<p>Western Michigan University invites applications and nominations for the position of full-time tenure track Assistant or Associate Professor in the field of African American history to start August 2026. The successful candidate will have a record of professional excellence in research, or show clear progress toward such professional recognition, in African American history and will be expected to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in modern U.S. history. Service will initially include standing committees in the department with service beyond the department in due course. Most tenure track and tenured faculty in the Department of History historically and currently teach 2 courses per semester.</p> <p>Major Duties</p> <p>The successful candidate will:</p> <ul> <li>Be a scholar, teacher, and mentor with research specialization in African American history. </li><li>Maintain a nationally or internationally recognized research agenda in the field. </li><li>Contribute to the History Departments tradition of classroom excellence. </li><li>Contribute to an already heterogenous campus through research, teaching, and mentoring. </li><li>Teach an undergraduate survey course, American history since 1877. </li><li>Contribute to undergraduate and graduate curricula in both modern African American and U.S. history. </li></ul> <p>Minimum Qualifications</p> <ul> <li>Ph.D. in History or related discipline (e.g., African American Studies, American Studies), received from an accredited institution by the time of appointment. </li><li>Candidates will show evidence of research and teaching specialization in African American history. </li><li>Candidates will provide evidence of, or demonstrate potential for, successful teaching. </li></ul> <p>Desired Qualifications</p> <ul> <li>Provide evidence of, or potential for, scholarly publications in African American history after 1877. </li><li>Ability to teach HIST 2110 American History since 1877 and/or a full survey of African American history and culture. </li><li>Demonstrate the ability to develop and teach undergraduate and graduate specialty courses in modern US (post-1877) and/or African American/Civil Rights courses. </li><li>Demonstrate interest and ability to support the academic success of undergraduate and graduate students. </li><li>Contribute to the College's strategic plan, including a commitment to inclusivity, scholarly and teaching excellence (https://wmich.edu/arts-sciences/about/planning). </li></ul> <p>Special Instructions to Applicants</p> <p>Review of applications will begin October 3, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should visit https://www.wmich.edu/hr/jobs to apply. Online application materials submitted must include:</p> <ul> <li>Curriculum vita. </li><li>Letter of application addressing required and preferred qualifications. </li><li>List of references. </li><li>Writing sample. </li></ul> <p>Two letters of recommendation, sent by the recommenders or a dossier service, should be mailed to African American History Search, Department of History, 4301 Friedmann Hall, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo MI 49008-5334.</p> <p>Candidates who advance to the next round of consideration may be asked to submit a statement on research plans, a statement of teaching philosophy, sample syllabi, a writing sample, and an unofficial graduate transcript.</p> <p>Additional Position Information</p> <p>Compensation</p> <p>The compensation is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. WMU offers excellent benefits: https://wmich.edu/hr/enrollment-faculty. Summer teaching exist to generate additional compensation. Our faculty, at all ranks, receive funding for research and conference presentations from the department, college, and university.</p> <p>Starting Date</p> <p>August 2026</p> <p>Who We Are</p> <p>Western Michigan University (WMU) is located on lands historically occupied by Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi nations. We acknowledge and honor this ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the sacred lands of all indigenous peoples, and their continued presence.</p> <p>Western Michigan University (WMU), located in Southwest Michigan, is a vibrant, nationally recognized student-centered research institution with an enrollment of nearly 18,000. WMU delivers high-quality undergraduate and graduate instruction and fosters significant research activities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies WMU as a doctoral university and one of just 185 public universities in the nation conducting research at a high level.</p> <p>The Department of History is located in the College of Arts and Sciences, the academic heart of WMU and its largest college. The College is committed to fostering a community of globally engaged scholars and students. We favor candidates who will contribute to the College's goals of promoting interdisciplinary perspectives, intercultural understanding, concern with social responsibility, and the ethical implications of knowledge and action. The College has 23 departments, institutes, and programs that offer a broad range of opportunities for our students. WMU students have won nationally competitive awards including Goldwater and Boren Fellowships, Udall Scholarships, and Fulbright awards.</p> <p>WMU is actively working to create more inclusive and equitable structures for hiring, teaching, and research. In 2021, WMU received a $550 million multi-year gift that will, in part, fund projects and initiatives to break down historic inequities. The donation represents the largest gift to a public higher education institution in U.S. history.</p> <p>INSIGHT into Diversity has honored WMU for its commitment to diversity and inclusion (awards in 2018 and 2020). Military Times ranks WMU among the best institutions for veterans. WMU operates the nation's largest and most comprehensive collegiate support program for former foster-care youth (Seita Scholars) that has become an international model for supporting foster-care youth in higher education.</p> <p>Department</p> <p>The Department of History has 15 tenured or tenure-track faculty members who have nationally and internationally recognized research publications and who are dedicated instructors. Our graduate program's traditional strengths are in American history, public history and medieval history, and we are proud of our strong placement record. Like our faculty, our graduate students are unionized at the university level. WMU's department helped co-found the NCPH and was among the first nationally to develop an undergraduate public history degree program. The department supports the interdisciplinary Medieval Institute, which brings over 2500 scholars to Kalamazoo each May for the International Congress on Medieval Studies.</p> <p>The department is committed to the University's strategic emphasis on inclusive excellence and actively promotes a diverse, equitable, and inclusive department culture. We strongly encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities, and people who are passionate about inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity in its many aspects.</p> <p>Kalamazoo</p> <p>With a population of 260,000, Kalamazoo County is strong in life sciences/biotech and supports two major medical centers. Natural beauty abounds in its many parks, accessible by hiking and biking trails. The city hosts the Gilmore Foundation that brings internationally renowned keyboard artists to Kalamazoo, while its numerous theaters are part of a vibrant arts scene. The community offers an array of cultural events, entertainment, and all-season recreation. Chicago and Detroit are each 2 ½ hours away. Ethnically diverse, the city of Kalamazoo has an African-American population greater than 20% and Latinx population of about 8%, with sizeable immigrant populations from Germany, Latvia, and the Middle East. The Kalamazoo Promise funds all city high school graduates for up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees associated with four years of education at all Michigan public universities (and select private colleges) or vocational training in skilled trades. The City of Kalamazoo is committed to the elimination of generational poverty through its Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo initiative which receives budgetary support from the local Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence.</p>