San Francisco State University

School of Cinema

George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in African American Cinema Studies

Assistant Professor Position

The School of Cinema at San Francisco State University invites applicants for the George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in African American Cinema, beginning August 2020, at the rank of Assistant Professor. We seek a scholar in African American Cinema studies whose interests may span from early cinema to contemporary film, African American film cultures, the politics of race, gender, sexuality and representation, comparative studies of race in cinema, African American cultural history, the development of African American aesthetic practices and the creation of new film forms, African American cinema's relationship to African, African diaspora and global cinemas, and/or the role of cinema in addressing and alleviating social injustice.  Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies or a related field, an outstanding record of scholarship and/or other work related to this specialty.  

Founded during the political activism and artistic experimentation of the 1960s, the School of Cinema fosters and champions cinematic expressions that challenge social and artistic norms, take creative risks, promote social justice, and express the diversity of human experience. The School of Cinema has been recognized for multiple years as one of the top 25 film schools in the United States, according to The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, and Filmmaker, with a distinguished faculty of award-winning documentary, fiction and experimental filmmakers, and scholars specializing in feminist theory, post-modernism, international and American cinema, sexuality studies, and film sound/voice. The School serves more than 50 graduate students (MA and MFA) and more than 1000 undergraduate majors, whose work has been distinguished by honors ranging from scholarly publication and conference presentations to creative recognition via numerous Princess Grace Awards, official selection in the Cannes Film Festival Student Film, Frameline, the Flaherty Seminar, and others.

Candidates should be able to lead in scholarly research and discussion with faculty and students both in the School of Cinema as well as in the wider campus community.  

A strong background and demonstration of excellence in teaching is expected.

The mission of San Francisco State University is to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity, and the cultural mosaic of the City of San Francisco and the Bay Area; to promote excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment; and to provide broadly accessible higher education for residents of the region and state, as well as the nation and world.  To fulfill its mission, the University is committed to the following goals:

. Attracting, retaining and graduating a highly diverse student body;

. Providing disciplinary and interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional education that is academically rigorous and intellectually challenging;

. Providing curricula that reflect all dimensions of human diversity, and that encourage critical thinking and a commitment to social justice;

. Recruiting, retaining and supporting a diverse faculty whose teaching demonstrates an active engagement with their individual fields of study and whose creative and scholarly work is an extension of the classroom, laboratory or studio;

. Employing a staff and administration reflecting the diversity of our student community and the values of the campus;

. Fostering a collegial and cooperative intellectual environment that includes recognition and appreciation of differing viewpoints and promotes academic freedom within the University community, and;

. Serving the communities with which its students and faculty are engaged.

Responsibilities: The position requires the teaching of graduate and undergraduate cinema studies courses, contributing specialized courses pertaining to African American, African and/or African Diaspora cinema/media courses to the School of Cinema curriculum, developing an active ongoing program of scholarship related to the specialty, and performing ongoing committee and service assignments. Endowed chairs are expected to present lectures/films on and off campus, organize presentations of visiting scholars and/or filmmakers, and establish themselves as public scholars contributing to the cinematic life of the Bay Area.

Detailed position description is available at: https://www.cinema.sfsu.edu/content/tenure-track.

Qualifications:

Required:

. Ph.D in Cinema or equivalent. Terminal degree must be completed by the first day of employment.

. Outstanding emerging or mid-career record of scholarship relating to African American Cinema, African and/or African Diaspora Cinema.

. Evidence of a strong emerging or established reputation in the field.

. Demonstrated ability to incorporate inclusion, diversity, and educational equity in teaching, and/or scholarship/creative works.

. Experience teaching and working closely with students from historically under-represented communities.

Rank and salary: Assistant Professor.  Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The California State University (CSU) provides generous health, retirement and other benefits.

Application process: Submit letter of interest, a current CV, a statement on how your teaching and scholarship align with the commitment of the School of Cinema to foster an inclusive and diverse academic community; sample of scholarly work, a statement of educational philosophy, description of other research interests as relevant, and the names and contact information of three references.  Letters of recommendation upon request at a later date. Submit all materials online to https://sfsucinemadepartment.submittable.com/submit/148946/position-assistant-profesor-in-african-american-cinema by November 25th. Review of applications will begin after the application deadline but will continue until the position is filled.

San Francisco State is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status.  Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Senior Human Resources Manager.

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