STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Post-Doctoral Fellowships
in
INTRODUCTION TO THE HUMANITIES
[Please note that the fellowship application for academic year 2008-2009 is now closed, as of March 10, 2008. ]
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.
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, classical studies, 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. Required qualifications include a strong record of scholarship and evidence of teaching excellence. Strongly recommended qualifications include experience in teaching first-year university students, interdisciplinary research and/or teaching experience, familiarity with team-teaching, and experience in writing instruction.
Stanford 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.
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.
Post-doctoral fellows are hired to teach specific courses in the IHUM curriculum. In autumn quarter of IHUM, fellows teach interdisciplinary courses in collaboration with two or more Stanford faculty; in winter and spring quarters, fellows teach a two-quarter disciplinary course. Autumn and winter/spring IHUM course faculty review candidates' files and make hiring recommendations.
Click here for information on 2008-09 courses and faculty. Please note that the IHUM curriculum continues to be under development through the application deadline.
To apply for a Stanford Introduction to Humanities post-doctoral fellowship:
Step One:
Complete the on-line application form, and identify courses for which you would like to be considered:
Online Application [link no longer available as of March 10, 2008 ]
Step Two:
Submit your print materials via U.S.mail to IHUM Post-Doctoral Fellows Search Committee, Introduction to the Humanities Program, 250-106, Main Quad, Stanford, CA. 94305-2020. Please include the following:
- 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.
- 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.
- Student, peer and/or other teaching evaluations. Evaluation summaries are preferable to copies of individual student forms.
- Curriculum vitae.
Step Three:
Arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to the above address. Please be sure that least one reference describes the status of your dissertation progress.
Submit all application materials by March 7, 2008. Phone interviews for semi-finalists will be conducted after April 1, 2008. Campus visits for finalists will be arranged during April and early May. Decisions are expected to be announced by mid-May.
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page if you have any questions. If there is something not covered there, or if you have any additional concerns, please contact ihumprogram@stanford.edu.