This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Wendy L. Hill, provost and dean of the faculty, has announced that searches are under way for eight new faculty members in the first phase of Lafayette’s plan to grow the size of the faculty by 35 members – nearly 20 percent – over the next five years without increasing the size of the student body.
“This year’s decisions represent just the first phase of the initiative to grow the faculty. More positions will be allocated in the coming years as we proceed with our implementation efforts,” Hill says. The College plans to hire 8 to 10 new faculty members each year until the goal of 35 new faculty members is reached, lowering the student-faculty ratio from 11:1 to 9:1.
The initiative is “a key element in our strategic plan to strengthen Lafayette’s academic core and its human capital,” says President Daniel H. Weiss. “It reflects our exceptional commitment to student-centered learning. Strong interaction between students and faculty is the heart of Lafayette’s academic program. It is the defining feature and distinctive strength of our college.
“Growing the faculty is a vital step in creating a truly extraordinary learning environment in which every student can benefit from both unsurpassed academic, professional, and personal mentoring and an opportunity to be guided by professors committed to working individually with students,” Weiss says. “Investments in new faculty will also play a crucial role in achieving many of the academic goals outlined in the objectives of our strategic plan.”
A summary of the new positions the College currently is seeking to fill:
Department of Anthropology and Sociology – cultural anthropologist with geographic specialization in East Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East and topical interests in gender; an additional interest in religion, globalization and/or media studies would be welcomed
Department of Biology – developmental biologist
Department of Economics and Business – economist to help contribute to the core courses in the major with particular area of expertise to be decided by the department in consultation with the provost
Department of History – historian of the Middle East
Department of Philosophy – philosopher of science with an emphasis in the philosophy of biology and a developed competence in bioethics
Department of Psychology – behavioral or clinical neuroscientist
Department of Religious Studies – specialist in African religions
Women’s and Gender Studies Program – Senior hire to teach in and direct the program with preference to candidates with particular expertise in one or more of four areas: global gender studies or transnational feminisms; gender and science; gender and media studies; and the intersection of race, class, and gender