English Education Coordinator- Associate Professor

Working/Functional Title

English Education Coordinator- Associate Professor

Position Summary

The Department of English in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University (MSU) is seeking an English Education faculty member at the rank of tenured Associate Professor who will also serve as coordinator of the English education program concentration. This is a full-time, academic year (9 month) appointment, beginning August 16, 2024. English education at MSU prepares preservice secondary English teachers through coursework and experiential learning that focuses on theoretical and practical implications of critical issues surrounding language(s), literacies, digital technologies, literatures, discourses of adolescent development, and writing.

The coordinator will work with a committed team of English education faculty in the Department of English and Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education to coordinate and sustain a program that is committed to advancing equity and justice through anti-oppressive and liberatory approaches to teaching English language arts in a wide range of contexts (e.g., urban, rural, suburban) and through community-based and school-based initiatives. The program aspires toward an ethic of solidarity, reciprocity, and humility.

The successful applicant will have a tenure home in the Department of English, and will report to the department Chairperson. With a dynamic range of expanding programs including literary studies, creative writing, film studies, popular culture, and English education, the department is an integral part of the College of Arts and Letters and Michigan State University’s global engagement. The Department is home to an award-winning National Council of Teachers of English MSU Student Affiliate chapter, the undergraduate literary journal Red Cedar Review, the MSU Film Collective, and many other exciting initiatives.

Major Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with diverse English education faculty situated across multiple units. This candidate will integrate programmatic commitments – to a) advancement of equity and justice through anti-oppressive and liberatory teaching approaches in diverse contexts; b) community-based and school-based learning; and c) aspirational ethic of solidarity, reciprocity, and humility – into the following responsibilities: 

• coordinating and sustaining a high-visibility, cross-disciplinary secondary English education program with a national reputation for a, b, and c (above);
• producing innovative research and scholarship related to English education and pedagogy;
• guiding curricular and programmatic planning;
• nurturing community among English education students; and
• supporting student professionalization through partnerships with National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE), Red Cedar Writing Project (MSU’s National Writing Project), and other relevant organizations.

We especially seek applicants who possess expertise and conduct research in one or more of the following areas, with specific relevance to English education: a) critical and/or global language perspectives and pedagogies; b) culturally responsive and sustaining English language arts curriculum, instruction, and/or English teacher development, c) cultural assets approaches to writing pedagogies (including creative writing); and d) Indigenous adolescent literacies, literatures, and/or pedagogies.

The English Education coordinator position comes with a course release. Their teaching load will return to the standard 2-2 load for a tenure system faculty member, once the faculty member has stepped down from that position. Within this 9-month academic year appointment, the successful candidate will be responsible for teaching three courses annually in the English education program and, when needed, a different undergraduate or graduate course in the Department of English will take the place of one or two of these three.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must:

• hold a PhD or equivalent qualifications in a field relevant to the expected job duties outlined above,
• have a well-established record of research and intellectual leadership at both college/university and national levels that align with College expectations for a tenured Associate Professor, and
• demonstrate evidence of collaborative leadership in department or program initiatives.

Desired Qualifications

Preferred qualifications include:

• experience teaching youth in K-12 schools and/or in community settings;
• in-depth knowledge about and experience with advancing equity and justice in English education,
• experience integrating anti-oppressive and liberatory commitments into English teacher education curriculum, instruction, and program;
• scholarly expertise in one or more of the following areas: a) critical and/or global language perspectives and pedagogies; b) culturally responsive and sustaining English language arts curriculum, instruction, and/or English teacher development, c) cultural assets approaches to writing pedagogies (including creative writing); and d) Indigenous adolescent literacies, literatures, and/or pedagogies;
• experience working with state-level departments of education; and
• a record of successful grant writing.

Required Application Materials

1. a cover letter
2. current curriculum vitae
3. two different writing samples demonstrating research/creative activities (book chapters or articles, but not 2 chapters from the same book),
4. A 1-page summary of your philosophy of diversity, equity, and inclusion as it pertains to intellectual leadership in the areas of teaching/curriculum development, research/creative activities, service, outreach, advising, and/or administration. The statement should also include an explanation of related past or planned activities/endeavors as well as how the candidate will advance our goals of inclusive excellence. For more about MSU’s DEI efforts, see https://inclusion.msu.edu/. For more information about writing diversity statements, see https://cal.msu.edu/documents/cal-guidelines-for-the-writing-of-diversity-statements/
5. the names and email addresses of 4 potential referees.

Special Instructions

Review of applications will begin January 8th. 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted electronically to the Michigan State University Human Resources website http://careers.msu.edu. Posting number 917732.

For more information, contact Professor Mary Juzwik, Chair of the English Education Search Committee, Departments of English and Teacher Education, mmjuzwik@msu.edu.

Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

Review of Applications Begins On

01/08/2024

Department Statement

The College of Arts & Letters recognizes that only an academic and organizational culture, which actively seeks out and strengthens diverse voices and perspectives among its members results in true excellence. The College of Arts & Letters is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that intellectual leadership is achieved through open access and pro-active inclusion. 

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

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