Boston College Tenure Track Position

[heatwave]

The Department of Sociology at Boston College invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position to begin in Fall 2019. A successful candidate is one whose research and teaching are relevant to the consideration of social problems, with priority given to the following substantive areas: urban, race, poverty, health, environment, and crime. The department offers both undergraduate and graduate (Ph.D. and M.A.) programs of study. A Sociology Ph.D. (or near completion) is required. Preference will be given to entry-level applicants, but excellent candidates at the advanced assistant professor level will also be considered.


Applicants should apply at apply.interfolio.com/52115. Required documents include a cover letter describing relevant research, teaching accomplishments, and plans; a current CV; two pieces of recent scholarship; and a list of three references that will provide letters of recommendation for applicants that are shortlisted. The screening committee will begin reviewing applications on September 10, 2018, and will continue to review them until the position is filled.


Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university that strives to integrate research excellence with a foundational commitment to formative liberal arts education. We encourage applications from candidates who are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. Boston College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category including disability and protected veteran status. To learn more about how BC supports diversity and inclusion throughout the university, please visit the Office for Institutional Diversity at www.bc.edu/offices/diversity.

[Um about that God thing...]

Jul 8, 2018 10:48:15 GMT -5 heatwave said:

Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university...

Anyone know if BC cares if you’re Catholic or not? Do they make you sign a document of faith or anything like that?

[insider]

The religion thing is a total non issue. It is a great department with a strong PhD program and some excellent and highly productive faculty.

[Yeah...about that God thing]

So while it may be a non-issue with the department, it is a Catholic institution. There will be Catholic people there who believe in God and try to live out the Catholic faith on a daily basis. This will include some of the students you teach. If you can't handle that then I would not apply because there will be students who are not shy about their faith.

[insider]

Sorry, and respectfully, that's simply not true. I work at BC. It is a Jesuit institution. Our department has a long history of rich, critical social science. We get excellent graduate students and the undergrads are strong too. The university doesn't in any way affect how we teach or do research. Do you really think we would be able to hire and keep some of the faculty that we have if that was even remotely true? Look at who we have hired in recent years (e.g., Chuang, Jorgenson, Kadivar) as well those that have been around for a long time (e.g., Babb, Gamson, Schor, Williamson).

[yeah...about that God thing 2]

I wasn't making any judgment about whether the Department or College has an issue with staff/faculty that are non-Catholic. I was referring to the comment: Anyone know if BC cares if you’re Catholic or not? Do they make you sign a document of faith or anything like that?

I didn't do a really good job at making my point which was if someone is not Catholic AND is opposed to Catholicism or offended by its tenets, then teaching at a Catholic institution might not be for them. There will be students there who are Catholic and will insist that Catholic life be present in some way, shape or form on the campus. If that bothers someone, the BC might not be the place for them. I'm in no position to evaluate what the department or College are like for non-Catholic faculty and staff. But I can say as someone who went to a Catholic college and has taught at a Catholic college, that Catholicism is alive and well on these campuses. If you can't handle that, don't work there.

[insider]

The university does not make you sign anything. It is a total non-issue.

[Jesuit faculty here]

As someone who teaches at a different Jesuit institution, I say apply to the job if you are interested. I have never had to sign any loyal oaths or anything like that. While some folks at the University talk about their Catholic faith, people definitely talk about other faiths--or no faiths at all. In my experience, the thing that connects people to each other is an interest in social justice. It's a bit of a gray space--it's obviously connected to the Jesuit teachings, but it's more broadly connected to the decent humanness most of us are working on. It allows people to talk about about their faith without always naming it. Not that people are ashamed to talk about it, I think Catholic faculty are very aware of not shoving it down people's throat. Full disclosure--I'm a former Protestant-turned high holiday Catholic.

[non-issue]

Having attended BC I would say that faith does permeate the culture. There are hanging crosses for instance in some of the classrooms and students cannot access birth control at health services. However, your teaching/research is independent.

[BC faculty member]

I am a faculty member at BC. It is true that you see crosses in some rooms and that since it is a private Jesuit university. But to reiterate what has been said already by one of my colleagues, we have full independence to do the research and teaching that we want. The Jesuit tradition emphasizes justice and the common good. That works well for many of us that take a problems oriented approach in our research. Our resources at BC are plentiful. The salaries are very high -- we are in Boston and we are a private R1. The department is super friendly and full of great scholars that treat each other with respect. We have a vibrant PhD program. If these things sound appealing, then I encourage you to apply. Best of luck to all of you on the job market.