How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit an online application at careers.umich.edu. Submit a letter of application stating your interest in this position and outlining relevant academic and personal experience suiting you for it. Include the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of at least two faculty members with whom you have worked who can serve as references. If you have held prior GSI positions, please list the contact information for the faculty members with whom you worked most recently (no more than two). Curriculum vitae, a list of relevant coursework and grades received in those courses. Former GSIs at the University of Michigan should attach summary sheets from teaching evaluations.
Note: All documents should be submitted as one (1) PDF.
Course Description
2 GS Instructor Positions Available
50% Appointment
AAS 275 Black Women in Popular Culture
Popular culture is an important site for creating, challenging, and transmitting meanings about race, gender and sexuality. What can we learn about race, gender and sexuality using the lens of popular culture? Conversely, what can media studies, Black cultural studies, and Black feminist theories reveal about the meanings made in popular culture media? In this course, we will examine how Black women construct and are constructed by popular culture in the U.S. by building a set of critical tools that can help us navigate this rich terrain. We will explore topics such as the history of Black representation in the United States, representations of Black femininity, Black sexualities, stereotypes, and subversive media over a wide range of popular culture artifacts. Throughout the course, we will think deeply about questions of power related to race, gender and sexuality.
Class Schedule: AAS 275.001 (LEC): MW 1:00PM - 2:30PM in CHEM 1400
Responsibilities*
Major duties and work expectation per week: Your principal responsibility will be performing the duties as assigned by the professor, advising the students during regular office hours, grading, and giving feedback on written assignments. As usual for courses like this, GSIs are required to attend all staff meetings in addition to meeting scheduled discussion sections, lecture section, and office hours. . The faculty instructor for the class, Professor Kelow-Bennett may also invite you to give one or two lectures to the entire class and be responsible for the class meeting on those occasions when designated films, videos, or other relevant materials are presented. There will also be a weekly one-hour GSI meeting with the professor to go over course material/issues. This weekly meeting is designed as an informal pedagogy roundtable: it gives you a chance to ask questions, address problems, and brainstorm activities for the class; it also gives the professor a chance to pass along ideas/advice for generating good discussion and advice during office hours. The larger, overarching goal is to support you and provide mentoring. Please note, the above meetings are mandatory.
Required Qualifications*
Critical skills and experience:
We seek team members who are able to foster/build an environment for exploring difficult issues, where each participant has a responsibility to contribute honesty, humility, and kindness to the learning space. We seek team members who are mindful of the fact that everyone in the class has a journey, and many parts of those journeys are unknown to us. An environment conducive to learning means that we all strive to be aware, careful, and thoughtful. This course provides graduate students an opportunity to reflect on the practice of teaching and to develop/refine effective pedagogical skills. Knowledge of subject matter, ability to effectively teach and evaluate a wide range of undergraduate students.
Familiarity with and course work at the graduate level dealing with the general subject matter of the course are considered very important, as is evidence of effective teaching and the ability to work well with students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
To be appointed as a GSI or GSSA, a graduate student must be in good standing in their degree program and for Terms I and II, must be registered for not less than six (6) credit hours. With written approval of the student's faculty advisor, five (5) credit hours may be acceptable.
Desired Qualifications*
Prior teaching experience is preferred but not required. Knowledge of Feminist Studies and/or race and ethnicity studies. Able to participate in respectful and meaningful debates about current Black popular culture.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Contact Information
For additional information, please contact Wayne High, 4700 Haven Hall, 734 764-9300, highwayn@umich.edu
Decision Making Process
Candidates will be evaluated for this position based on the strength of the application package. GSIs for AAS 275 will be selected by the DAAS faculty member teaching the class and final approval will come from the DAAS Executive Committee
Final decisions will be made by mid December.
Selection Process
Candidates will be evaluated for this position based on the strength of the application package. GSIs for AAS 275 will be selected by the DAAS faculty member teaching the class and final approval will come from the DAAS Executive Committee
Final decisions will be made by mid December.
GEO Contract Information
The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.