Assistant Professor in Modern Arabic Literature and Islamic Culture

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The Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant Professor in Modern Arabic Literature and Islamic Culture, tenure track.

The successful candidate will have a rigorous grounding in modern Arabic and Islamic literature and culture, with additional areas of specialization in one or more of the following: critical approaches such as gender theory, critical race theory, post‐colonial theory, area studies, film and media studies, or social/cultural history.

We encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to diversity in higher education and who show the potential to advance the department’s goal of a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive scholarly environment.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia.

For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: https://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty

About the Department:
The UC Berkeley Department of Comparative Literature is dedicated to comparative literary study that is both historical and theoretical, covering literary traditions from several inter-related regions and traditions. This combination of intensity and breadth is reflected in the composition of our faculty, seventeen of whom are jointly appointed with national literature departments; the remaining two are closely involved with and provide an important link to the Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory. Our signature combination of teaching and research on literature, film, and other media is based on knowledge of original languages, an understanding of historical context and production, and theoretically innovative perspectives. Texts read in research seminars include both authors from a global range of literary and cultural traditions, and theoretical interventions that question how established patterns of power and knowledge determine the ways in which we read and discuss cultural artifacts.

For more than a decade, our placement record for tenure-track jobs is among the very best in the country. This remarkable record speaks not only to the intellectual culture of the department but also to our faculty’s consistent devotion to teaching and mentoring (six of our nineteen faculty have won the campus’s Distinguished Teaching Award). Our undergraduate program is also flourishing. It draws a wide and diverse range of students, many of whom study heritage languages.

Department: https://complit.berkeley.edu/

PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Native or near-native fluency in Arabic and English; broad competence in literary studies and in critical approaches to theoretical frameworks, demonstrated through formal study and/or publication record; proven ability to conduct research in more than one language, literature, and culture, working with texts in the original languages of the relevant literatures/cultures; demonstrated excellence in teaching and research.

• 3 letters of reference required

All applicants are required to send letters of recommendation by the application deadline (close date). Letters of recommendation submitted after the deadline (close date) are not guaranteed consideration by the committee.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/ucb-confidentiality-policy) prior to submitting their letter.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for the deadlines applicable to new University of California employees. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

Positions that are represented by a collective bargaining unit or agent have particular contracts. For more information, please refer to the relevant contract: Lecturer contract, Postdoctoral contract, Research Series contract, and Librarian contract. Questions about represented positions can be directed to the hiring unit.