Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) - World Languages and Cultures

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Attention:

The Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater seeks an Assistant Professor.

Job Summary:

The Department of World Languages and Cultures at UW-Whitewater seeks a dedicated educator, scholar and colleague to join our faculty. This position carries a 24-credit annual teaching load with an emphasis on high-impact instructional practices, student success, research, and professional service. The successful candidate will be able to teach professional Spanish and translation — including translation across languages — along with Spanish language and grammar courses for second-language learners, heritage speakers, and mixed classrooms as part of the Spanish major, the Spanish minor, the Professional Spanish minor, the Spanish BSE major and minor, and the broader World Languages and Cultures curriculum. The approved standards for promotion and tenure at the time of initial contract are the standards that will be used for promotion and tenure. If there are revisions to department or college standards, a faculty member can request (in writing to the department chair) to have the revised standards applied.

Workplace Expectations:

●       Please see the link below regarding the workplace expectations at UW-Whitewater. We believe that by adhering to these expectations, we develop a university community in which all students, staff and faculty feel valued and supported.

○       UWW Workplace Expectations

Key Job Responsibilities:

Teaching & Instructional Expectations

• Course Load: Deliver 24 credits of instruction per academic year in Spanish and World Languages and Cultures. The anticipated rotation includes translation coursework in Spanish and across languages (Introduction to Spanish Translation, and Translation and Interpretation in the World Languages); Spanish for the professions courses (such as  Spanish for Business); Spanish Conversation; and Spanish grammar and language courses at any level from 141 through 326 as departmental need requires. (UW-Whitewater Teaching Responsibilities and Workload Policy)
• Office Hours for Students: Maintain at least five office hours for students each week during the academic year (departments and/or colleges may have additional requirements). These office hours for students should be consistent to provide accessible student support and academic advising/mentoring. For faculty who teach a portion or all courses online, the modality of the office hours for students should be proportionate to the modality of the courses taught unless the department or college has additional requirements.
• Advising/mentoring: Use Navigate for all advising/mentoring notes.
• Communication: Maintain professional and timely responsiveness to student, colleague, and administrator inquiries via Navigate, Canvas, email and telephone, generally within 24–48 business hours while on contract. When off contract, use the “out of office” feature in Outlook to let individuals know who to contact in your absence.
• Administrative Compliance: Ensure the punctual submission of course syllabi at the start of each term, ensuring they meet all University and system-wide requirements (UWW Syllabi Reqs).
• Contribute to curriculum development, including the development of new professional Spanish courses and support for the WLC major with French and German emphases planned for AY 2027-2028.
• Student Success: Professional Spanish courses are capped at 24 students. Faculty are expected to use that scale to work closely and individually with students, building the highly engaged classroom community that supports the success of all students.
• Accessibility: Select and develop instructional materials that are Title II (ADA) compliant. All digital course content, textbooks, and media must be accessible to students with disabilities to ensure an equitable learning environment.

Research, Scholarship & Creative Activity

• Maintain an active scholarly agenda that contributes to the field of translation studies, professional Spanish, Hispanic linguistics, Heritage Spanish, or a related area of Spanish studies.
• Disseminate research through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or professional exhibitions per department and college standards.
• Seek opportunities to involve undergraduate students in research initiatives.

Service & Engagement

• Participate in departmental, college, and university-level meetings and committee work.
• Participate in professional and public service.
• Contribute to program assessment and development.
• Engage in professional outreach and service that aligns with the University Mission Statement and the Wisconsin Idea.
• Lead the department in developing a formal internship process and other career-oriented programming that connects World Languages and Cultures students with regional employers.
• Build collaborations across campus — including, for example, the College of Business and Economics, the university’s artificial intelligence programs, and other departments and disciplines— that strengthen professional Spanish offerings and student career pathways.
• Carry a regular departmental advising load and support student recruitment and retention in the Spanish and Professional Spanish programs.
• Participate in at least one graduation ceremony each academic year.

Department:

COLS | World Languages and Cultures

The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers majors and minors in French, German, Japanese Studies, and Spanish, together with coursework in ASL and Arabic. The Spanish program enrolls approximately 50 majors and 150 minors and is the department’s largest program. The Spanish program has a well-established Peninsular, Latin American, and Latinx literature and culture curriculum, as well as a robust language curriculum for both second-language and heritage learners. The Professional Spanish minor anchors a career-oriented curriculum that includes Spanish for Business, Legal Spanish, Spanish for Educators, Spanish for Health Professionals, Spanish Translation and Interpretation, and a travel study course to Costa Rica co-taught with Social Work.

The department maintains a strong heritage Spanish program and serves a notably high proportion of the university’s underrepresented minority students. Faculty collaborate regularly with Latinx Studies, Community-Based Learning, and Study Abroad, and the department is rebuilding its translation offerings — including World Languages and Cultures: Translation and Interpretation, which serves majors and minors across all department languages — with an emphasis on the work of cultural brokering that translation now requires in the age of artificial intelligence.

Compensation:

Well-qualified candidates can expect a minimum starting annual salary of $60,000 commensurate with the candidate's education, related experience, and qualifications.

UW System employees receive an excellent benefit package. To learn more about the UW System’s comprehensive benefit package, review the UW System Employee Benefits Brochure.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in Spanish, translation studies, Hispanic linguistics, or a related discipline by the time of appointment. ABD candidates may apply but must have their degree completed by the contract start date in August 2027; if not, they will be hired on a one-year contract with the understanding that their degree will be completed before January 2028 in advance of their first scheduled review.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated excellence in university-level teaching, experience with Canvas, and a record of scholarly achievement. Candidates with additional academic background in raciolinguistics; interdisciplinary scholarship such as critical race studies or ethnic/Latinx studies; code-switching or Spanglish or bilingualism; critical translation; or decolonial translation theory are encouraged to apply.
• Expertise in translation and Spanish for the professions.
• Experience navigating the changing artificial intelligence landscape as it applies to translation and language instruction.
• Pedagogical expertise with both heritage Spanish speakers and second-language learners, including the ability to teach mixed classrooms.
• Experience with high-impact practices such as community-based learning, undergraduate research, internships, or travel study.
• Interest in developing new professional Spanish courses and in building partnerships with employers and other departments and colleges on campus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to interact respectfully with people with diverse socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• Willingness and ability to be an active participant in following applicable safety rules and regulations including necessary training and drills.

How to Apply:

Only complete application packages will be considered. This includes online submission of the following documents. If submitting more than five application materials, you'll need to combine files prior to uploading and label with an appropriate name.

• Cover letter/letter of interest
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Curriculum Vita
• Names and contact information for three professional references (letters of recommendation may be solicited at a later time)
• Copies of unofficial graduate transcripts (Official transcripts will be required if offered the position)

Contact Information:

If you have questions regarding this recruitment or if you are unable to complete the application online due to a disability or system problem, please contact us at (262) 472-1024 or [email protected].

For questions regarding this position, please contact: Pilar Melero at (262) 472-3173 or [email protected]

To Ensure Consideration:

Applications received by December 31st, 2026, are ensured full consideration. Applications received after that date may be given consideration at the discretion of the search committee. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

CAMPUS INFORMATION:

UW-Whitewater is a thriving public university located in southeastern Wisconsin. It leads the way in providing world-class, affordable higher education programs to more students than neighboring regional comprehensives in the University of Wisconsin System. A collaborative team of 1,300 faculty and staff are devoted to the success of the university’s 11,500 students at its main and Rock County campuses. The team provides high-impact practices and academic programs — online and in person — from associate to doctoral levels. Recognized nationally for affordability, inclusion, and career development, UWW serves approximately one-third first-generation students and boasts strength in many areas, especially business and education. The campus and community embrace the Warhawk Family spirit, supporting the university’s arts and nationally recognized NCAA Division-III level championship athletics. As a proud institution of access, more than 10 percent of undergraduate students use the acclaimed Center for Students with Disabilities — a priority mission since the 1970s.   

UW-Whitewater's campuses are located centrally near Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago, offering easy access to the cultural and commercial opportunities of major metropolitan areas. Near both Lake Geneva and the Wisconsin Dells, the area attracts numerous visitors from across the country. Whitewater is a vibrant college community near the Kettle Moraine State Forest offering area residents seasonal outdoor enjoyment. The nearby Rock County campus is located in Janesville, a town of 60,000 located on the Rock River and known as Wisconsin’s Park Place.  

ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is part of the 13-campus Universities of Wisconsin (https://www.wisconsin.edu). 
 
Wisconsin Statute 19.36(7)(b) provides that applicants may indicate in writing that their identity should be kept confidential. In response to a public records request, the University will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful final candidate will be released. See Wisconsin Statute 19.36(7)(a). 
 
Per Regent Policy Document 20-19, University of Wisconsin System Criminal Background Check Policy and Universities of Wisconsin Administrative Policy 1275 Recruitment Policies, UW-Whitewater requires criminal background checks as a contingency to employment. A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of employment. All final candidates must be asked, prior to hire, whether they have been found to have engaged in, are currently under investigation for, or left employment during an active investigation in which they were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment. When obtaining employment reference checks, these same sexual violence or sexual harassment questions must also be asked. 
 
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater requires that all employees be active participants in following applicable safety rules and regulations including necessary training and drills. 
 
For UW-Whitewater Campus safety information and crime statistics/annual Security Report, see  Annual Security and Fire Safety Report if you would like a paper copy of the report please contact the UW-Whitewater Police at 262-472-4660.

UW IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.