Department Head

Department Head, Department of English

We invite applications for the position of Head of the Department of English at Purdue University. The department is home to a number of exciting and dynamic ventures in different disciplinary areas, including the CROW (Corpus & Repository of Writing) Lab, the COVE collective, and other grant-funded digital humanities projects, and community engagement projects such as the Big Read and the Literary Awards Contest. The department is also home to two major scholarly journals: Modern Fiction Studies and Arthuriana, as well as the undergraduate arts journal The Bell Tower.   

About the Department, College, and Purdue University  
The Department offers the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Undergraduates have several program options within the English department, including literature, creative writing, and professional writing. At the graduate level, the department offers an M.A. in English (open specialization) and a Ph.D. in Literature, Theory, Culture Studies and in Rhetoric and Composition. Faculty are also involved in such interdisciplinary programs as the highly regarded Purdue Online Writing Lab, African American Studies, American Studies, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.  The department’s population includes forty tenured or tenure-track faculty, eight lecturers, one clinical professor (or teaching professor), twenty-five limited term or visiting lecturers, and thirty graduate students. Purdue University’s Department of English is committed to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment in all areas of faculty effort, including scholarship, instruction, and engagement. 

Purdue University is comprehensive land-grant university, member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and a member of the American Association of Universities. The College of Liberal Arts is home to ten academic units and the innovative and award-winning Cornerstone Integrative Liberal Arts program. Faculty participate in many interdisciplinary centers and research initiatives across campus. The greater Lafayette community offers a favorable cost of living and a welcoming environment. 

The Head position plays a central role in creating a departmental vision for superintending and growing a humanities department in a STEM-centered environment. The Head supervises and mentors faculty, graduate students, and staff; fosters external grant funding; and manages substantial budgets. The person in this role leads efforts to attract, mentor, and retain faculty. The Department Head advocates on behalf of the Department’s mission to internal and external stakeholders, including the Dean’s Office and the Provost’s Office.

Terminal degree (Ph.D. M.F.A., D.F.A) in any of the areas represented in the Department of English at Purdue (Creative Writing; Literature, Theory, Cultural Studies; or Rhetoric and Composition). Qualifications for appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure at an AAU university, including distinguished scholarly record and evidence of excellent teaching. Evidence of effective prior leadership in an academic setting

College of Liberal Arts, Head, Department of English, Purdue University  
Application Deadline: November 25, 2023,  or until filled 
12-month position.  Start date: July 1, 2024  
 

 Application materials must be submitted online through https://careers.purdue.edu/ (req #). Please submit a letter of application that describes qualifications for the position, curriculum vitae, names of three references, and statement of administrative philosophy. Candidates who are considered potential finalists will be asked to arrange for letters of recommendation to be sent to the department. Review of applications begins Nov 25, 2023, and will continue until position is filled. The anticipated start date for the position is July 1, 2024.

We also welcome nominations. Please address questions to search committee chair Dr. Cherie Maestas, [email protected]. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and a background check will be required for employment in this position.  
 
Purdue University is an EEO/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.