Visiting Assistant Professor of Linguistics

The Linguistics Department at Carleton College invites applications for a one-year, full-time Visiting Assistant Professor position for the 2024-25 academic year. Applications received by March 18, 2024 will receive priority consideration. Members of groups traditionally underrepresented in linguistics are strongly encouraged to apply.

Our Institution: Carleton College is a highly-ranked liberal arts college of 2,000 students located in the two-college town of Northfield Minnesota. Notable features include: 

• Urban Access: Northfield is 45 miles from Minneapolis - St. Paul (where MSP International airport is a Delta hub) and a similar distance from Rochester, home of the Mayo Clinic. 

• Outdoor Opportunities: Our campus includes an 800-acre arboretum, and the region contains a network of state parks, lakes, and trails. 

• Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity (IDE): Carleton has revised and renewed its IDE efforts through the recently-developed 10-year IDE strategic plan . 

Our Linguistics Department

• Who we are: We are currently two full-time faculty. In recent years, our graduating class of majors has ranged from five to fifteen.

• Our courses: Our curriculum offers a wide range of courses which focus on developing skills in the description and analysis of linguistic phenomena through a generative framework. Some of our courses are required for the Cognitive Science major.

You should have:

• A Ph.D. in hand by the beginning of the appointment. Candidates who have substantially completed a PhD may also be considered; in this case the rank will be set at the Visiting Lecturer level.

• A demonstrated record of successful teaching.

• A commitment to teaching, mentoring, and scholarship in a liberal arts college environment.

• An ability to inspire a diverse group of talented and hard-working undergraduates.

Things you will do:

• Teach either five or six courses (with full benefits in either case, and commensurate adjustments to salary). The candidate can decide at the time that the offer is extended.

  • Carleton operates on a trimester system: a five course load involves two courses in two terms and one course in another term, while a six course load involves two courses in all three terms. 

  • In addition to teaching core courses – introductory linguistics, phonetics/phonology – you will offer introductory and advanced sociolinguistics courses. 

Things you can choose to do:

• Involve students in your research.

• Collaborate on teaching or research projects with other departments or campus centers.

• Access support from other College offices, such as the Learning and Teaching Center.  

To apply, submit online :

• CV

• Cover letter - describing why this particular position is of interest to you and describing your research agenda.

• Teaching statement - (2-3 pages) describing your experience teaching students from diverse backgrounds as well as discussing how teaching at a residential liberal arts institution might be different from teaching at a larger institution.

• One sample of scholarship.

• Graduate school transcript.

• After passing through an initial screening process, applicants may receive a request for the contact information for three references, including at least one who is able to specifically address teaching experience.

Semi-finalists will be interviewed via Zoom and finalists will come to campus. Questions about the position or the application process may be directed to the contact below.

Application Deadline: 18-Mar-2024

• We are particularly interested in candidates committed to teaching a diverse student body.

• Carleton is committed to developing its faculty to better reflect the diversity of our student body and American society.  Women and members of underrepresented minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Carleton College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, veteran status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, status with regard to public assistance, disability, or age in providing employment or access to its educational facilities and activities.

• Carleton is a highly selective liberal arts college with a student body of approximately 2,000. Located in the thriving two-college town of Northfield, Minnesota, it is forty-five miles from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, in easy reach of a vibrant metropolitan area that is home to three million people and rich cultural resources.