Assistant Professor of English in Digital Humanities with Partial Appointment in Data Science

Position Number 005222

Working Title Assistant Professor of English in Digital Humanities with Partial Appointment in Data Science

Classification Title 9-Mo Tenure-Track/ Tenured Faculty

College College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (Col)

Department English/School of Data Science

Position Designation Faculty

Employment Type Permanent – Full-time

Months per year 9

Primary Purpose of Department 

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, which is projected to achieve R1 status in 2025, is the second largest institution within the UNC system. This past Fall, UNC Charlotte enrolled 31,091 students and experienced record growth with its incoming first-year class and graduate programs. UNC Charlotte is also the fastest-growing institution in the UNC system, with seven academic colleges offering 171 undergraduate majors in 77 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, 65 Master’s degrees, and 24 Doctoral degrees. Nearly 42% of students identify as members of historically underrepresented groups and 33% of undergraduates identify as first-generation college students. UNC Charlotte is proud to have 3,545 passionate and committed faculty and staff members. In addition, the university is located in the largest city in North Carolina, with a metro population of 2,805,115 and home to the seventh busiest airport worldwide.

The Department of English, with more than 30 full-time faculty and approximately 300 majors and 60 graduate students, offers BA and MA degrees with area emphases in Creative Writing, Literature and Culture, Children’s Literature, Linguistics, Pedagogy, and Professional/Technical Writing. The department is housed in the College of Humanities and Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS). As the largest and most academically diverse college at UNC Charlotte, CHESS houses 15 departments, 18 interdisciplinary programs, and 6 applied centers, offering 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 School of Data Science is an interdisciplinary unit housed in the College of Computing Informatics (CCI). The SDS, established in January 2020, was the first School of Data Science in the Carolinas. Currently, the school offers a Bachelor of Science in Data Science, an undergraduate certificate in Sports Analytics, and two Master of Science programs (Data Science and Business Analytics and Health Informatics and Analytics). The SDS is planning to launch a Ph.D. in Data Science in the Fall 2025 (pending the final approval of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This unit teaches and researches methods to apply statistics and computer science techniques to develop data-driven solutions to real-world problems. These areas vary from the ethical application and use of data to communication studies, business, healthcare, social sciences, transportation, engineering, and more. The School has grown quickly to more than 800 students, with half of them being graduate students, and is continuing to evolve with the needs of the students, university, and community. Currently, the school has approximately 80 full time, joint, and affiliate faculty.

Vacancy Open to All Candidates

Description of WorkThe 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 her/his 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/

Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte invites applications for a position of assistant professor of English with a joint appointment in the School of Data Science (SDS), beginning August 2025. The appointment is a 9-month tenure-track position.

Successful candidates will have expertise in areas such as archival studies; born-digital literature and/or media; computational and/or corpus linguistics; cultural analytics; data visualization; digitally mediated communication; distance reading; human-computer interaction; narratology; science, technology, and society; interface design and multimediality; or related areas. They will be invested in working closely with and mentoring English and SDS undergraduate and graduate students, and fully participating in service to the English Department. We are also interested in candidates who can work collaboratively with faculty, students, and community partners from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds. Evidence of experience pursuing, obtaining, and/or plans to obtain national and/or international grants will be considered favorably. The salary range for this position is $77,000-$80,000 (with a possible additional increment for SDS, TBD). Teaching for this position will be at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the former to include General Education courses at the lower level and some large enrollment. The teaching load for research-intensive faculty is 2/2 (75% in English, 25% in SDS).

Finalists will be asked to discuss how their teaching practices engage, include, and eliminate barriers to learning for UNC Charlotte students, and how their educational approach helps increase the engagement and success of all students regardless of their entry pathway into the university.

Minimum Experience/EducationUNC Charlotte gives primary consideration to the earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.

Preferred Education, Skills and ExperienceBy the time of appointment, the successful candidate will hold a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in Digital Humanities broadly understood. (ABD candidates will be required to submit a letter from their dissertation advisor guaranteeing completion of the degree by the time of appointment).

Necessary Licenses/Certifications 

Special Notes to Applicants 

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and an ADVANCE Institution that strives to create an academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte maintains an Affirmative Action Plan prepared in accordance with Executive Order 11246 and the Consent Decree.

Please apply online at https://jobs.charlotte.edu with the following materials: a letter of application; curriculum vitae; a research statement; a teaching statement that addresses how the candidate’s teaching practices engage all students and eliminate barriers to learning; a writing sample; unofficial transcripts; and contact information for three references. Preliminary interviews will be conducted via Zoom. The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts.

Screening of applicants will begin on Nov. 20, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. Please direct inquiries to the Chair of the Search Committee, Professor Juan Meneses, at [email protected]. The candidate chosen for this position will be subject to a criminal background check. 

Job Open Date 10/23/2024

Job Close Date 

Open Until Filled Yes

Date Review of Applications will Begin 11/20/2024

Proposed Hire Date 08/11/2025

If time-limited, please indicate appointment end date 

Contact Information 

Juan Meneses

[email protected]

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