North American Studies Post at Uppsala University

Senior lecturer (assistant professor) in North American Studies at the Department of English

Application no later than 2012-11-19.

The Swedish Institute for North American Studies (SINAS) was founded by the Board of Uppsala University in 1985 and has been a section of the Department of English since 2003. The mission of the Institute is to pursue and promote research in the field of North American studies, in collaboration with the Section for American Literature, especially interdisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences, to coordinate academic work in a number of disciplines related to North American studies, and to constitute a forum for communication in this field, as well as to arrange courses, lectures, conferences, and seminars with the goal of disseminating knowledge of and creating interest in the field.

Duties: Teaching and examination primarily in the first (bachelor) cycle but also in the second (master) cycle, administrative duties, and duties involving interaction with the wider community. Teaching duties include course responsibility, course administration, and supervision.The teaching component comprises instruction in both campus- and IT-based courses. Also included is the teaching of social studies courses covering the English-speaking world at the Department of English, for teacher-training students, etc.

Teaching is done in English.

• Eligibility requirements: Applicants are eligible for employment as a senior lecturer (assistant professor) if they have completed a doctorate or possess the equivalent academic competence or have some other professional competence of significance in regard to the content of the position and the duties included in the position; have completed relevant tertiary-level teacher training comprising ten weeks or in some other manner acquired the equivalent knowledge; possess documented teaching skills; and have the general capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.
• Assessment criteria: In selecting among eligible applicants equal emphasis will be placed on academic and teaching competence. The applicants’ academic qualifications must lie within the subject area of North American studies. In the assessment of academic qualifications, great emphasis will be given to breadth, to social and cultural perspectives in applicants’ research, and to research qualifications in United States politics or United States media.
• Assessment of teaching skills will include planning, execution, and evaluation of teaching as well as supervision and examination. Primary consideration will be given to the quality of teaching, and teaching skills must be well documented in a way that enables evaluation.
• Assessment criteria, other skills: Administrative competence is important for this position and will be afforded weight. Attention will also be paid to the ability to collaborate with the wider community and to inform others about research and developmental work. The capacity to inform others about research and developmental work is shown through popularizing activities, such as involvement in mass education, publication of popularly oriented writings, and participation in the public debate on education and research issues.
• Administrative competence is shown, for instance, in the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work in an efficient and goal-oriented manner and in the capacity to establish and respect timeframes. Competence comprises overarching operational planning and the ability to manage resources and the ability to work in a structured manner and with awareness of goals and quality.
• Documented good capacity to cooperate with others.
• Personal circumstances (such as parental leaves) that may be beneficial to the applicant when qualifications are assessed should be included in the list of qualifications and experience.
• The University strives to achieve a better gender balance among its teachers, and men are especially encouraged to apply for this position.

Application procedure: 

• The application must be written in English. A complete application, including writings brought to bear, must be submitted in triplicate in paper form and comprise:
• A compilation of academic, teaching, and administrative qualifications (CV) documented by witnessed copies of grades, certificates, and other documents that are being brought to bear. The documentation of teaching qualifications must contain certificates, course evaluations, and qualitative assessments from directors of studies/equivalent.
• A brief account of the applicant’s academic, teaching, and administrative activities. It should be clear from this account what investigations and findings as well as other achievements in general the applicant feels should receive primary consideration in the assessment. The portfolio of teaching qualifications should be designed in a way that makes their qualitative assessment possible.
• A list of the academic and teaching-related works brought to bear. The applicant is to select no more than ten of these publications or other works for primary consideration.
• The works (maximum of 10) selected for primary consideration, in triplicate.
• In this recruitment the recruitment group may make use of interviews, trial lectures, and references. The applicant must therefore submit a list of references that can illuminate her/his professional competence and personal characteristics of significance for the appointment, such as capacity to lead and cooperate with others.

The position may come to be filled on a trial basis.

Information about the position will be provided by the head of department, Professor Merja Kytö, tel. +46 (0)18-471 1251, merja.kyto@engelska.uu.se or the director of SINAS, Reader (Associate Professor) Dag Blanck, tel. +46 (0)18-471 2208, dag.blanck@engelska.uu.se.

Instructions for presenting qualifications will be provided by the officer in charge at the Faculty, Birgitta Laghé, birgitta.laghe@uadm.uu.se. Union representatives are Anders Grundström, SACO-rådet, tel. +46 (0)18-471 5380; Carin Söderhäll, TCO/ST, tel. +46 (0)18-471 1996; and Stefan Djurström, SEKO, tel. +46 (0)18-471 3315.

You are invited to submit your written application, marked UFV-PA 2012/2490 no later than November 19th, 2012. Dierct your application to Uppsala University, P.O.Box 256, SE-751 05 Uppsala, SWEDEN, e-mail: registrator@uu.se or fax +46 (0)18‑471 2000, by 2012-11-19

Applications submitted by e-mail must be supplemented by signed original documents within one week after the application deadline.

The University’s Appointment Regulations are available at: http://regler.uu.se/Detaljsida/?contentId=92570&kategoriId=129

The Faculty of Languages supplementary guidelines for Appointment Regulations are available at: http://www.sprakvet.uu.se/For_medarbetare/Befordran/