Job no: 519018
Work type: Faculty Admin Title
Location: Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)
Categories: Education/Training/Instructional Design, Executive/Director/Management
Department:16600000 - LS-AFRICAN STUDIES PROGRAM

Classification Title:

Director, Center for African Studies

Job Description:The University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences invites applications for the position of Director of the Center for African Studies. This is a tenure accruing position. The University of Florida is looking for an intellectual leader with a commitment to collaborative university-wide programs and the capacity to articulate a vision for the future of African Studies in the academy.

The University of Florida is a premier public research university located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1853 as a public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant institution, UF is ranked #5 among public universities in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2022) and is a world-class institution of scholarship, learning, and public service. UF is home to 16 colleges, and to more than 200 research, service, and education centers, bureaus, and institutes. The university is among the nation’s most academically comprehensive and robust research institutions.

UF’s Center for African Studies is a National Resource Center for African Studies and one of the strongest in the nation. It is multidisciplinary in scope and receives funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI program. In addition to over 100 affiliate faculty from the 16 colleges, the Center is home to four full-time lecturers and six faculty with joint appointments in other departments. The Center’s purpose is to promote excellence in teaching and research about Africa in all disciplines at the University of Florida. It offers undergraduate education and supports graduate studies as essential for the development of a continuing community of Africanist scholars. The Center also disseminates knowledge about Africa to the wider community through an integrated outreach program, and maintains linkages with individuals and institutions on the African continent. Established programmatic strengths of the Center include: African languages and literatures, anthropology, history, politics and governance, religious and cultural studies, conservation and sustainable development, global health, science, and technology and innovation.

We seek an established scholar at the rank of Professor or advanced Associate Professor with a strong interest in advancing research and undergraduate and graduate education, and in promoting access to knowledge production in and about Africa on campus and within the wider community. Candidates for the Director position should demonstrate a strong record of program building and collaborative research across disciplines, experience with grant writing and administration, leadership experience, and national and international recognition as a scholar. Candidates should also have extensive academic contacts in Africa, and firm grounding in African area studies paradigms. Areas of expertise may include the humanities, social sciences, STEAM, or a combination thereof. The Director will hold a tenured appointment within an appropriate CLAS academic unit.

We anticipate that prospective candidates will demonstrate strong leadership and the capacity to build on the research, programmatic goals, and established connections to the African continent that have propelled the Center’s success over the past decades. Simultaneously, we seek candidates with visions and ideas that can move the Center in new directions that reflect emerging disciplinary and global issues and embody UF’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus and in our programs and curricula.

Expected Salary:The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and includes a full benefits package.

Minimum Requirements:

Ph.D. in a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

We seek an established scholar at the rank of Professor or advanced Associate Professor with a strong interest in advancing research and undergraduate and graduate education, and in promoting access to knowledge production in and about Africa on campus and within the wider community. Candidates for the Director position should demonstrate a strong record of program building and collaborative research across disciplines, experience with grant writing and administration, leadership experience, and national and international recognition as a scholar. Candidates should also have extensive academic contacts in Africa, and firm grounding in African area studies paradigms. Areas of expertise may include the humanities, social sciences, STEAM, or a combination thereof. The Director will hold a tenured appointment within an appropriate CLAS academic unit.

We anticipate that prospective candidates will demonstrate strong leadership and the capacity to build on the research, programmatic goals, and established connections to the African continent that have propelled the Center’s success over the past decades. Simultaneously, we seek candidates with visions and ideas that can move the Center in new directions that reflect emerging disciplinary and global issues and embody UF’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus and in our programs and curricula.

Special Instructions to Applicants:For full consideration, applications must be submitted online at https://jobs.ufl.edu/. A complete application will include:

1. a cover letter summarizing the applicant's qualifications, interests, and suitability for the position;
2. a current full CV;
3. a research statement;
4. a statement on administrative/program building experience;
5. a statement on experience with the writing and administration of grants;
names and contact information of three references. After initial review, applicants who are chosen to receive further consideration will be asked to request confidential letters of recommendation from their references.

Applications will be reviewed beginning January 5, 2022, and the position will remain open until filled. Only complete applications will be reviewed at this time. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.

For further information or questions, please contact the Steering Committee Chair, Dr. Terje Ostebo: ostebo@ufl.edu

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff.

The University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

Health Assessment Required:No

Advertised: 17 Nov 2021 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: Open until filled