Hampshire College

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships
Posted: January 12, 2010

Hampshire College, supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation "to make Hampshire College into a 'language-learning community’, where students are motivated to integrate the exploration of a world language into their individualized program of studies," seeks to hire two postdoctoral fellows for two-year appointments starting in Fall 2010.

To be eligible, applicants must have received their Ph.D. (or terminal degree in their field) between May 1, 2005 and June 30, 2010.

The postdoctoral fellow will teach one undergraduate course per term, be available for student advising, and will have time to pursue scholarly work. The fellow will maintain a relationship with the World Language Enrichment and Acquisition Office, participating in monthly seminars focusing on language learning across the curriculum. In addition to bringing non-English language material and competency to our students in courses and in advising contexts, fellows will contribute to the faculty’s vision of how to integrate languages and language study into their course offerings.

Applicants should be prepared to be on campus by late August for orientation.

Language, Mind, and Culture: A scholar with a background in linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, or neurolinguistics. Candidates' research interests must involve a language or languages other than English. The fellow will be housed in Hampshire’s School of Cognitive Science, and, in addition to teaching two courses per year and conducting research, will collaborate with faculty to enrich their courses of study to include issues of language structure, language typology and history, language and society, linguistic field methods, language learning, or language and mind/brain.

Critical Literacies and Pedagogy: A scholar whose research and teaching explores the participation of Latino students in multiple social, cultural, and linguistic communities and how the negotiation within and across these communities constitutes diverse literacy practices and informs literacy education. Candidates for the position should demonstrate proficiency in Spanish and an interest in incorporating Spanish into their teaching. S/he will be housed in the School of Social Science.

Hampshire College is committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community and strongly encourages applications from women and minority candidates.

Review of applications will start immediately. Hampshire College offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefit program. Applicants should submit the following in order to be considered:

1. Letter of Application. Please indicate the position for which you are applying and how you could contribute to making Hampshire College a language-learning community. You might consider how to motivate students’ interest in exploring a target language; how to connect your field to language and culture; create an environment that will introduce another language through particular questions in your discipline; incorporate relevant language materials/activities to give students the opportunity to interact with the target language(s); and assess student learning.
2. Curriculum Vitae.
3. Description of Research.
4. Statement of Teaching Philosophy.
5. Draft Syllabus. The syllabus should not be for a traditional language course; rather it should demonstrate your ability to connect non-English language and material to your subject area. We are interested in exploring alternative approaches to language learning. Syllabuses should not have language pre-requisites, although they may allow for students with multi-level language abilities.
6. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your research and teaching.

Required: Application materials should be emailed to Pamela A. Shea, director of World Language Enrichment and Acquisition, at postdoc@hampshire.edu in a single PDF document. Three letters of recommendation should also be emailed by the recommenders to postdoc@hampshire.edu.

We will start reviewing application materials at the end of February. Only applicants under serious consideration will be contacted.

Please do not contact postdoc@hampshire.edu regarding the postdoctoral fellowship in Contemporary Politics and Social Forces in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Contemporary Politics and Social Forces in Sub-Saharan Africa
Posted: January 12, 2010

Hampshire College invites applications for a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in African Politics. This Mellon-funded position is one of five to be filled in 2009-10 in cooperation with the Five College Consortium (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith colleges and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst). Hampshire College encourages interdisciplinary teaching and research. While in residence at Hampshire, the Fellow will fully participate in one of the nation’s most vibrant academic collaborations, including the Five College African Studies Council with nearly thirty faculty members having a teaching and research interest in sub-Saharan Africa. There is related support from colleagues and library and research facilities at all five campuses, each located within a twenty-minute drive of the others. Over three years the Fellow will teach six courses, four at Hampshire College, and two at Smith College. The Fellow will be provided research and teaching mentors at Hampshire College, which will host the fellowship.

The candidate should have fieldwork experience in the study of contemporary politics and social forces in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular interest in broad processes of inclusion and exclusion at the national level. Applicants should have research and teaching interests in one or more of the following themes: how processes of social and political inclusion and exclusion are generated and resources are deployed at national and local levels; the use and limitations of formal democratic frameworks for political and social inclusion; how social class, religious and ethnic identities play out in formal state institutions; the nature and use of major national and local ideologies; social movements, including those of youth, women, religion, ethnicity and the growing middle class; the politics of discrete organizations of civil society; the relationship of civil society organizations to popularly based social movements; and the relationship of political parties to civil society organizations and social movements.

The successful candidate must have completed all requirements for a Ph.D. before assuming the fellowship.

Position begins fall 2010. Review of applications begins late January 2010 and will continue until the position is filled. Hampshire College is committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community and strongly encourages applications from women and minority candidates. We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefit program, including support for research. Applicants should send a letter of interest, C.V., research prospectus, writing sample, and three letters of reference to:

African Politics Postdoctoral Search Committee
School of Social Science
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA 01002

Hampshire College is an equal opportunity institution, committed to diversity in education and employment.