Job description

Wilmington, NC

College: College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and The Arts – 321 College
Dept/School: World Languages and Cultures – 32221
Vacancy Number: 16F-654
Position Number: 618
Location of Workplace: Main UNCW Campus

Brief Summary of Work for this Position:
The Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) invites applications for a two-year Visiting Assistant Professor fixed-term position in Japanese to begin in August 2025.

The Japanese program at UNCW is currently small but also over capacity, with high student interest and enrollment demonstrating the potential for growth. We seek a candidate with exceptional language teaching capability and a vision for contributing to continued program development, with the goal of demonstrating how enrollments justify the creation of a full-time tenure-track position.

Teaching responsibilities include a regular load of four courses per semester with the possibility of course reductions for active research. The successful candidate is expected to be an expert in Japanese language pedagogy from the beginning to upper-intermediate levels of proficiency. Special consideration will be given to candidates with the demonstrated ability to lead study abroad programs and build connections with other academic, extracurricular, or community-based programs.

The successful candidate will be responsible for at least one course on an aspect of contemporary Japanese language, culture, or society (e.g. arts and entertainment, business and finance, demographic challenges, politics, sociolinguistics, technology, tourism and recreation, and so on). The research area is thus open to all candidates who can demonstrate how their research contributes to potential growth in the Japanese minor and Japanese program broadly.

This posting is for a two-year position. Each year is a nine-month appointment with the opportunity to contribute to summer teaching and/or lead study abroad programs for additional compensation.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• PhD in Japanese, Applied Linguistics, East Asian Studies, or related field. Applicants who are ABD but are on track to complete their PhD by August 1, 2025 may also be considered.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Japanese and English
• Evidence of an active research agenda and the potential to contribute to courses in the Japanese minor
• Experience teaching Japanese as a foreign language at the university level

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Evidence of excellence in language teaching
• Experience developing and/or teaching courses in Japanese contemporary culture, language and society, or Japanese for specific purposes including business
• Experience with leading or developing study abroad programs, internships, work opportunities for Japanese learners, or community-based partnerships

Required Certifications or Licensure:
N/A

Primary Function of Organizational Unit:
The Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts is one of the largest academic units at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. With over 50 faculty members, we offer on-campus and online master’s degrees in Spanish; on-campus and online post-baccalaureate certificates in Hispanic Studies; a combined BA/MA program in Spanish; bachelor’s degrees in French, German, and Spanish; and minors in Classics, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. We also offer classes in American Sign Language, Arabic, and Italian. Through the North Carolina Language Exchange, we share online classes with 16 universities in our system. The Latin and Greek Exchange has facilitated cooperation and coordination among our faculties in expanding our curricular offerings.

College/School Information:
The College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (CHSSA) is home to 14 academic departments and offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Public Administration as well as combined bachelor’s/master’s degree programs in Spanish and English. The CHSSA also houses the Gender Studies and Research Center, an interdisciplinary and intersectional community of students, scholars, and advocates committed to social justice and equity.

In addition, the CHSSA offers a full complement of minors including interdisciplinary minors such as Africana studies, American studies, Asian studies, classical studies, European studies, forensic science, journalism, Latin American studies, medical humanities, Middle East and Islamic studies, Native American studies, and women and gender studies. Undergraduate certificates for professional writing and publishing, as well as a number of post-baccalaureate certificates such as conflict management and resolution, emergency and disaster management, forensic science, science and medical writing, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and Hispanic studies are a part of the college’s offerings.

The CHSSA contributes significantly to the curriculum that comprises UNCW’s University Studies Program, through which all undergraduates gain a foundation in the liberal arts and develop the transferable skills essential for life in the twenty-first century. The CHSSA strives in its undergraduate programs and in its University Study offerings to nurture creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, diversity and inclusion, and academic integrity in students while providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge in their chosen fields. Graduate programs in the CHSSA are designed to develop intellectual competence and to prepare the student for careers in business, industry, government, teaching or for further study at the doctoral level.Applied learning is a hallmark of the student experience in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts. Each of the CHSSA’s departments requires an applied learning experience as a part of the curriculum for its undergraduate majors. Examples include faculty-directed research, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects, all of which challenge students to integrate various strands of knowledge and to apply that knowledge to broader, real-world or real disciplinary situations.

Upon completion of their studies, all CHSSA students will have the necessary preparation for rewarding careers, advanced study, effective citizenship, and meaningful lives. The College of Humanities, Social Science, and the Arts offers limitless opportunities to engage in collaborative and interdisciplinary research and service while also making a positive societal impact. Come and join our vibrant academic environment that values discovery, innovation, and creativity.

University Information:
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Eligibility for Employment:
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Number of Openings: Single Incumbent

Special Notes to Applicants:
Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required. J-1 Visa Sponsorship for otherwise qualified applicants is available.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM EST on January 2, 2025, the posting closing date. To apply, please complete the online application below and attach the following materials as an Adobe PDF document including:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Combined Unofficial Graduate Transcripts
• Research Summary and Statement of Research Plans (1-2 pages)
• Teaching Philosophy (1-2 pages)
• Three professional references, **if ABD one of the references must be Dissertation Chair
• If needed, applicants may upload additional materials under the Other category

Letters of application without the requested components will not meet the application requirements. For questions about the position or online application process, contact the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Raymond Burt, at [email protected]

Position Type: Time-limited
Job Close Date: 1/2/2025

How to apply

To apply, visit https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/34391

At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.