"Instructor - African American Studies"

Advertised Job Summary

The faculty of the Department of African American Studies at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus invites applications for a full-time, professional-track faculty position at the rank of Instructor to begin August 16, 2026. The position is a 9-month appointment with a teaching load of eight courses for the academic year. This is an annual appointment that may be renewed contingent upon the Dean’s approval, satisfactory performance, departmental needs, and the availability of funding.

The position’s main responsibilities are teaching courses focusing on the founding documents of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the Emancipation Proclamation. The Department of African American Studies approaches the teaching of these documents through robust exploration of evolving definitions of freedom in the United States, centering an analysis of the lives and writings of African Americans who have struggled to realize the country’s founding principles and core values. In considering how the provisions of these documents impact the everyday lives of African Americans from the seventeenth century to the present, we welcome interdisciplinary perspectives and modes of inquiry that range from history and political science to rhetoric, gender studies, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, environmental studies, and more.

Teaching is the primary focus of this position, with some flexibility to pursue a research agenda, collaborate with scholars in the program, and contribute to the intellectual life of the university. The successful candidate will teach four courses each semester, focusing on the Freedom Papers: Narratives of Race and Nation course. Additional courses offered may address social and historical topics in African American Studies, the arts and cultural foundations in African American Studies, and/or contemporary topics in African American Studies and related interdisciplinary fields.

Required Education and Experience

Candidates must have at least a MA degree in any relevant field in African American Studies, the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, health sciences, and economics by the start date of the appointment.

Preferred Qualifications

PhD. is preferred.

Desired Start Date

08/16/2026