Comparative Chinese Literature, Assistant Professor

  • California State Polytechnic University Pomona
  • Pomona, California
  • Mar 07, 2024
Education and Training Public Health

Job Description

Tenure Track Faculty Position

Comparative Chinese Literature
Department of English and Modern Languages

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

The Department of English and Modern Languages at Cal Poly Pomona invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Comparative Chinese Literature, appointment effective Fall 2024. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 23-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn-by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model .

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 3 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility , and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education .

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu , and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

Student Population. California residents comprise the majority (96%) of applicants to undergraduate programs at Cal Poly Pomona, and 41% of new students were transfers in Fall 2022. 57% of Cal Poly Pomona students are first generation, 70% receive financial aid, and 44% qualify as Pell-eligible. The university enrolls a diverse student body that identifies as 53% Latinx, 22% Asian, 14% White, 3% Black, 2% International, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown and less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Native Pacific Islander and less than 1% Native American Indigenous. Thirty-nine percent of the student body were STEM majors with the top enrolled programs including psychology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, biology and computer science.

Inclusive Excellence and Student Success. We aspire to be the model inclusive polytechnic university in the nation. We have a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to educational experiences that leverage the diverse perspectives and experiences needed to succeed and thrive in a diverse society.

*As a part of the application for faculty positions, all candidates must submit a Student Success Statement that demonstrates their commitment and record of contributions to diversity and equity through their teaching, scholarship, or service by speaking to at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria below.

Candidates should explain how they have engaged in the criteria below in their pedagogy, scholarship, and/or service, as well as the level to which these efforts have been consistently incorporated into their work.

Inclusive Excellence Criteria:
Incorporates the contributions and struggles of historic ethnic minority groups or other disadvantaged communities into their teaching, scholarly work, and/or service contributions; Adopts teaching strategies that support the learning and success of students from diverse student populations; Mentors and engages diverse student populations in discovery, scholarship, and creative activities; Engages students in problem-based projects and learning that address the needs of diverse communities; Possesses knowledge of challenges and barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline and uses it to inform their work in specific ways; Mentors and assists diverse student populations interested in pursuing graduate education; Engages in community-responsive action research or service with diverse student populations and communities; Has experience in or demonstrates a commitment to adopting experiential learning activities and pedagogy with diverse student populations and communities; and Has expertise in or demonstrated commitment to teaching, scholarship and/or service that contributes to access, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education.
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) brings to life a vibrant hands-on experience through disciplines in the humanities, performing arts, and social sciences. As the heart and soul of the campus, the College’s mission is to cultivate students’ intellectual development, ethical reasoning, and aesthetic sensibility to support creative and critical thinking in a dynamic world of competing challenges. We are a community diverse in backgrounds, expertise, and thought, committed to improving the human condition and to bettering the world. Our faculty, students, and staff are devoted to creating an inclusive environment where all can thrive through the College’s programs, research activities, creative performances, community outreach, and signature experiences. Learn more about the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences and our 12 distinct departments at www.cpp.edu/class .

Department of English and Modern Languages (EML) is a blended department that explores the intersection of diverse languages and cultures through the disciplines of applied linguistics, languages, writing, and literature. EML serves more than 500 undergraduate majors with specialized options in Literary Studies, English Education, Spanish, Applied Language Studies, and more than 80 graduate students with options in Literature, Rhetoric & Composition, and TESOL. The Department’s faculty support each other through clusters of scholarly interests around subjects such as Writing Studies (including creative writing, translation studies, multimodal literacies, etc.); Digital Humanities; and Multilingualism/Multilingual Education (including minors in TESOL, Spanish, French, Chinese, and a certificate in German). Responding to student needs, experiences, and interests, EML looks to build additional support in these areas in order to prepare the students for the professional world.

Position description:

The Department seeks a tenure-line faculty member in Comparative Literature with an area of expertise in Chinese literature and culture. The successful candidate will teach General Education world literature courses, literature courses in the English BA program, and graduate courses for the English MA program. Opportunities for the creation of new courses in the faculty’s area of expertise and interest are available. All faculty members in the Department are also expected to provide service to the Department, College, and the University by participating in relevant committee work and supporting and fostering student success with activities such as mentoring students, advising clubs, and organizing and conducting service-learning courses and internships. The successful candidate will maintain an active research agenda as both the University and the Department are strongly committed to the Teacher-Scholar model.

Minimum requirements include:
  • PhD in comparative literature with specialization in Chinese literature and culture, or a related field (Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position);
  • Ability to effectively teach broad world literature surveys in translation (earlier or later based on specialization), core classes in the English major such as Introduction to Literary Studies, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in area of specialization;
  • Demonstrated commitment to inclusivity and equity. Evidence should be provided in a Student Success Statement that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success”;
  • Demonstrated experience using culturally responsive pedagogy to create an inclusive, student-centered environment for teaching and learning. Evidence of philosophy and praxis should be provided in a Pedagogy Reflection ; and
  • A viable research agenda and the potential for publication in the field of the candidate’s professional and scholarly expertise.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

As a blended department, EML seeks to expand its interdisciplinary connections in teaching and research and to further diversify the professionalization opportunities for its students. As such, evidence of expertise in ONE of the following secondary areas is desirable but not required for a successful candidate:
  • Premodern literature and culture
  • Transnational, diasporic, and/or inter-Asia studies
  • Studies in materiality, including but not limited to book history, print culture, and/or information technology
  • Translation studies
  • Media studies, visual culture, and/or film studies
  • Labor history or migration studies
  • Environmental humanities or food studies
  • Medical humanities

Conditions of Employment:

The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

Application Process:

A completed application will consist of
  • Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications;
  • Curriculum vitae;
  • A Student Success Statement (up to 2 pages, single-spaced) that responds to the prompt above - “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success” and addresses at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria listed (please indicate the criteria numbers in your Statement);
  • A self-reflection on the applicant’s teaching philosophy and practices. In this document, the applicant should discuss their beliefs about teaching and learning, ideally addressing how these beliefs apply to a specific course (or courses) that the candidate has taught, if applicable.;
  • Unofficial transcripts of all graduate-level work.

Finalists for the position will be required to:
  • Provide official transcripts for highest degree before the on-campus interview;
  • Submit three letters of reference dated within the last two years;
  • Submit the names and contact information for at least three individuals who can serve as references. This list may include but need not be limited to the names and contact information of the referees providing the aforementioned letters.
  • Present research work to the faculty;
  • Conduct a teaching demonstration in the classroom.

The position is open until filled. First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than Nov. 10, 2023. Semi-finalists will be interviewed via videoconferencing.

Please direct inquiries to Dr. Kate Ozment, Search Chair, at keozment@cpp.edu .

Applications accepted only via PageUp -online application portal-for University hires.

Salary range for 9-month, Academic Year Appointment: $79,000-$82,400

Equal Opportunity Employer
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The university seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing. Cal Poly Pomona subscribes to all state and federal regulations and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, medical condition, and covered veteran status. The university hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. As required by the Clery Disclosure Act, the university prepares a public annual security report.

Advertised: Oct 06 2023 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close:

Closing Date/Time:

Job Address

Pomona, California 91768 United States View Map