OPEN RANK PROFESSOR, BRITISH/ANGLOPHONE LITERATURE

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college




Open Rank Professor, British/Anglophone Literature


Department of English



POSITION SUMMARY


The Department of English at Occidental College invites applications for a tenure‐track Open Rank, Professor
of British/Anglophone Literature with appointment to begin August 2027.

The English Department is searching for a new colleague in British/Anglophone Literature. The specialization is
open, though the department is especially interested in the fields of Long Eighteenth Century, the History of
the Novel, Romanticism, British Modernism, Contemporary Global Anglophone literature. We welcome a
range of methodologies that practice close reading, examine literary form, and attend to literary history. The
new hire will offer courses in Modern British Literature, from its 18th-century origins to its 21st-century
manifestations. This will include ENGL 288: Modern British Traditions, as well as other courses at the 100, 200,
and 300 levels in their area(s) of specialization. In addition, the new hire will teach required seminar courses
that rotate among members of the department, including ENGL 290: Literary Methods, the ENGL 390: Junior
Seminar and ENGL 490: Senior Seminar. We are particularly interested in courses that would meet College
Core requirements or would engage with the city and communities of Los Angeles. As necessary, the new hire
will contribute to the First Year Seminar program, which focuses on writing and community-engagement. The
new hire will also have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate researchers in Oxy’s renowned Summer
Undergraduate Research Program. The new hire will have an active research agenda, producing scholarship
that is commensurate with their rank. Finally, the new hire will participate in the life and development of the
department, advise students, and serve on broader college-wide committees.

The Department of English studies literature to develop our critical and creative potential in a nation and
world going through drastic changes. We embrace the view that historically, geographically, and culturally
grounded readings of literature deepen its aesthetic value. Literature continues to be a wellspring for other
creative mediums (including television, film, music, visual art, performance art, and beyond). We also
introduce our students to archival research in Occidental’s special collections as well as other libraries and
archives in Southern California.

Our students embrace literature’s role in nourishing their critical and creative potential. Every English major
researches and writes their own critical analysis of a literary work in their Senior Comprehensive Project. In
recent years, students have taken up a range of topics for their Senior Comprehensive, including Gothic
literature, Margaret Atwood’s fiction, Ecoliterature, Toni Morrison’s fiction, Ekphrastic Poetry, Anticolonial
Literature, the relationship between Literature and Gaming, and Reginald Shepherd’s Elegies. Our students
who take on the creative writing emphasis have published poetry chapbooks, children’s literature, and short
fiction. English majors and minors comprise the majority of the editorial collective that publishes The Oz,
Occidental’s literary magazine that features short fiction, poetry, experimental writing, and visual art from

students across campus. Our students have also made their mark across Los Angeles, from interning with the
Los Angeles Review of Books to volunteering in mutual aid projects. Our graduates go on to work in
independent publishing, education, marketing, and law, among other fields. Our faculty are committed
teacher-scholars who bring critical inquiry and discovery into the classroom. They establish themselves as
exceptional researchers and practitioners in their fields and they provide departmental and college-wide
service, as well as service to their professions. As a small institution with a commitment to Shared
Governance, faculty across the College collaborate in maintaining the excellence of the College’s academic
program.

Located within the vibrant city of Los Angeles, Occidental is committed to a community-engaged curriculum—
faculty carry out fieldwork, visit local museums and cultural organizations, and develop long-standing
partnerships across the city. For decades, Occidental has been a leader in creating access for a diverse student
body. That diversity enriches the education of all students. We seek an innovative teacher, scholar, mentor,
and colleague who wishes to work in such an environment and who shares the commitments articulated in
the Mission of the College.

QUALIFICATIONS


Required Qualifications

● Ph.D in English, with a focus in British/Anglophone Literature by the position start date, August 2027.
● Record of or willingness to teach and mentor effectively in a Small Liberal Arts College environment.
● Record of or willingness to advance equitable opportunities and inclusive pedagogies for learning and

mentoring, especially for minoritized students.
● Record of or willingness to teach courses in Modern British/Anglophone Literature, including ENGL

288: Modern British Traditions, as well as other courses at the 100-, 200-, and 300-levels that fulfill
either the Group II, III, or IV Requirements in the major curriculum.

● Experience teaching or willingness to teach their own versions of required courses in the English major,
including ENGL 290, Introduction to Literary methods; ENGL 390, Junior Seminar; and ENGL 490, Senior
Seminar (with ENGL 290 being the most important in this series).

● Ability to teach First-Year Seminar courses.

● Evidence of an established research agenda, appropriate to the level of appointment.

● Evidence of active participation in their specialized field(s).

● Evidence of furthering their research agenda through recent and forthcoming research.

Preferred Qualifications

● A Specialty in the Long Eighteenth Century, the History of the Novel, British Romanticism, British
Modernism, Contemporary Global Anglophone literature, or related fields.

● Willingness and ability to teach community-engaged or practice-oriented courses
● Willingness and ability to mentor students during the school year in Directed Research courses in the

English major or during the Summer in the Undergraduate Research Program or MSI.
● Willingness and ability to organize programming, events, exhibitions
● Experience in or commitment to departmental leadership and management responsibilities (e.g.,

curricular development, annual assessment, long-term departmental planning, etc.)
● Potential to teach some cross-listable courses with other departments/curricula at the College.

SALARY


EXPECTED SALARY RANGE (for Academic Year, Nine-month Appointment):
● If hired at Assistant rank: $87,000 - $94,000
● If hired at Associate rank: $103,000 - $116,000
● If hired at Full rank: $120,000 - $145,000

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined
based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors,
Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees
when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range
for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and
continued salary growth.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS


To receive full consideration (with the exception of life emergencies), your application materials must be
received by midnight Eastern time (9:00 pm Pacific time) on November 15, 2026.

Applicants must submit a complete application package electronically via Interfolio to be considered by the
search committee. https://apply.interfolio.com/194069

A complete application includes all of the following:

● Cover Letter (2 to 3 pages), detailing your interest in teaching in an urban liberal arts environment;
your interest in teaching core courses in the English major and courses in your field specialty or courses
elsewhere in the College. Applicants with administrative and leadership experience are welcome to
mention this information in their cover letter as well.

● Curriculum Vitae listing degrees, research fields, scholarly activities, courses taught, and other relevant
professional activity (conference participation, contributions to professional associations, journal
activity, or editorial work).

● Research Statement (2 to 3 pages) that includes a discussion of your past and present scholarly work as
well as your plans for future research. This can include future articles, single-authored or co-authored
book projects, edited collections, or public intellectual work.

● Statement of Teaching Philosophy (2 to 3 pages) that includes a discussion of your teaching experience,
proposed courses, preferred pedagogical practices, as well as your record of and future plans for
creating equitable opportunities for learning and mentoring a diverse student body.

● List of 3 possible references - names and contact information. Please do NOT submit letters with your
application

Applicants who advance to future stages will be asked to submit additional materials; please do not submit
any of these materials at the initial stage.

Applicants who advance to the Semifinalist phase will be asked to submit the following:

● Writing Sample (15 to 25 pages) that represents recently completed or ongoing scholarly research. This
could be a published article or book chapter, a forthcoming article or book chapter, or a recently
presented scholarly lecture. Whatever form the writing sample takes, it should complement the
trajectory explained in the research statement.

● Two sample syllabi. One sample syllabus must be for ENGL 288, Modern British Literature. The other
sample syllabus can cover one of the following courses: ENGL 332, Eighteenth Century Literature; ENGL
351, Modernism and Contemporary British Fiction; or a new 300 level course that would reflect the
applicant’s research specialty and fulfill Group II, III, or IV requirements in the English major.

Applicants who advance to the finalist phase will be asked to submit three Confidential Letters of
Recommendation.

If you have any questions about the position, the application materials, or the application instructions, please
contact: James Ford at [contact details available in the full listing] or call [contact details available in the full listing]. If you have questions about Interfolio or the
application process, please contact the Academic Support Administrator, Beatrice Gonzales, at
[contact details available in the full listing].


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION



Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or
applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital
status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military
and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly
committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an
inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive.
Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and
experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from
groups that are underrepresented in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that
includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse,
domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For
a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-
services/humanresources/benefits-information

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner
consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair
Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with
qualifying disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the
application or employment process, please contact Human Resources ([contact details available in the full listing]).

As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires
that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they
have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check,
along with pre-employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only
as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring
Ordinance.