Poste titulaire en litt. 19e - Université de Cambridge (Angleterre)

TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION IN 19TH-CENTURY FRENCH STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (ENGLAND)

We invite applications this summer for a tenure-track faculty position in 19th century French Studies which has become available at Cambridge University.

At http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/french/news/vacancy.html the further particulars can be viewed, but as with other recent appointments in the Cambridge French Department, we are keen to translate the local jargon so as to widen the potential field of applicants both within and beyond the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The successful candidate for the post should have either a record of research and publication in the field or be able to demonstrate clear potential for publication (the University would look to assist the development of the successful candidate's research in myriad ways). He or she will also be expected to play a key role in the teaching of 19th-century French literature at undergraduate level, to collaborate in the teaching of the Faculty M.Phil in European literature, and to supervise PhD students. The course on French literature, thought and history from 1789 to 1898 is one of the classic options for Cambridge undergraduates in French at second and final year level. Current MPhil modules on which the successful candidate might teach include Romanticism and Revolution and The City, though such modules can be subject to regular redesign depending on the research interests of current Faculty members.

At the risk of oversimplification, one might say that the University is split into (a) its constituent Faculties and Departments (such as the French Department, which is part of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages) and (b) its colleges (as explained below, the successful candidate would normally be invited to choose between Fellowship offers from a few of the different colleges). Beyond PhD supervision and seminars for the MPhil in European Literature, undergraduate literature teaching takes the form of lectures and seminars (in the Department) and supervisions (1, 2 or 3-to-1 group tutorials set in the college environment).

At the risk of further simplification, one might add that there are 3 basic types of academic appointment in Cambridge: at first base, College Research Fellowships (usually 3-year fixed-term post-doctoral positions); second, College Teaching Officers, or CTOs (fellowships, often fixed-term, and invariably fixed to a particular college, though often involving teaching for the French Department as well as College supervisions); and ultimately, University Teaching Officers, or UTOs (hence the term University Lecturer which obviously has a quite different meaning in North America where the term Professor is much more common). The advertised post is a UTO tenure-track Faculty position.

Cambridge has a strong tradition in French, not least in 19th-century literature. Previous holders of UTO posts in recent decades include Lloyd Austin, Malcolm Bowie, Alison Fairlie, Alison Finch, Michele Hannoosh, Robert Lethbridge, Rosemary Lloyd, and Christopher Prendergast. Current holders of UTO posts are Peter Collier, Andrew Martin and Nicholas White. The current position has emerged due to the retirement of Christopher Prendergast, although his profile (in terms of seniority and field) would not determine the profile of his successor, who might be at the earliest stage of an academic career, or indeed someone more established.

To give a flavour of the Department, it's worth noting that UTOs in the French Department who work in other fields include: 20th century and contemporary (Emma Wilson, Martin Crowley and Ingrid Wassenaar), 18th century (John Leigh and Jenny Mander), 17th century (Peter Bayley (Drapers Professor of French) and Nicholas Hammond), Renaissance (Neil Kenny and Philip Ford), Medieval ( Sarah Kay (Professor of French and Occitan Literature), Bill Burgwinkle and Sylvia Huot), Linguistics (Wendy Bennett (Head of Department) and Mari Jones), Language learning (Hugo Azérad and Christophe Gagne).

Once UTO appointments (such as this) are made, colleges will approach the successful candidate to offer them a College Fellowship too. UTOs usually find that they can choose between various offers of this kind (though UTOs certainly have the right to decline all College affiliations even if this is rare). In addition to separate remuneration (usually for some supervision and advising of students), College Fellows also benefit from other privileges on top of their University benefits. Such privileges usually include generous dining rights, help with book and computer purchasing, the provision of office space or residential accommodation in College, not to mention the entertainment allowance and access to the Fellows' wine cellar! That being said, the 31 Cambridge colleges vary enormously, and one can easily choose either to embrace or elude stereotypes... Some colleges are large institutions in their own right, some more intimate. Some date back to the Middle Ages (Peterhouse was founded in 1284); some are recent creations (Fitzwilliam,1966, New Hall, 1954, Lucy Cavendish, 1965, Churchill, 1960, Robinson, 1979); with others founded in the intervening centuries. Most are co-educational, but a few are for women students only (there are no longer any all-male colleges). All colleges cover a broad set of subjects and encourage Fellows to meet and talk with colleagues from the widest possible range of disciplines on a regular basis (often over lunch).

The applications process will unfold over this coming summer, and is not necessarily identical to such processes in France, North America and elsewhere. The deadline for applications (twelve copies), including a detailed curriculum vitæ, and the names of two or three referees, should be sent to the Secretary of the Faculty's Appointments Committee at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA, United Kingdom, so as to arrive not later than 13 September 2004. (Please note that there is no application form). Candidates are requested to ask their referees to write directly by the same date. Candidates may also be invited to submit recent examples of their work for consideration by the Committee, or, in the case of work which has been published, to draw the Committee's attention to items of special relevance to their application. They will also be asked to give a short presentation prior to interview the next day. Presentations and interviews are likely to take place on 27 and 28 September 2004. The appointment would normally be from 1 January 2005, though we are keen to be flexible in this regard, given the nature of the academic calendar and depending on the successful candidate's existing commitments.

Any queries might in the first instance be addressed to Nick White who convenes the 19th-century French literature programme at Cambridge University (email: njw16@cam.ac.uk ; phone: + (0)1223 331972; post: Emmanuel College, Cambridge CB2 3AP, United Kingdom). The Head of Dept is also more than happy to talk to potential candidates.