The search for professors to fill positions in the new divisions of the Comparative American Studies program will begin next semester, including committees of student representatives elected Dec. 6. The College hopes the committees will be a vehicle for student input in the decision of who will eventually be hired for the positions.
“If all goes well in the searches, CAS will be up and running as a full-fledged program the next academic year,” Dean of the College Clayton Koppes said.
The CAS program, approved by the General Faculty last year, seeks to engage studies in a discourse on the experiences of historically marginalized American populations. “I think it’s a very exciting development,” Koppes said. “CAS has the opportunity to be a model program at the liberal arts college level for the comparative study of difference and the program enables the college to fully embrace some of the most recent and significant trends in scholarship.”
There are positions for up to nine students — three students per committee — to serve on these panels, directing the Latino/a Studies Position search, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer Studies Position search and helping to determine the structure of the CAS major.
The meeting in which these student representatives will be elected will be held in Wilder at 5 p.m. CAS recommends the representatives for the Program Committee and Latino/a search be on campus in January due to the majority of the search occurring during that time.
The amount of work associated with these positions is large. Mandatory responsibilities will include attending meetings and reviewing the applications and resumes of the potential professors.

It is advised that students who have previously been involved with CAS apply because they know more about the structure of the program and what needs to occur to ensure its success.

The Latino/a Studies Position application is due Jan. 10. The LGBTQ Studies Position application is due Feb. 13, and the processes of selection will begin following those dates.

Students interested in running for a position but who cannot make it to the Dec. 6 meeting should write a statement describing why they are interested and submit it to Senior VivianaWestbrook.