Assistant Professor, Japanese; TE; UPDATED

Assistant Professor, Japanese (TE) (UPDATED)

Posting Number req
23632

Department East Asian Studies

Department Website Link (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

Location Main Campus

Address Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The application review date has been updated to December 1, 2025.

The Department of East Asian Studies in the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SILLC) at the University of Arizona invites applications for an in‑person tenure‑eligible position at the rank of Assistant Professor to serve as Japanese Language Program Director. This position will begin in August 2026.

We welcome applicants whose area of research specialization engages with theories of language, broadly conceived, especially the social and cultural dimensions of language acquisition and usage. While the area of expertise is open, preference will be given to candidates in Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics or Sociocultural Linguistics, Japanese Language Pedagogy, East Asian Studies, and related fields in an East Asian context.

We seek a candidate who will provide leadership and innovation in our Japanese language program while pursuing a research agenda that complements our departmental strengths in Japanese literature, religious studies, and history. Demonstrated success in developing online Japanese courses is especially desirable. Native or near‑native proficiency in English and Japanese is required, and a Ph.D. in hand is required at the time of appointment.

Application review begins December 1, 2025.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities and inspire on campus and throughout the world a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: .

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocation services, please .

The successful candidate will direct the Japanese Language Program, supervising instructors and teaching assistants across all levels of the language curriculum. Teaching responsibilities will include general education courses for undergraduates, upper‑level undergraduate and graduate seminars in the candidate’s area of expertise, and Japanese‑language courses.

The candidate is expected to maintain an active research agenda with promise of scholarly achievement, contribute to and expand grant‑related projects in Japanese language education, and support recruitment of undergraduate majors and graduate students in Japanese and East Asian Studies. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to collaborate with the Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy, the Graduate Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT), and numerous initiatives connecting language and culture across the University of Arizona campus.

The new hire will also have the ability to work effectively with the department head, faculty, staff, and students.

• Faculty members on the tenure‑track in the College of Humanities with a regular workload at the University of Arizona typically teach two courses each semester. Language program directors receive course reductions. The teaching assignments for this position may include Japanese language courses, a general education course, and upper‑level courses related to Japanese or East Asian linguistics or language pedagogy, and/or a graduate course for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in East Asian Studies in the candidate's area of specialization.

• Direct the Japanese Language Program, including supervision of instructors and teaching assistants.
• Maintain an active research agenda and record of publication commensurate with a Research I institution.
• Assist in recruiting…