Instructional Assistant Jobs in Minnesota

The Department of English at St. Olaf College invites applications for a full-time, tenure track position in Anglophone African Literature at the Assistant Professor level to begin August 2027.

The successful candidate will be able to teach widely in global Anglophone literature, such as South Asian literature and/or Global Indigenous literature. The successful applicant will teach five undergraduate courses per year at all levels with a regular commitment of three courses in the English Department and two sections of Writing and Rhetoric (first-year writing). The position will contribute to the Africa and the African Diaspora program, and, if relevant, other interdisciplinary programs such as Environmental Studies; Film and Media Studies; and Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies. We especially welcome candidates interested in involving undergraduates in research and teaching courses in St. Olaf’s study abroad/away programs.

Salary: $77,200 - $82,000

Qualifications

We invite applicants who will hold a Ph.D. in literature by Fall 2027.

About the Department

The new hire will join a vibrant department with three major tracks (English, Creative Writing, and English with teaching licensure) and colleagues who frequently participate in or lead interdisciplinary programs, such as Africa and the African Diaspora, Film & Media Studies, and Race & Ethnic Studies. Our English majors present papers at national conferences and often take on leadership roles with campus publications. The English Department is a vital part of the college’s First-Year Experience, with English faculty teaching first-year writing and courses within the St. Olaf’s unique learning communities, which bring together incoming students and a faculty cohort through a sequence of themed courses. For more information about the department, visit wp.stolaf.edu/english.

We strive to be a campus of welcome where students, faculty, and staff thrive by bringing their full humanity—gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic class, disability, religion, spirituality, and age—to St. Olaf each day. Our goal is to generate conversations and processes that over time create greater clarity, transparency, trust, cooperation, consensus, respect, and measurable outcomes. Practices that support this goal include listening, cultivating a growth mindset, respecting those with different views, being informed by data, and understanding that the work is ongoing, collaborative, organic, and ever evolving. We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our Community and Belonging website to learn more about our commitment and to identify how you might contribute to these efforts.

How to Apply

Throughout your materials, include how you would contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive learning community at our college through your teaching, research, and/or service. A complete application includes the following:

References: Provide contact information for three professional references who can speak to your abilities in teaching and scholarship. Letters will be solicited from references by the search committee for candidates who advance to the interview stage.

Supporting Documents and URLs:

• Cover letter outlining your qualifications and why you are interested in this particular position
• Curriculum vitae
• Graduate transcripts (unofficial)
• Teaching Statement: Please provide a one-page statement describing your approaches to teaching literature and writing, with examples of your most successful class activities or assignments, keeping in mind our focus on undergraduates.
• Professional Statement: Please provide a one-page statement describing your current and future research program.

Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by that date will receive fullest consideration. Finalist interviews are expected in Nov/Dec 2026. Questions about the position, department, or College may be directed to Colin Wells, Search Committee Chair, at tt2026english@stolaf.edu.

Join Our Community - Work at St. Olaf!

Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff. The college is located on a picturesque 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota, a vibrant, historic river town of 20,000 located 45 minutes south of culturally rich and diverse Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The college offers an academically rigorous, nationally ranked liberal arts education that fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit and emphasizes learning in an inclusive and globally engaged community. We encourage applications from candidates committed to multicultural understanding and the enrichment of our diverse community.

The college offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 9% retirement match, contributions to eligible employees' health savings accounts, a significant tuition discount (up to a 90% reduction) at ACM, GLCA, and ELCA colleges and universities for employees' children, and generous paid time off. For a full review of the college's benefits, please see the summary of our benefits here: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/benefits/.

To provide a safe and secure educational environment, St. Olaf College verifies the accuracy of all credentials presented by applicants and conducts a criminal background check on every new hire.

A summary of the Flexible Work Policy for staff: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/flexible-work-policy/.

A link to our Community and Belonging page: https://wp.stolaf.edu/equity-inclusion/.

A virtual campus tour: https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?p=483.

An overview of Northfield: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/northfield/.

An overview of the Twin Cities: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/twincities/.

For Staff Application Assistance:
hrstaff@stolaf.edu
507-786-3068

For Faculty Application Assistance:
facultysearch@stolaf.edu
507-786-3356

Nondiscrimination Policy

St. Olaf College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. St. Olaf College prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon these and any other legally protected status in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admissions and employment.

Inquiries about this nondiscrimination policy may be referred to St. Olaf College's Director of Equal Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. St. Olaf's Director of Equal Opportunity (who serves as the College's Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504 Coordinator) is Pamela McDowell, Tomson Hall, mcdowell@stolaf.edu, (507) 786-3465.