Description
The University of Virginia's interdisciplinary Global Studies Program invites applications for a three-year Academic General Faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in its Global Development Studies track, expected to begin on August 10, 2027. Global Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program, firmly situated within the liberal arts tradition, with concentrations in development, public health, security and justice, sustainability, and commerce. See our About page for more information on who we are, including two journal articles documenting our origins (https://globalstudies.virginia.edu/about).
The Global Development Studies (GDS) track asks students to think deeply about what “development” means--or could mean--in social, political, and economic terms in the 21 century, both in the United States and around the globe. GDS offers students an educational experience grounded in both critical perspectives on development theories and situated engagements with development practices. We are particularly interested in expanding concrete opportunities for experiential learning within a liberal arts framework.
An Academic General Faculty (AGFM) position is a three-year, non-tenure line appointment with the possibility but not the guarantee of renewal. Academic faculty on the teaching track focus primarily on student education, administration, and engagement. Promotion to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor is possible. The successful applicant will teach six undergraduate courses per year, assist in advising, and contribute to the learning community of GDS.
Qualifications
Candidates should hold a PhD degree by the time of appointment.
We seek candidates from anthropology, sociology, politics, economics, environmental science, human geography, history, philosophy, the arts, or other relevant disciplines who can help develop and lead the GDS track, bringing a critical perspective to the study of development with an emphasis on the experiences of marginalized communities across the globe. We particularly welcome applicants who can bridge academic and practitioner perspectives, with experience working with and in communities and who can facilitate student engagement in such work.
Application Instructions
Review of applications begins 3 weeks after the application open date and will continue until interviews have started. We will only consider complete applications.
To apply, please submit the following:
- CV
- Cover letter expressing your interest in the position, highlighting both your academic and practical work in development and your teaching interests and experience, and explaining how you could help GDS deepen its students' educational experience (3-page single-spaced maximum)
- A statement of teaching philosophy (2-page single-paced maximum)
- 2 sample syllabi
- Contact information for at least 3 references
Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Sylvia Tidey at [contact details available in the full listing]. Questions about the application process should be directed to Margaret Weeks, [contact details available in the full listing]. The university will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.
UVA is located in beautiful Charlottesville with easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the eastern shore, and the nation's Capital. Charlottesville is an attractive place to live; it is a vibrant, outdoor-oriented town with exceptional cultural, educational, culinary, and community amenities. Across the university you will find many opportunities for teaching- and research collaboration within an interesting, collegial, and supportive work environment.
For more information on the benefits available to faculty at UVA, visit https://provost.virginia.edu/subsite/faculty-development and hr.virginia.edu/benefits.
Organization
In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.
What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.
Each of the University’s eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s, 2016).
As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.
RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES
As an R1 institution, the University’s research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.
Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty’s engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.
NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM
UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.
Established as the nation’s 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children’s Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.
The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.
INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING
The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.
One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University’s residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation: UVA’s faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.
Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards. Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow’s leaders inside and outside the classroom.
LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Living in Charlottesville you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries. No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.
In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others. Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses. The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers.
The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
