The Bates College Program in Digital and Computational Studies and Department of History invite applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor with a specialization in Digital History, beginning July 1, 2025. We welcome applications from scholars who use digital methods in their research and teaching, across any area of specialization within history.

The successful candidate will teach five courses. In the fall term, they will teach an introduction to digital history methods (DCS/HIST 212) and an upper-level seminar on digital mapping (DCS 305).  Descriptions for both can be found in the Bates College Catalog under Digital and Computational Studies  They will teach three additional courses related to their area of expertise which complement the existing curricular and scholarly strengths of the College.  These three courses might be taught in the winter term, or two might be offered in winter term and one in Bates's 3.5 week intensive May term.  We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to digital humanities course offerings, including courses on text analysis, data and information literacy, the history of technology, and/or digital archiving.  The successful candidate may be asked to advise senior theses, and will contribute to the shared governance of the History Department and Program in Digital and Computational Studies.

Bates students come from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are committed to each student’s success. We encourage applications from individuals from historically marginalized groups and from those who may have followed non-traditional pathways to higher education.

Digital and Computational Studies is an interdisciplinary program that asks students to interrogate the practices, values, cultures and assumptions of the digital world, while engaging with computing for social good.  The History department at Bates asks students to examine the construction of historical structures, narratives and questions, and emphasizes the dynamic means by which we come to understand, construct and narrate history today. Both DCS and History are vibrant and collegial units on campus, with dynamic and engaged majors, and active faculty members. We look forward to welcoming the Visiting Assistant Professor to our units.

Application Instructions

Review of applications begins on April 24 and will continue until the position is filled.  Applicants should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and a teaching statement that describes their ability to teach the requested courses and their experience working with, or plans to work with, historically underrepresented, first-generation, and marginalized student populations. Applicants should also anticipate providing two letters of recommendation in the event that they are invited to an online interview. 

Bates College is committed to equal opportunity and to providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. For more information, please visit: https://www.bates.edu/employment/. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Qualifications

Candidates must be advanced ABD or have a Ph.D. by July 2025, in history or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates who have completed their PhD by July 1st. Candidates should also have significant experience - either as part of their Ph.D. or from other contexts - in digital history, science and technology studies, and/or digital humanities.

About https://www.bates.edu/

Founded in 1855, Bates is one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, with a long history of commitments to principles of human dignity and diversity.Since its inception, Bates has been a coeducational, nonsectarian, residential college with special commitments to academic rigor and to programs and opportunities by qualified learners of all backgrounds. Historically, Bates students and graduates have linked education with service, leadership, and obligations beyond themselves.Bates has highly competitive admission, graduates over 90% of its entering students, and over half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates has 1,700 students, 200 faculty members and 550 staff and administrative employees.The College is proud of its strong involvements in the Lewiston-Auburn communities, Maine’s second largest urban area, with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 109-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, Maine, a lively small city enjoying an exciting economic and cultural revitalization. With an engaged citizenry, lively arts scene, and historic downtown, this walkable city is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 340 miles north of New York City.

Connections working at https://www.bates.edu/