Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian and Film & Media Studies

Posting Details

Dickinson College is a premier four-year residential liberal arts institution chartered in 1783 and widely recognized as a leader in global and sustainability education. Dickinson College is located in Carlisle, named a “most livable city” by Forbes and is minutes from the state capital of Harrisburg. The campus is connected to a vibrant downtown that offers eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment options. Within a two-hour drive are Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; New York City is three hours away.

Dickinson College offers full-time employees a broad range of benefits, including a comprehensive medical insurance plan, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, generous time off, parental leave, homebuyer assistance, and tuition benefits for eligible employees and dependent children under the age of 24. Upon eligibility, the College contributes 8% of an employee’s base salary to a retirement account with an additional .5% matching contribution; all money paid by the college into the employee’s retirement plan is immediately and fully vested in the employee.

Below you will find the details for the position, including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. To apply for the position, please click the "Apply" for this job link button above.

Position Department

Job Summary/Basic Function

The Italian Department and the Film and Media Studies (FMST) Program at Dickinson College invite applications for a joint Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian and Film and Media Studies, with teaching expertise and research interests in one or more of the following fields: Italian film in a transnational frame, colonial and postcolonial Italian cinema, European cinema, gender and sexuality in Italian film and media, Italian television, film form, and filmmaking techniques. This is a one-year, non-tenure track position beginning in Fall 2026, with the possibility of renewal.

The ideal candidate, who will participate fully in the life of a vibrant Italian program and a fast growing FMST program, can teach effectively at all levels of the curriculum in both programs. Specifically, we expect this candidate to be prepared and eager to teach a five-course load within a diverse range of courses, such as:

- Introduction to Film Studies: a critical film studies course centering on film art and genres, and critical analysis of film. In addition, this course typically introduces students to short hands-on projects, culminating in 3-minute narrative film productions, which are showcased at a student film festival open to the college (taught in English);

- Theories and Methods in Film Studies: a course that introduces the core theories, analytical approaches, and research methods that define film studies as a discipline, using Italian and French cinema as primary case studies. As a cornerstone of the FMST program, the course also provides essential grounding for students focusing on Italian culture (taught in English, with a discussion session in Italian for Italian majors and minors);

- Italian film and media interdisciplinary advanced courses: topics courses that examine major trends in Italian cinema and media culture. Regular offerings include Italian and Italian-American crime narratives; transnational Italian history and politics in film; colonial and postcolonial cinema; fashion in Italian cultural history, film, and media; and gender and sexuality in Italian film and media. Courses adopt an interdisciplinary approach that integrates film analysis with cultural, historical, and theoretical perspectives (taught in English, with a discussion session in Italian);

- Italian Literature: an advanced course centered on close textual analysis, organized around transhistorical and transnational cultural themes, such as “Real and Imaginary Journeys” or “Ideas of Italy.” The course aims to develop advanced interpretive skills while situating literary texts within broader cultural, historical, and theoretical contexts (taught entirely in Italian);

- Italian through film, or by other creative means of oral production (such as radio/TV program, podcasts, theater, etc.): a bridge course designed to enhance the oral skills of fourth/fifth semester Italian students. The course culminates in a public performance (taught entirely in Italian);

- Italian language and culture classes at all levels of the curriculum.

In addition to theoretical expertise in Film Studies, Italian and European Film, Italian Literature, and Italian language teaching, demonstrated excellence in innovative teaching practices and pedagogical approaches is essential. Candidates should be able to engage with creative yet conscientious use of technology to foster linguistic skills, creative practices, and experiential learning. Such tools may include online collaborative in-class work platforms; digital flashcards, tests and games; and video and audio editing software applications to work on video productions, videographic essays, podcasts, and the like.

The Italian Department and FMST Program are seeking outstanding candidates with the potential for exceptional teaching and research. Candidates must have the ability to create learning environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all students. Native or near-native fluency in Italian and the capacity to teach in both English and Italian are required. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Italian by the time of appointment.

Dickinson College is a highly selective four-year, independent liberal arts college with 2300 students.  It is located 20 minutes west of Harrisburg and is a two-hour drive from Baltimore, Washington DC and Philadelphia. 

Candidates should submit via Workday at https://jobs.dickinson.edu. Please include a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a graduate transcript, a teaching philosophy statement, sample syllabi related to the courses mentioned above, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of teaching effectiveness. Applicants should also provide the names and contact information of three references; letters will be requested at a later stage of the search process. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until January 20, 2026. 

EEO/Diversity Statement:    

The College is committed to building a representative and diverse faculty, staff, and student body. We encourage applications from all qualified persons.