The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (DMLL) in the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is seeking a distinguished scholar devoted to language instruction pedagogy to serve as the Eirik Børve Professor in Modern Languages.
Born in Norway, Dr. Eirik Børve came to the United States after earning a doctorate in Romance Languages at the University of Bergen. After teaching French at Grinnell College, he left academia for the publishing industry and was instrumental in creating successful college-level foreign language textbooks. The Eirik Børve Professorship at Case Western Reserve University was established by Eirik’s long-time publishing partner Thalia Dorwick, PhD, a double alumna of CWRU. The Professorship honors Dr. Børve’s passion for foreign language instruction and world cultures.
This endowed position is meant to foster methodological and technological innovation in foreign language instruction at Case Western Reserve University. It is part of a larger gift that supports promoting internationalization at the university. The Eirik Børve Professor will have resources available to develop a vision to advance the teaching and learning of foreign languages.
The position is open to candidates with expertise in foreign language pedagogy and cultural instruction in today’s challenging and rapidly changing world. Candidates should also have experience developing programs within new technological environments. Applicants should have a specialization in one of the modern languages offered by the department, should hold the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, and should have established a significant record of professional achievement. The selected candidate is expected to be committed to advancing the missions of the department and the university and to working with diverse faculty, staff, and students.
The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures is the multicultural epicenter of the university. As a collective, it represents the traditions and languages of almost every corner of the planet: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. The DMLL enables students to learn more about the world in meaningful ways through study abroad programs and by teaching them how to speak other languages and critically think about different cultural and socio-historic realities. The DMLL faculty work on various scholarly topics, from transatlantic studies to classical and contemporary Japanese literature and culture; from war and fiction in Germany to Latin American cinema; from 19th-century French authors to contemporary dystopian narrative. DMLL faculty are active scholars, translators, and creative writers, and they are dedicated to effective teaching and mentoring.
The DMLL offers undergraduate majors and minors in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish; minors in Italian and Russian; and courses in Arabic and Portuguese. Courses in Hebrew language, culture, and literature will soon be added to the curriculum. The department is associated with interdisciplinary programs in World Literature, Women’s and Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, and International Studies. Department faculty lead short-term study abroad programs in Cuba, France, Japan, Jordan, Italy, and Spain. The department has also developed specialized language courses for the professions: health, business, law, engineering, and diplomacy.
Case Western Reserve University is located in the University Circle cultural district of Cleveland, Ohio, home of the nationally top-ranked Cleveland Clinic, internationally famous Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Within a five-mile radius from CWRU are the nation’s second-largest theater district, several professional sports teams, a wide range of musical, artistic, and culinary venues, recreational opportunities, and numerous diverse communities in which to live.
Application Instructions
Submit a letter of application, CV, a one-page diversity statement, and contact information for three references. The one-page diversity statement should explain how the applicant’s research, teaching, and/or service have contributed to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their scholarly field(s) and/or how individual and/or collaborative efforts have promoted structural justice inside and outside institutions of higher learning. The statement should also reflect how the candidate’s continued efforts will foster a culture of diversity, pluralism, and individual difference at Case Western Reserve University. Candidates should submit their applications through the University’s Interfolio portal at apply.interfolio.com/114637. The position will remain open until filled.
In employment, as in education, Case Western Reserve University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applicants are protected under Federal law from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age and genetics.
Case Western Reserve University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 or equity@case.edu to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.