Assistant Professor of African American Studies

at  UNC Charlotte

Our Africana Studies Department embodies an interdisciplinary and transnational approach to the study of Africa and its descendants in the Americas and the world: we engage in work within and between disciplines and their considerations of the experience of persons of African descent but with an emphasis on four core areas: history, literature and culture, social policy, and entrepreneurship. The Africana Studies department offers a major and minor. It has connections to other units across the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) and the university, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. For more information on the department, visithttps://africana.charlotte.edu/.
The Africana Studies Department is lodged in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences at UNC Charlotte. As the largest and most academically diverse college at UNC Charlotte, the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences houses 15 departments, 18 interdisciplinary programs, and 6 applied centers. We offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs with extensive honors and early-entry options. The College plays a pivotal role in delivering on the university’s goals in the areas of research excellence, student success and experience, and community engagement. Through their scholarship and teaching, the College’s 350+ faculty members seek to deepen our understanding of complex problems and lead the university in interdisciplinary collaboration.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is the second largest institution within the University of North Carolina system. This past Fall, UNC Charlotte enrolled 31,091 students and experienced record growth within its incoming first-year class and graduate programs. UNC Charlotte is also the fastest growing institution in the UNC System, comprising seven academic colleges offering 171 undergraduate majors in 77 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, 65 Master’s degrees, and 24 Doctoral degrees. UNC Charlotte is proud to have 3,535 passionate and committed faculty and staff members and more than 120,000 living alumni.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte recognizes the differentiation of mission, goals, and objectives inherent in the diversity of disciplines represented by its colleges and departments. Thus, the Job Responsibilities and Essential Functions for Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty should be interpreted in the context of the related departmental and collegiate goals.
Teaching, Advising, Curriculum and Instructional Development – Faculty responsibilities and essential functions with respect to teaching may include but are not limited to: subject matter competence, course design, course presentation, advising and consultation, directing student research, curriculum and instructional development, and grading student work.
Scholarly Research, Creative, and Other Professional Activities – All tenured and tenure-track faculty are expected to participate in expanding the knowledge base of their academic field by conducting research or engaging in other creative activities as appropriate to the faculty member’s discipline. Faculty responsibilities and essential functions with respect to research may include but are not limited to: research/creative activity that generates new knowledge and/or synthesizes and/or integrates existing knowledge, publication, an on-going agenda for research, scholarly, and creative activity, and are expected to seek extramural support for their work.
Service to University, the Public, and the Profession – All tenured and tenure-track faculty are expected to engage in a program of service appropriate to their discipline. Faculty responsibilities and essential functions with respect to service may include but are not limited to: service to the administration and governance of the University, public service, and service to the profession.
To view the complete Job Responsibilities and Essential Functions for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty document visit our website: https://provost.charlotte.edu/academic-budget-hr/academic-personnel-procedures-handbook/

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION

UNC Charlotte gives primary consideration to the earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Candidates must (1) have a Ph.D. in Africana Studies, Diaspora Studies, or a related discipline at the time of appointment; (2) provide evidence of scholarly activity appropriate for a tenure-track position in the Africana Studies department; and (3) provide evidence of the ability to teach and mentor a diverse student population at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Finalists will be asked to discuss how their teaching practices engage students of different ages, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, identities, and abilities, helping to remove barriers in order to ensure the success of all students regardless of their entry pathway into the university.

The Africana Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte invites applications for an Assistant Professor position beginning August 11, 2025. The area of specialization is US African American Studies. We have a particular preference for a colleague whose research intersects with the College’s areas of excellence in Urban Health, Environment, and Migration.
The area of teaching competence is open but the department has teaching needs in the legacy and implications of the African diaspora experience in the U.S.A. and its interplays with Heath and Environmental markers. The successful candidate would offer courses in the department’s concentration in health and environment and contribute to one or more of the following interdisciplinary programs: Latin American Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Health & Medical Humanities, Capitalism Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Legal Studies, Film Studies. Workload for pre-tenure and for research intensive faculty is two courses per semester, at all levels from large general education classes to senior/graduate seminars. The salary range for this position is $74,000 – $77,000.