College of Liberal Arts Cluster Hire
The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi is in Year 2 of its multi-year faculty cluster hire initiative. This initiative is designed to expand our understanding of multicultural competence in a number of areas including, among others to be named in future years: successful, effective, and ethical leadership; inclusive pedagogy in STEM; and Black intellectual thought in the Humanities. We seek scholars and scholarship with a focus on the experiences of African Americans and other underrepresented groups and attention to identities with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. The goal of this cluster hire initiative is to attract and support diverse scholars who are doing cutting-edge research, scholarship, and creative achievement around one of these broad themes in their fields of specialization. This year, six tenure-track searches will be conducted in the following areas:
- Biology: Inclusive Excellence in STEM Pedagogy
- Chemistry and Biochemistry: Inclusive Excellence in STEM Pedagogy
- English, McAlexander Chair in African American Literatures and Cultures
- History and African American Studies
- Psychology and African American Studies
- Political Science and African American Studies
Scholar Communities and Research Cohorts
This hiring initiative is designed to create community among scholars with similar research and professional interests and opportunities to meet and align with scholars already doing work in these and related areas on campus. As such, we value scholars who are committed to and integrated in the communities they study and can help build our capacity for inclusive research and education in the broadest sense. These scholars will receive appropriate startup packages for their research efforts and will be part of a research cohort supported by graduate student assistants and senior faculty members in the College.
Pathways to Equity
We are engaged in a 5-year “Pathways to Equity” strategic plan at the University and College levels and are committed to institutional transformation in practices and policies that will support the work of scholars in these fields. As the flagship public institution in the state of Mississippi, we are committed to increasing access to education for all Mississippians. We seek to increase capacity for robust inclusive teaching and mentoring practices that will create pathways of support and success for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups and desire candidates with demonstrated commitment and promise in these areas.