The creative writing, Spanish, French, and Asian languages and civilizations departments all received approval for searches; the black studies and history departments will search for a joint professor.
Before authorizing any search for faculty for tenured or tenure-track positions, departments must write a request to the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP), which consists of five faculty members, three students and the dean of the faculty.
In the spring, the CEP ranks requests as high, medium or low priority. The CEP then writes a letter to the dean of the faculty and the president of the College explaining its selection for high-priority tenure-track positions.
The dean and the president then approve department searches based upon the recommendations of the CEP, keeping in mind the tenure-track faculty cap. Currently, the board of trustees has kept the cap on tenure-track professors at 165. According to Greg Call, the dean of the faculty, the Committee on Academic Priorities (CAP) may ask the Board to raise this number.
For visiting professor positions, departments write to the dean of the faculty in the spring. Based upon the number of professors taking sabbaticals, the dean may then approve the department's request to spend the spring searching for a fall visitor.
This year, the creative writing department is hoping to bring in a visiting fiction writer for an initial appointment of two years with the possibility of renewal for another year.
The Spanish department hopes to add a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who specializes in Caribbean literatures and cultures as well as a lecturer to teach beginning to advanced language courses.
"The Spanish department is in the process of rebuilding, after the untimely passing of Antonio Benitez-Rojo and after over two decades of no growth in its professorial staffing," said Professor of European Studies Ron Rosbottom, the chair of the department.
The French department is also seeking a lecturer for fall 2006 through spring 2009 to teach first- and second-year language courses and supervise three French teaching assistants. "The French department is very happy to bolster our offerings by bringing in a new lecturer next fall," said Professor of French Paul Rockwell, the chair of the department.
The Asian languages and civilizations department is seeking a tenure-track instructor of Japanese literature. The responsibilities of the assistant professor will include teaching translated Japanese literature from all periods, directing senior theses and instructing interdisciplinary courses.
"ALAC was very disappointed when Patrick Caddeau was denied tenure," said Professor of the Asian Languages and Civilizations Samuel Morse, the chair of the department. "However, we are encouraged that the CEP and the administration understand how crucial the study of literature is to our program and are grateful to be able to search for a professor of Japanese literature during this year."
The CEP also gave approval to a search for a joint history-black studies assistant professor who will be full-time and tenure-track. "The department will be hiring a replacement for a retiring professor of black Atlantic history," said Assistant Professor of Black Studies and American Studies Jeffrey Ferguson. "We hope to bring in a scholar who knows his or her field well and will teach exciting courses that approach issues of race from a global and comparative perspective."
Completion of a Ph.D. or the appropriate equivalent is required for all new faculty positions.