Assistant Professor

The Department of Philosophy at St. Olaf College invites applications for a full-time, tenure track position in feminist philosophy at the Assistant Professor level, to begin August 2026.

The normal teaching load is five courses per year. Regular teaching responsibilities include offering undergraduate courses at all levels within the Department, including introductory courses aimed at a general audience and upper level seminars reserved for majors. There may also be opportunities to teach courses in interdisciplinary programs such as Gender and Sexuality Studies, Race and Ethnic Studies, or the College’s first-year seminars. Additional duties include advising, serving on committees, and other standard departmental and institutional service obligations.

Qualifications

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in philosophy at the time of application or should clearly be on track to complete a Ph.D. in philosophy before August 2026.  Candidates must have scholarly expertise in feminist philosophy and must be able to teach courses in the philosophy of race.  Candidates with a Ph.D. in adjacent fields - such as women’s and gender studies or race and ethnic studies - will also be considered if they have strong training in philosophy.  We are looking for applicants who can make outstanding contributions both in research and teaching, and who welcome the opportunity to work in a liberal arts college setting.  Beyond feminist philosophy and philosophy of race, preference will be given to candidates who can extend our teaching coverage in other areas where we have needs, such as metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of technology, and African philosophy, among others.

About the Department

Our philosophy department is a highly active community of scholars and teachers: we hold regular research colloquia, host a distinguished annual lecture series (the “Belgum Lectures”), are home to the internationally recognized Hong Kierkegaard Library, and run a faculty retreat each fall with a distinguished visiting “leader.”  Recent retreat leaders have included Dean Zimmerman, Sally Haslanger, Daniel Garber, Miranda Fricker, and Jonathan Lear.  We also have a highly engaged student community, with a student philosophy film club, a philosophical honor society, an existentialist magazine, and a weekly “pizza Thursday” gathering for informal philosophical conversation.  Northfield is a small college town that is also home to Carleton College, and the two philosophy departments have a long tradition of collaboration.

For more information about the department, visit https://wp.stolaf.edu/philosophy/. 

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 the Hill 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 ourCommunity and Belonging webpage 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:

1. Cover letter outlining your qualifications and why you are interested in this particular position

2. Curriculum vitae

3. Graduate transcript (unofficial)

4. Teaching Statement: Briefly (preference for no more than one page) describe your teaching goals and approach. We are looking for candidates who can engage undergraduate students with varying social backgrounds and varying levels of interest and preparation in philosophy.

5. Professional Statement: Describe your research interests and accomplishments up to this point, and outline your research agenda looking forward. We are interested in candidates with a clear potential to make excellent scholarly and professional contributions to their field both in the near and longer term.

6. Writing Sample

7. Evidence of Teaching Excellence

Review of applications will begin on November 1, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by that date will receive fullest consideration. Finalist interviews are expected in January. Questions about the position, department, or College may be directed to Michael Fuerstein, Search Committee Chair, at [email protected].

Who We Are:

Founded in 1874,St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff employees. The college is located on a picturesque 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota, a vibrant, restored, 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 benefit offerings, see the summary of the benefits program 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 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/

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, [email protected], (507) 786-3465.