Job Description

The Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage (IACH) at the University of Oklahoma seeks a tenure track or tenured hire at the Open Rank level for the Wick Cary Professorship in Constitutional Studies. The IACH is housed in the Department of Classics and Letters (C&L) in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences and offers a minor and concentration in Constitutional Studies. These degrees are interdisciplinary programs that bring together scholars from a range of departments across the University, including the following: History, Political Science, Philosophy, Law, English, and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. We seek a varied range of candidates with a teaching and research profile in the study of the American Constitution, broadly defined. Subfields of interest include but are not limited to: the ancient roots of law, liberty, and self-governance; the development of republican thought; the historical and ideological background of the American founding; or American law and constitutionalism from the 18th century to the present day. Particular research and teaching expertise on the Constitution could include separation of powers, race and equality, religious liberty, gender and equality, freedom of speech and assembly, civil liberties and the Bill of Rights, and/or the scope of federal authority. Applications are welcome from scholars in areas such as History, Political Science, Law, Ethics and Justice, African American, Asian American, Chicana/o, and Native American History, History and Politics, Gender History, Religion, and the History of Political Thought. Given the research profile of the IACH and C&L faculty, we are especially interested in candidates whose work has a clear historical component as well as candidates who complement existing strengths in the American Founding and Modern Political Thought. In addition, candidates should have a passion for civic education and public outreach in the area of constitutional heritage: these are core missions of IACH.

Established in 2009, the IACH (https://www.ou.edu/iach) has grown into a vibrant national center for the study of the American Constitution. It incorporates affiliated faculty across the University, some of whom are permanently based in Classics and Letters. The notion of constitutional heritage reflects the Institute's broad approach to the Constitution in all its aspects, including the development of civil rights in American history and the relevance of the Constitution to contemporary debates over justice and freedom. The Letters major is OU's premier interdisciplinary humanities program and has been an integral part of the College of Arts and Sciences at OU since 1937, attracting outstanding students with interests in history, philosophy, and literature. The concentration in Constitutional Studies has become a cornerstone of the Letters major; hundreds of students have been taught and mentored in the area since its inception, with many alumni attending elite law schools and graduate programs across the country.

The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in hand by the start date of the appointment, Fall 2025, and demonstrate promise in scholarly publication in a discipline related to the core mission of the IACH. The successful candidate should also show commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. The teaching load will be four courses a year (2:2).

Candidates must submit a cover letter, a C.V., a writing sample, evidence of effective teaching, and contact information for three references to provide confidential letters of recommendation. Applications must be submitted to https://apply.interfolio.com/158426 Review of applications will begin December 6, 2024. The search will remain open until filled. For inquiries about the search, contact Jeremy Bailey at [email protected]