09, 2009

APPOINTMENT: August 2010.

QUALIFICATIONS: PhD in English, Comparative Literature or related field. Expertise in World literature in the genre of drama, poetry or film. Evidence of successful college teaching, of commitment to teaching excellence, and of scholarly accomplishment or strong potential. Courses in general education are part of standard teaching load. Successful candidate will join a well-established English program in the department of English and Journalism.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: African, Caribbean, Arabic, and/or Latin American emphasis preferred.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Teaching World literature, Non-Western literature and relevant genre courses. Undergraduate and graduate teaching in Macomb and the Quad Cities; ongoing research and professional activities resulting in publication; departmental and university service.

RANK & SALARY: Commensurate with rank and salary. Western Illinois University offers a competitive benefits package that includes domestic partner benefits. For full benefit information visit: http://www.wiu.edu/hr/benefits.php

THE DEPARTMENT:The Department of English and Journalism offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in both English and Journalism; the degree in English may be taken with a teacher certification program. The Department faculty consists of 31 tenured or tenure-track professors who teach 350+ majors in English, English Education, and Journalism, and 22 instructors who serve approximately 3,500 first and second year students in the sequence of required writing courses. At the undergraduate level, English majors can choose from specialized Traditions, Forms, Social Justice, and Theory/Language, and writing and pedagogy. Journalism majors can develop expertise in one of three areas of emphasis: advertising, news/editorial or public relations. The Department offers minors in English, Journalism, creative writing, and `professional writing, and participates in interdisciplinary minors in Broadcast and Print Media, Film Studies, Women’s Studies, and Professional Writing. The Department also offers courses to support the University’s Honors College, providing faculty with additional teaching opportunities.

THE UNIVERSITY: Recognized as one of the "Best in the Midwest Colleges" by the Princeton Review and one of only 20 public universities ranked a "Tier 1 Midwestern Masters Institution" by U.S. News and World Report, Western Illinois University (WIU) serves approximately 13,000 students in the heart of the Midwest through its traditional residential, four-year campus in Macomb and its upper-division urban commuter location in Moline, Illinois.

Western's campuses are dedicated to providing a high quality, accessible and affordable education. The WIU-Macomb and Quad Cities campuses are comprised of accomplished faculty, state-of-the-art technology and facilities, and a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities. The four core values at the heart of the University are academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, and social responsibility.WIU's GradTrac and Cost Guarantee programs ensure that students can achieve their degrees within four years while paying a fixed rate for tuition, fees, plus room and board. WIU remains the only university in Illinois to guarantee the cost for tuition, fees and room and board over a four-year period at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

WIU is a comprehensive university offering 66 undergraduate and 37 graduate degree programs. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, the University's 762 full-time faculty members teach 93 percent of all undergraduate and graduate courses, in addition to eight preprofessional degree programs and 18 certificate programs.

Western offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 20 intercollegiate sports. Football competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision through the Missouri Valley Football Conference; all other sports compete at the Division I level through The Summit League. WIU is the cultural center of the region, with 12 major theatrical and dance productions and more than 12 studio shows presented annually in Western's three theatres. The Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the University Union Board present outstanding concerts, lectures, dramatic presentations, films, and dance attractions.

The University Libraries contain more than 1 million cataloged volumes, 20,000 current periodicals, and access to over 100 electronic databases of information. WIU's librarians answer approximately 10,000 research questions per year. The library system encompasses the main Malpass Library and four branch libraries. The Physical Sciences Library, the Music Library, the Curriculum Library, and the Quad Cities campus library are integral parts of the University's system that provides full service to students, faculty, and staff.

Western Illinois University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

APPLICATION: Send application letter, C.V. and your current email address for correspondence. Apply to Dr. Mohammad Siddiqi, Interim Chair of English and Journalism, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455-1390.

Upon second screening, candidates will need to provide official transcripts, a scholarly writing sample, and three letters of recommendation for review with a short turn around time.

Screening will begin November 23, 2009, and continue until the position is filled. Interviews at MLA. Visit our website at http:www.wiu.edu/English

Western Illinois University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to diversity. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people, including, but not limited to, minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities. WIU has a non-discrimination policy that includes sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, and veteran status.