The English department at Boston University invites applications for a tenure-track position in Black American and Diasporic Cinema at the rank of Assistant Professor, starting July 1, 2025. We welcome candidates with strong research profiles in the history, culture, politics and poetics of Black cinema within and beyond the confines of Hollywood, including considerations of race, film historiography and the archive; international, anti-colonial and/or Black Diasporic cinematic traditions; theoretical work on race, performance, spectatorship and identification; intermedial work spanning film, television, digital media, photography, video games and visual art; and intersectional approaches to race, gender and sexuality. In addition to English, the successful candidate would hold strong ties to the Cinema & Media Studies Program, the African American & Black Diaspora Studies Program, and the American & New England Studies Program.

The English Department believes that the diversity of faculty, staff, and students is vital to the excellence of our research and academic programs, and we are especially eager to hire colleagues who support our institutional commitments to ensuring that Boston University is inclusive, equitable, and diverse. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration, and upholds freedom of expression.

Required Skills

Successful candidates must have the Ph.D. in hand by time of appointment and be prepared for teaching duties at the undergraduate and graduate level (2/2 load). Salary commensurate with experience.

DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY HR WEBSITE.

Send cover letter; CV; a 25-page writing sample; a 2-page description of dissertation or major publications; and a teaching statement by November 1, 2024 to ensearch@bu.edu. Initial interviews via Zoom or Skype.

BU conducts a background check on all final candidates for certain faculty and staff positions. The background check includes contacting the final candidate’s current and previous employer(s) to ask whether, in the last seven years, there has been a substantiated finding of misconduct violating that employer’s applicable sexual misconduct policies. To implement this process, the University requires a final candidate to complete and sign the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” after execution of an offer letter.

_We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. _

Required Experience

Successful candidates must have the Ph.D. in hand by time of appointment and be prepared for teaching duties at the undergraduate and graduate level (2/2 load). Salary commensurate with experience.

DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY HR WEBSITE.

Send cover letter; CV; a 25-page writing sample; a 2-page description of dissertation or major publications; and a teaching statement by November 1, 2024 to ensearch@bu.edu. Initial interviews via Zoom or Skype.

BU conducts a background check on all final candidates for certain faculty and staff positions. The background check includes contacting the final candidate’s current and previous employer(s) to ask whether, in the last seven years, there has been a substantiated finding of misconduct violating that employer’s applicable sexual misconduct policies. To implement this process, the University requires a final candidate to complete and sign the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” after execution of an offer letter.

_We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. _