The Department of Classical Studies at Denison University invites applicants for a tenure-track faculty position in Archaeology beginning in August 2024 at the level of Assistant Professor. We seek a candidate dedicated to undergraduate education and innovative pedagogies with college-level teaching experience, expertise in the archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean world, and an active research agenda. While the research area is open, we are particularly interested in candidates who can teach surveys of Greek and Roman Mediterranean archaeology and Roman history. Additionally, we are interested in candidates who can offer seminars from an archaeology/material culture perspective in one or more areas such as religions of the Roman world, slavery and human mobility, ancient technologies, ancient medicine, gender and sexuality, ethnicity and identity, and/or additional topics in the candidate’s area of expertise. Denison faculty teach five courses per year as a 2/3 load.
Potential candidates must have a Ph.D. at the time of application as well as a minimum of two years independent, college-level teaching experience. Applicants who identify from groups historically marginalized in the field of archaeology are strongly encouraged to apply. The Department of Classical Studies recognizes that archaeologists may have PhDs in a variety of disciplines including (but not limited to) Classics, Archaeology, Art History, History, Religious Studies, and Anthropology. The department is more interested in the ability to teach classes in the area of both Greek and Roman archaeology than in the specific field of the Ph.D.
Archaeology is a new core component for the department and the successful candidate should be prepared to initiate and maintain new archaeology offerings to support this new feature of the department's curriculum. Association with an active excavation is not expected, but the successful candidate will be expected to assist in placing students into summer field schools and excavations throughout the Mediterranean. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to develop and lead travel seminars in the region of the Mediterranean coinciding with their research specialization. The successful candidate should anticipate advising a small number of senior research projects each year and acting as academic advisor to students across the curriculum.
Our new colleague will be welcome to teach courses that are currently in our catalog from a material culture perspective. The ability to teach in Denison’s Digital Humanities is also desirable. In addition, the successful candidate may have the opportunity to teach courses cross-listed with Anthropology, including the Anthropology department's Introduction to Archaeology course which gives a general introduction to the field and methods.
Faculty contributing to the life of their department, the institution, and the larger community is essential for Denison’s mission. We anticipate our new colleague will engage in service activities within these communities in a way that is congruent with their work as a teacher-scholar. Department community events include honors society induction, visiting lectures, and student-faculty lunches and dinners. Denison faculty are expected to maintain an active research agenda that results in scholarly publications in order to gain tenure.
First round interviews will be held over Zoom in October. We anticipate conducting on campus interviews in November and December.
Denison is an increasingly diverse, highly selective, residential liberal arts college enrolling approximately 2,300 students from across the nation and around the world. The college is located in the village of Granville, 30 minutes from Columbus, Ohio, the state capital, which hosts a wide range of cultural and artistic opportunities. Granville offers an excellent public school system and easy access to outdoor activities. Denison is committed to attracting and supporting an academically and culturally diverse faculty and is committed to providing a work and learning environment free from discrimination. A supportive environment for teacher-scholars who value both classroom and research excellence, Denison offers extensive support for its faculty, including competitive professional development funding, a one-semester research leave after a successful pre-tenure review, and a subsequent leave upon achieving tenure. For more information, please see the faculty handbook (https://catalog.denison.edu/faculty-handbook/).
In addition, Denison offers a range of workshops and mentoring programs to develop our strengths as teacher-scholars. Denison offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including tuition benefits to attend Denison or other affiliated colleges and a generous retirement contribution.
Qualifications
We seek a candidate dedicated to undergraduate education and innovative pedagogies with a minimum of two years previous independent, college-level teaching experience. Experience as a teaching assistant will not count towards the two-year minimum. A PhD must be in hand at the time the application is submitted; ABDs will not be considered. We recognize that archaeologists may have PhDs in a variety of disciplines including (but not limited to) Classics, Archaeology, Art History, History, Religious Studies, and Anthropology. It is important, therefore, that the application make clear the candidate’s status as an archaeologist with an active research agenda in Ancient Mediterranean archaeology and the capacity to teach the required courses: surveys of both Greek and Roman Mediterranean archaeology and seminar courses from an archaeology/material culture perspective.
An official transcript of graduate work will be requested from the finalists.
Applications must be submitted online at http://apply.interfolio.com/124994. Applications received and complete by Monday September 11, 2023 will receive full consideration. For a complete application candidates should submit:
- Letter of application that discusses their teaching interests, goals, and methods; their research agenda; and any relevant previous service to the field or previous institution(s). We recommend that it include specific methods they have used or envision using to expose students to a wide range of ideas and perspectives and to support a diverse, inclusive and equitable student community
- Curriculum Vitae
- Example syllabi for the courses below. These syllabi should demonstrate how applicants would teach archaeological theory and methods within the context of the ancient Mediterranean.
- An undergraduate survey-level course (24 students) on Archaeology of the Ancient Greek Mediterranean
- An undergraduate survey-level course (24 students) on Archaeology of the Ancient Roman Mediterranean
- An undergraduate seminar-level course (18 students) on the topic of the applicant’s choice that best demonstrates their teaching interests, pedagogy, and approach to archaeological work
- Sample of scholarly writing (recently published or in process chapter or article acceptable)
- Names of three professional references, one of whom must be able to speak to the candidate’s teaching, who may be contacted if the applicant is selected for an interview
To achieve our mission as a liberal arts college, we continually strive to attract and hire candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. Denison fosters a campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. For additional information and resources about diversity at Denison, please see our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism (IDEA) at https://denison.edu/campus/denison-forward.
Denison University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
In our ongoing efforts to support the health of our community and continue to operate our campus safely, Denison requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 including a booster within the timeline guidance recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unless a Denison-authorized exemption is approved prior to the first date of employment.
For more information and resources regarding this policy as a condition of employment, please visit https://denison.edu/campus/covid19