Washington and Lee University
The Department of Romance Languages

Positions available (9/1/08)

Washington and Lee University

Department of Romance Languages, Lexington, Virginia 24450

Assistant Professor of Spanish

 

Tenure track position to begin July 1, 2009.   Ph.D. in hand by time of appointment.  Spanish-American literature and culture with specialization in modern poetry.  Teaching responsibilities include all levels of language, literature, and culture.  Native or near-native fluency in Spanish and English, evidence of effective teaching and scholarly potential.  Interest and/or experience in study abroad desirable.  Affinities with our area studies are encouraged: Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Women's Studies, African-American Studies, etc.  Interested candidates should send a letter of application, CV, official transcripts, and three current letters of recommendation to Prof. Jeff Barnett, Search Committee Chair, Department of Romance Languages, Tucker Hall, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450.  Formal review of complete applications begins on November 15, 2008.  Initial interviews will be conducted at the MLA.  Washington and Lee is a small, highly selective, liberal arts institution.  See http://romancelanguages.wlu.edu/.   Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

 

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Web Resources for Job Candidates

The Department:

The Department of Romance Languages site contains general information about the faculty, the French and Spanish major, and departmental initiatives, such as the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, the Casa Hispánica, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), and The Argentine Internship Program in Secondary Education, among others.

The Tucker Multimedia Center allows language faculty and others to incorporate digital technology into language courses at all levels.  For research and Inter-Library Loan the James G. Leyburn Library houses an exceptional undergraduate collection.  Holdings can be viewed through the on-line catalog Annie.  

The University:

Founded in 1749, Washington and Lee is one of the nation's oldest institutions.  In addition to the University webpage, The College website contains information about the undergraduate program in general, Departments, Student Research and Service Learning, Administration, Grants and Research Opportunities, the Faculty Handbook, and more.  The Department of Romance Languages also works closely with various interdisciplinary programs listed on the College site, including LACS, Women's Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, African-American Studies, University Scholars, and the Shepherd Poverty Program. 

The Office of Institutional Research offers statistical information about student demographics, enrollment trends, accreditation, self-study data, and other pertinent items for prospective faculty and students. And, the Visitors page will offer you a tour of the campus.

“W&L At A Glance” offers a quick profile of the essential characteristics of the university.

Lexington:

Washington and Lee is located in historic Lexington, Virginia (population 7,000) and  Rockbridge County in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia about three hours southwest of Washington, D.C.  

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Quick Facts about the University and Department:

• University Structure:

The College (Arts, Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences), Williams’ School (Commerce, Politics, and Economics), and Law School

• Endowment (as of 2005): $532,000,000
   

• Number of enrolled students: 1,777 undergraduate
   

•  Semester system:

12 week Fall term, 12 week Winter term, 6 week Spring term, (no summer semester).  For example, Intermediate Spanish (161-162) is offered over 24 weeks (Fall and Winter) with the Spring term usually dedicated to special topics and seminars. (*note: beginning in 2009-2010 the calendar will change to a 12-12-4)

• Course Numbering system in RL: 100 = Intro. and skills courses; 200 = Core curriculum; 300 = Advanced work
   

• Teaching Load: 6 courses / year (3-2-1 or 2-3-1).  *Note: beginning in 2009-2010 course load will be 5.5 (eg., 6 one year, 5 the next)
   

• Course load for students: 12 to 14 credits (4 to 5 courses) per semester, 6 to 8 credits (2 courses) in the Spring
   

• Number of Undergraduate faculty:  approximately 180 undergraduate (140 College / 40 Williams School);
   

• Number of RL faculty: 12 tenure lines (7 Spanish, 5 French), plus part-time faculty.
   

• Other Languages taught at W&L:

German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Latin (Arabic at Virginia Military Insitute)

• Class size: 

11 to 1 ratio; typically 17 in an Intermediate language class, 8 to 14 in a literature or civilization class

•  Course rotation in Spanish:

typically 1 course / year  of literature; 1 or more / semester of language; others as surveys and topical courses.

• Course rotation in French:

typically 1 course / year in literature, 1 or more / semester of language, others as advanced skills course (language / Intro to Literary Analysis) or Civilization

• Number of Majors:

Approximately 25 Spanish; 10 French; 5 Romance Languages declared Junior and Seniors.

• Average SAT scores: Critical reading: 700  / Mathematics: 691

   

• International Students: approximately 5%
   

•  Significant experiences abroad: over 50%, 35-40% of which is semester-long study
   

•  Popular post-career plans for language majors: 

Graduate School (Languages, Medicine, Law, Politics, Journalism, Social Work), Teaching, Business

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