Assistant Professor - Renaissance and Early Modern Studies

Date Posted: 11/18/2020
Closing Date: 01/18/2021, 11:59PM EDT
Req ID: 967
Job Category: Faculty - Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Department of Italian Studies
Campus:St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Department of Italian Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure stream position in the area of Renaissance and Early Modern Studies. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an expected start date of July 1, 2021, or shortly thereafter.

Applicants must have earned a PhD in Italian Studies or a related area in the humanities by the time of appointment, or shortly thereafter, and have a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and strengthen our existing departmental strengths. The successful candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research at the highest international level and to establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

While the successful candidate will be appointed in the Department of Italian Studies, they will also teach undergraduate classes in the Renaissance Studies program at Victoria College in the University of Toronto. The successful candidate will be an interdisciplinary scholar whose research and teaching combine expertise in both Italian Renaissance Studies and Global Early Modern Studies. We require a specialist of Italian literature and culture of the late fourteenth to seventeenth centuries with a global and comparative approach to Renaissance and Early Modern Studies and the demonstrated ability to develop and teach new research projects and courses that explore Italy’s global relationships and contexts.

Possible areas of research specialization include but are not limited to: Book and Media Studies, Gender Studies, Migration Studies, Race and Ethnicity Studies, or Visual and Material Culture Studies. In their area(s) of specialization, the successful candidate will be expected to attend to the reciprocal relations between Italy and Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and examine them in interdisciplinary courses that offer global and comparative perspectives.

The successful candidate will also participate in undergraduate and graduate student supervision and research projects in the Department of Italian Studies, therefore advanced fluency in written and spoken Italian is required. Experience teaching across interdisciplinary boundaries is strongly preferred. Demonstrated familiarity with both online and in-person pedagogical practices is required.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by a record of publications in top-ranked, field relevant, and peer-reviewed journals, or forthcoming publications meeting high international standards, the submitted research statement outlining current and future research interests, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, and strong endorsements from referees of high standing. Candidates must also provide evidence of an active research program as well as an emerging reputation in research and publication.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be provided through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier that outlines past experience and includes a teaching statement that outlines teaching philosophy and plans for future interdisciplinary teaching, sample course syllabi, and teaching evaluations, as well as strong letters of reference.

Candidates are also expected to show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment demonstrated through the application materials.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The University of Toronto is a large, tri-campus institution in a vibrant, multi-ethnic region with a very diverse student population. The Department of Italian Studies is among the largest in North America, with an undergraduate program emphasizing language, literature, and cultural studies and a full graduate program leading to MA and PhD degrees. For more information about the Department of Italian Studies please visit https://www.italianstudies.utoronto.ca/. For more information about the Renaissance Studies program at Victoria College please visit https://www.vic.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/upper-year-programs/renaissance-studies-program/.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Applicants must submit a cover letter; a current curriculum vitae; a research statement outlining current and future research interests, a recent writing sample, and a teaching dossier (including a statement of teaching philosophy and plans for future interdisciplinary teaching, sample course syllabi, and teaching evaluations). Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. We seek candidates who value diversity and whose research, teaching and service bear out our commitment to equity. Candidates are therefore asked to submit a 1‐2 page statement of contributions to equity and diversity, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): research or teaching that incorporates a focus on underrepresented communities, the development of inclusive pedagogies, or the mentoring of students from underrepresented groups.

Applicants must also arrange to have three letters of reference (on letterhead, dated, and signed) sent directly by the referee to the hiring unit via email at chair.italianstudies@utoronto.ca by the closing date. PLEASE NOTE: this search is not using the University's automatic solicitation and collection functionality for reference letters.

Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. We recommend combining the attachments in PDF or MS Word format as follows: (1) CV, (2) Cover letter, (3) Research Statement and Teaching dossier. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Nicholas Terpstra at chair.italianstudies@utoronto.ca.

All application materials, including reference letters, must be received by January 18, 2021.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

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