Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Global Black Popular Musics: We seek a scholar and educator who brings the intellectual resources, archives, and methods of Black study to the analysis of the cultural and political significance of Global Black Popular Musics. We are particularly interested in comparative work combining in-depth analyses of local conditions with a broad understanding of the flows of sounds, people, capital, and technology. The departments of Comparative Studies and African American and African Studies have a strong partnership based on their shared commitments to interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching, to the value of Black study as an organizing framework for academic work, and to the importance of public-facing scholarship. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a record of contributions to collaborations and community building in alignment with Ohio States shared values and a record of advising/mentoring a diverse body of students, as is commensurate with the candidates experience.
This position is a part of an Ohio State University Race, Inclusion and Social Equality (RAISE) initiative and an interdisciplinary hiring cluster of three tenure-track faculty in the area of Global Black Music Studies. The two other positions, who joined Ohio State in Autumn 2023, are in the School of Music and the Department of African American and African Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to engage with other faculty in the Global Black Music Studies cluster. To learn more about RAISE please visit: RAISE Initiative | Office of Faculty Affairs (osu.edu)
Education and Experience Requirements
Required: This appointment will begin August 15, 2024, and the successful applicant must have PhD in hand by the start of employment. The PhD may be in any relevant field of study; ABDs are welcome to apply. We seek candidates whose teaching and research addresses the cultural and political significance of Global Black Popular Musics.
Desired: While we are predominantly interested in contemporary analyses, candidates whose work includes a significant historical context are also invited to apply. Work on any geographic area is welcome. We invite applications from candidates whose work addresses audiences both within and beyond the academy. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, in line with OSUs Shared Values (see below).
How to Apply
A competitive application consists of the following required elements: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, separate research and teaching statements, a writing sample, and three letters of reference.
Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled. Inquiries may be directed to Barry Shank at shank.46@osu.edu.
You will be presented with the opportunity to attach up to FIVE documents in the Application Documents section. Please include the following:
Attachment 1: Cover Letter: 1-2 page letter, which should include a brief summary of your academic background and why you are interested in this opportunity.
Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae): Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, funding, and publications.
Attachment 3: Research Statement: Summary of your past research accomplishments, current work/research, and proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member.
Attachment 4: Teaching Statement: A statement of your approaches, experience and philosophy regarding your teaching, learning, and mentoring.
Attachment 5: A writing sample of 25 or fewer pages.
You will be asked for names and contact information for three reference letters if your candidacy advances beyond the initial review.
Tenure faculty (regardless of rank) - persons with the titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and instructor who serve on appointments totaling 50% or more service to the university and who are eligible for tenure or who have obtained tenure. Duties and responsibilities are assigned in accordance with the workload guidelines laid out in the pattern of administration of each faculty members tenure initiation unit (TIU) and, as appropriate, regional campus; obligations will include research, service and/or teaching or clinical practice. These faculty will have earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the relevant field of study or possession of equivalent experience.
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Department Information
The Department of Comparative Studies encourages critical reflection about culture across boundaries of discipline, nation, and language. Comparative Studies scholars attend to how the dynamics of power and authority shape the construction of knowledge in a range of historical discourses and practices: social, religious, literary, aesthetic, technological, scientific, political, and material. Our comparative methods question the assumptions that shape humanistic study and account for the historical and material complexities of social relations and human existence. Our interdisciplinary work is informed by a commitment to social justice and seeks to shape academic and public discourse on the complexities of a culturally diverse nation and world.
The University
Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of Americas leading academic health centers and recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes list of best U.S. employers for diversity. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.
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The Ohio State University is a dynamic community of diverse resources, where opportunity thrives and where individuals transform themselves and the world. Founded in 1870, Ohio State is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 63,000 students (including 57,000 in Columbus), the Wexner Medical Center, 14 colleges, 80 centers and 175 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions.