Employment
NEW JOB OPENING: Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair in Immigration History
The Department of History at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, invites applications for the Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair in Immigration History. The appointment will be a full-time, 12-month appointment at the rank of either Associate Professor with tenure or Professor with tenure (advanced Assistant Professors meeting requirements for tenure at the University of Minnesota will also be considered). The appointment will begin as early as August 26, 2024. Rank will depend upon qualifications and experience and be consistent with College and University policy. Responsibilities include half-time service and teaching in history (a total of two courses over two semesters, at the undergraduate and graduate level) and providing primary vision and leadership as Director of the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC), an endowed, interdisciplinary unit in the College of Liberal Arts.
We seek candidates with teaching experience and research expertise in U. S. immigration history in any period from the 19th century through the 21st century and demonstrated intellectual breadth in thinking globally about migration flows and patterns. We are especially interested in public-facing scholars who engage questions of racial justice, who connect historical patterns and practices with contemporary debates about immigration, asylum, and refugees, and climate related migration, and whose research has the potential to enter into conversation with other fields of history that are represented in the department, including legal and labor history, histories of race, gender, and sexuality, indigeneity, colonialism, empire, and historical memory. Candidates whose work is interdisciplinary are also strongly encouraged to apply, especially scholars who can engage with our programs in Heritage Studies and Public History and/or Human Rights. The responsibilities of the director of the IHRC include providing intellectual and programmatic leadership to IHRC activities, supervising staff, engaging in community outreach, and fundraising. With these responsibilities in mind, candidates should be committed to community-engaged scholarship and partnership; building upon recent IHRC initiatives; advocacy and response to and the fostering of public dialogue related to immigration and refugees; and working with the IHRC Archives and immigrant and refugee communities to create, preserve, and share their history.
The Department of History has a strong commitment to diversity. We encourage scholars from underrepresented groups to apply. We welcome experience working with diverse students, in multicultural environments, and interest in developing curricula and public outreach to diverse populations.
The University of Minnesota is a research university serving undergraduate and graduate students and is the only Ph.D. granting institution in the state. Its main campus is in the large, metropolitan area of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Department of History is in the College of Liberal Arts.
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is located on Dakota land. The Department of History and the IHRC acknowledge that the migration of immigrants and refugees to the US has been part of US settler-colonial practices that displaced and dispossessed Indigenous peoples, and that immigration study and advocacy must acknowledge this and support American Indian Nations and peoples.
The Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) and its partner the IHRC Archives are devoted to preserving and understanding immigrant and refugee life. Founded in 1965, they are the oldest and largest interdisciplinary research center and archives in North America. The IHRC promotes interdisciplinary research on migration, race, and ethnicity in the United States and globally, advances public dialogue about immigration and refugees, connects U. S. immigration history research to contemporary immigrant and refugee communities and questions, and develops archives documenting immigrant and refugee experiences.
The Department of History is recognized as a prominent community of scholars both nationally and internationally. Our award-winning faculty are widely acknowledged for their scholarship in a broad range of fields, for their commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching, and for their commitment to interdisciplinarity and public engagement. The departmental culture is open, generous, and supportive. It is a workshop rich culture with long-running workshops including in American Indian and indigenous studies; comparative history of women, gender, and sexuality; the comparative early modern Atlantic world; legal history; and the graduate workshop in modern history. Faculty scholarship and creative activities range broadly from traditional monographs and original works of synthesis to websites, performances, photo exhibits, congressional testimony, amicus briefs, and expert testimony in court cases. The department has a long and distinguished history of training graduate students who hold teaching appointments at universities and colleges across the United States and around the world, as well as in a broad range of other appointments including in museums, NGOs, historical societies, and as grant writers, historical consultants and researchers.
For more information about the History Department and the IHRC, please refer to the History website (http://www.cla.umn.edu/history) and the website for the IHRC (www.ihrc.umn.edu). Questions may be directed to histsrch@umn.edu.
How To Apply: Applications must be submitted online at the Application Page at https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/356783. The posting number is 356783. The following materials must be attached to your online application: 1) letter of application, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) a one-page statement describing your vision for the Vecoli Chair and Director of the IHRC that also briefly addresses your administrative experience, and 4) a representative body of writing samples. We will seek letters of recommendation for those advancing to interviews. Other additional materials may be requested from candidates at a later date.
The priority deadline for application materials is October 16, 2023.
This position will remain open until filled.
A Ph.D. or foreign equivalent in history or a related field with a focus on history is required. Candidates must show evidence of excellence in teaching, a record of distinguished scholarly publication, and administrative experience.