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Assistant Professor - Historiography - Department of Film & Media

Position overview

Position title: Assistant Professor
Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $78,200–$123,400 (9-month academic year salary); however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions.
Anticipated start: July 1, 2025

Application Window

Open date: July 20, 2024

Most recent review date: Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Department of Film & Media at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the area of Film and Media Historiography. The Department is particularly interested in scholars who ground their archivally-based, qualitative historical research in theoretically rigorous critical studies in areas required to fulfill our programmatic needs and to provide teaching and research in growing fields.

The Department of Film and Media at the University of California, Berkeley is one of the oldest film programs in the United States with a strong foundation in national and transnational film histories and theories and growing interest in a wide range of media practices, industries, and cultures. The Department holds a strong intellectual commitment to innovative interdisciplinary approaches to film and media research, evidenced in the scholarship of its eleven current ladder faculty, five of whom have officially shared appointments with other departments in the Division of Arts & Humanities. The department offers both a BA with approximately 300 current majors and a PhD in Film and Media with between 20–25 graduate students enrolled at any one time. It is currently one of the fastest-growing undergraduate majors in the Division of Arts & Humanities, and focuses on film and media scholarship, criticism, and production.

The successful candidate will join in the program’s effort to build a community of scholars and students whose scholarship, pedagogy, and background move the discipline of Film & Media forward by engaging with critical questions through historiographic methodologies. We are particularly interested in scholars/practitioners who work across diverse epistemologies, are theoretically and methodologically innovative, and whose work is politically and socially engaged. The Department encourages applications from candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research, and service. We recognize that a diverse workforce is essential for a public university dedicated to serving the needs of our increasingly diverse state.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on https://ofew.berkeley.edu/attestation-prior-misconduct

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

PhD (or equivalent international degree) or be enrolled in a PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Preferred qualifications

We are seeking a candidate with a PhD (or equivalent international degree) with broad competence in Film & Media Studies or a related field and a recognized or growing interdisciplinary research and teaching profile in film and/or media historiography, understood through perspectives in the arts and humanities. Research in film and media topics in one of the following specializations will be desirable: South and Southeast Asian cinema and media; African cinema and media; US film history; silent cinema; documentary film and media; Asian American film and media; Latinx film and media; Chicanx film and media; Black film and media; animation; film and media sound; television. We especially welcome applications from scholars with expertise in critical race studies and queer, feminist, and/or de-colonial approaches. The successful applicants will have a demonstrated ability to teach core required courses for the major.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Research Sample - Article or chapter length in English or original + English translation

  • Statement of Teaching Experience and Philosophy

  • Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley. More Information and guidelines.

  • Authorization to Release Information Form - A reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form.

  • Additional Writing Sample (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)

References will only be contacted for those candidates under serious consideration and we will seek your permission before doing so.

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04533

Help contact: rfahacademichr@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The excellence of the institution requires an environment in which the diverse community of faculty, students, and staff are welcome and included. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skill related to ensuring equity and inclusion in the activities of their academic position (e.g., teaching, research, and service, as applicable).

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

Please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

Job location

Berkeley, CA