Assistant Professor Linguistics/ASL and ASL Program Coordinator
The University of Southern Maine seeks applicants for an Assistant Professor of Linguistics/ASL and ASL Program Coordinator to start September 2017. The Department of Linguistics is an undergraduate program within the College of Science, Technology and Health. Our ASL/English Interpreting program is one of only 13 CCIE accredited B.A. programs for interpreting in the U.S. The interpreting program is embedded within a Linguistics Major, which offers concentrations in ASL/English Interpreting and in ASL Linguistics, as well as a minor in Deaf Studies. In addition to a rich interpreting curriculum, we offer six levels of ASL language courses, courses on Deaf culture, literature, and the arts, and specialization courses in a variety of areas, including Deafblind interpreting, medical interpreting, and study of several Latin American signed languages.
The successful applicant will be prepared to assume a course load of three college-level ASL and Deaf culture courses per semester (9-12 credits). The new faculty member will cover ASL language courses from introductory to advanced (400-level), including Academic ASL courses from among the following: ASL Literature, ASL Art, Film and Theater, and ASL Linguistics. These courses must succeed in bringing motivated and capable students toward advanced competency in ASL commensurate with the language competency needed to qualify for national interpreter certification. Maintaining the quality of these offerings is essential to our nationally accredited interpreting program (Collegiate Commission on Interpreter Education, 2009).
The successful applicant will also assume key administrative roles for the ASL curriculum within the ASL/English Interpreting concentration and the ASL Linguistics concentration of the major, including administering the service-learning and community experience components of the ASL courses, recommending and mentoring part-time instructors for ASL courses, and overseeing the annual Deaf Film Festival, among other things.
In addition, the successful candidate will also be expected to engage in research on their own or in collaboration with other faculty.
The University of Southern Maine (USM) is dedicated to providing students with a high-quality, accessible, affordable education. USM’s strategic focus is in alignment with the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities and we are seeking to become a Carnegie Engaged University by the year 2020. USM offers Baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctoral programs, providing students with rich learning and community engagement opportunities in the arts, humanities, politics, health sciences, business, mass communications, science, engineering, and technology. Further information on USM can be found at www.usm.maine.edu.
USM’s three environmentally friendly campuses are unique, yet all share the extensive resources of the university — and all are energized through strong community partnerships. Offering easy access to Boston, plus the ocean, mountains and forests of coastal, inland and northern Maine, USM is at the heart of Maine’s most exciting metropolitan region:
- Our Portland campus is located in “one of America’s most livable cities,” according to Forbes magazine, which also ranks Portland among the top 10 for job prospects. A creative and diverse community on Maine’s scenic coast, Portland is nationally known as a culinary hot spot!
- USM’s beautiful residential Gorham campus supports and celebrates excellence in academics, athletics, music and the arts and is home to ten Living Learning Communities and six Residential Communities.
- Our Lewiston campus is home to USM’s innovative and richly diverse Lewiston-Auburn College. This Central Maine campus integrates classroom, community and workplace, and provides a small college experience with the resources of a large university.
Qualifications – a Ph.D. in linguistics, ASL Pedagogy, or a related field as well as relevant teaching and administrative experience. The job requires cultural involvement and native speaker-level competency in American Sign Language as well as certification from the American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA, professional level). The applicant must have a demonstrated commitment to student success, active learning and community engagement. Preference will be given to candidates with a background in linguistics as well as an interest in interpreting (preferably holding a CDI). Deaf candidates are encouraged to apply.
Apply online at: https://usm.hiretouch.com/view-all-jobs. You will create an applicant profile and complete an application. You will need to upload a CV; cover letter (which may be in video form) that clearly states how your research and teaching interests and background articulate with the expectations stated above; one (and only one) written or signed sample of research (publication, submitted manuscript, or dissertation chapter); a summary or abstract of the Ph.D. dissertation; and the names and addresses of three references who are well-acquainted with your work who are prepared to comment on your suitability to the position we are offering. At least one of the three recommenders should be a native ASL signer. You will also need to complete the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status form.
To ensure full consideration, materials should be submitted by January 10, 2017. Materials received on or after that date will be considered at the discretion of the university.
USM is an EEO/AA employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.