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Professor and Department Chair

The Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences seeks a Chair of the Department of History. This full-time, twelve-month appointment will begin July 1, 2022.

The Chair should be an established senior scholar with successful records of teaching, research, service, and administrative leadership, and should demonstrate strong potential for collaborative leadership and shared faculty governance. Candidates should be able to promote new strategic research, teaching, and outreach initiatives as well as mentor faculty effectively through the promotion and tenure process. The successful candidate must have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and will champion the University’s mission of student success.

The Department of History has 34 full-time faculty members, around 200 undergraduate majors, and averages 12-15 MA students. Most M.A. students are fully funded with stipends and tuition remission. There is no dedicated Ph.D. in History, but historians can mentor Ph.D. students in interdisciplinary programs such as Science and Technology Studies and the Alliance for Social, Political, and Ethical Thought (ASPECT). In addition to producing nationally recognized scholarship, the Department places great emphasis on innovative, collaborative, and high-quality teaching at all levels; it includes many award-winning teachers, and its members frequently engage in transdisciplinary team teaching.

The Department has experienced rapid growth in recent years, resulting in greater diversity, a large proportion of pre-tenure faculty, and new areas of strength. The Department now houses the director of the Food Studies program and Virginia Tech’s American Indian Studies faculty. It also contributes to transdisciplinary initiatives such as Latinx Studies, Asian and Asian-American Studies, and the Center for Human-Computer Interaction. The Department values and promotes digital and public history research and outreach. It also is dedicated to advancing inclusion and diversity in teaching, research, and outreach. The Department seeks a leader with the vision and administrative and managerial skills to guide it into a new phase of its future. Members of groups historically underrepresented in the professoriate are especially encouraged to apply.

The Chair works with faculty, staff, and the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences to realize the Department’s mission and continue to build a Department of national and international distinction.

Representative responsibilities:

  • Facilitate faculty success in all areas of their work, including guiding them through the tenure and promotion process
  • Supervise the Department’s administrative staff and support their career development
  • Oversee the allocation, administration, and monitoring of the Department budget
  • Promote student recruitment and retention in conjunction with College and University admissions staff
  • Foster and sustain an academic environment that prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and collaboration among faculty members, staff members, and students
  • Maintain and expand the Department’s strengths in public and digital history and support faculty members’ contributions to transdisciplinary research and teaching
  • Maintain a program of research that is disseminated through publications, conference presentations, or similar activities
  • Occasional travel to national conferences
  • No teaching is required while Department Chair

Required Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in history or related discipline
  • Established record of teaching and research publications in history or related discipline  
  • Outstanding reputation and academic achievements commensurate with appointment as a tenured professor
  • Significant academic administrative experience
  • Demonstrated ability to contribute to the growth of an inclusive campus culture while building diversity among faculty, staff, and students
  • Demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, working with diverse populations

Application materials

  • C.V.
  • A substantial cover letter addressing how the applicant meets the required qualifications, including academic achievements, administrative experience, and commitment to diversity and inclusion
  • Contact information for three references, who will be contacted if the applicant reaches the first-round interview stage
  • Please do not send any other materials at this time. After an initial review, applicants may be asked for additional materials

 

Appointment Type - Regular

Salary - Information Commensurate with experience

Review Date -11/30/2021

 

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a department of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate department, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Holly Caldwell at holly22@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Other questions can be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Paul Quigley at pquigley@vt.edu

Advertised: October 28, 2021

Applications close: Open until filled

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