Stanford University , Humanities or Social Sciences – Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Introduction to the Humanities
Stanford University is now accepting applications for 8 to 10 postdoctoral fellows for 2008-09. Fellows lead seminar discussions for Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM) courses that fulfill Stanford’s liberal arts requirement for freshmen, following the curricular tradition first established at Stanford in 1919. Fellows teach three seminar discussion sections (averaging 15 students each) that meet twice weekly and coordinate with course lectures given by Stanford’s senior faculty.
IHUM courses build intellectual foundations in humanistic study and enhance skills in textual analysis, reasoning, argumentation, and oral and written expression. Interdisciplinary, thematic courses in autumn quarter are followed by disciplinary two-quarter course sequences in winter and spring. Students enroll in autumn and winter/spring courses to satisfy the three-quarter IHUM requirement. Stanford reviews and renews the specific IHUM course offerings every academic year.
Current and former fellows cite the IHUM Fellowship’s collegiality and support for excellence in teaching. The Fellowship encourages systematic reflection on effective teaching strategies in an environment that fosters exchange and collaboration, especially around topics in interdisciplinary pedagogy.
Fellowships are open to scholars in all humanistic disciplines and areas of specialization, who will have completed all requirements for their Ph.D. degree no later than June 30, 2008. IHUM especially seeks candidates from the fields of archeology, classics, comparative literature, American studies, drama and performance studies, East Asian studies, English, French and Italian, European history, music, philosophy, religious studies and history of science.
IHUM Post-doctoral Fellows are appointed September 1, 2008 for a one-year term renewable for two additional years depending on programmatic need and job performance. Starting salary will be at least $45,000. Supplemental stipends of at least $1800 are provided to support Fellows’ research and scholarship. The Fellowship also provides support for professional development in the use of new media and technology in teaching. After successful completion of their first-year, IHUM Fellows will be eligible for one quarter of research leave and may also arrange to teach a course of their own design.
Eligibility requirements include: Ph.D. filed by June 30, 2008; a strong record of humanities scholarship; and evidence of teaching excellence. Other desired qualifications are: experience in teaching first-year university students; interdisciplinary research and/or teaching experience; familiarity with team-teaching; and experience in writing instruction.
To apply for a Stanford Introduction to Humanities post-doctoral fellowship:
1. Complete the on-line application form, and identify courses for which you would like to be considered:
http://ihum.stanford.edu/fellows/applicants.html2. Write a letter of application that addresses all aspects of your qualifications (including the status of your dissertation) and describes your preparation for teaching the specific courses that you identified in the on-line form.
3. Include a Teaching Statement that describes your teaching philosophy and your approach to teaching a seminar on one or more of the texts taught in courses that you identified in the on-line form.
4. Include student, peer and/or other teaching evaluations. Evaluation summaries are preferable to copies of individual student forms.
5. Send application letter, curriculum vitae, Teaching Statement and evaluations to the IHUM Post-Doctoral Fellows Search Committee, Introduction to the Humanities Program, 250-106, Main Quad, Stanford, CA.
94305-2020.
6. Arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to this address. Please be sure that least one referee describes the status of your dissertation progress.
7. Submit all application materials by February 28, 2008. Decisions are expected to be announced by the end of May.
AS A PRIVATE INSTITUTION, STANFORD UNIVERSITY HAS A STRONG AND ONGOING COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF DIVERSITY. IN THAT SPIRIT, WE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGE APPLICATIONS FROM ALL PEOPLE INCLUDING WOMEN, MEMBERS OF ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS, AND DISABLED PERSONS.
Contact Info:
IHUM Post-Doctoral Fellows Search Committee
Introduction to the Humanities Program
250-106, Main Quad
Stanford, CA 94305-2020
Website: http://ihum.stanford.edu
