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JOB ADVERTISEMENT FROM AKITA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
FROM THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Position: Multiple Positions
Salary: Unspecified
Institution: Akita International University
Location: Japan
Date posted: 9/2/2006
http://chronicle.com/jobs/id.php?id=0000469416-01
Akita International University
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences
Undergraduate Positions

Akita International University (AIU), which is expanding its undergraduate degree curriculum, seeks qualified applicants for its developing undergraduate degree programs across the curriculum in all departments, as full, associate, or assistant professors. We are searching for exceptional candidates with a passion for and record of achievement in, classroom teaching and research, with a Ph.D. or equivalent qualifications in specific or closely related fields (see below). Our rapid growth requires additional faculty.

Appointments will be made on an initial three-year (maximum) fixed-term contract basis (with possibility of renewal), beginning on April 1, 2007 (some courses begin on April 1, 2008). AIU offers an attractive salary package with full benefits, generous research assistance, and a housing subsidy.

AIU is a recently opened (2004) public corporation Japanese university in which two undergraduate degree programs in Global Business and Global Studies (including area studies) are offered entirely in English.

Fields of specialization, courses to teach:
Language and Communication
English-for-Academic-Purposes (EAP) EFL skills courses-reading, writing, listening, speaking...also, grammar, self-directed learning, TOEFL (and other test-taking) preparation, basic word processing skills.
Post-EAP (EFL) undergraduate courses-composition (1 and 2), speech communication, intercultural communication, and linguistics Japanese--Japanese language education, Japanese phonetics
Chinese, Korean, and Russian-(beginning to advanced)
Japanese Culture & Society
introduction to Japanese society, Japanese history, Japanese literature, Japanese traditional performing arts, the Constitution of Japan
Culture & History
architecture and culture, comparative cultural studies, cultural anthropology, world civilization, world history
Information and Mathematical Sciences
algebra, computer literacy, information science, statistics
Health and Physical Education
HPE activity, HPE lecture, recreation
Business
international marketing, marketing principles, marketing research
International Relations and Law
international law, international organizations, international relations, law, legal environment of international business
North American Studies
North American economics, North American area studies (including Canada and Mexico), political system of the U.S., social problems in the U.S., U.S. Congress, the U.S. Constitution, U.S. diplomatic history, U.S. legal system, U.S. political thought
East Asian Studies
Asian philosophy, Chinese cinema, Chinese popular culture, modern history of China, U.S-China relations
Education: Japanese Teaching Certificate-Related courses, envisaged in 2008
basic theory of education, comparative education, educational systems, principles and values in teaching, teaching practicum

Qualifications and Conditions:
* To hold a Ph.D. or equivalent qualifications in a specific or closely related field. An earned doctorate degree will be given the first consideration.
* A record of achievement in classroom teaching and research.
* To be able to conduct courses in English.
* To be able to teach at least two courses listed above, both in terms of expertise/experience and workload.
* To be able to effectively teach 10 to 15 hours per week, meet designated office hours, and do academic advising for students.
* During the term of employment, each faculty member is expected to publish at least one academic (refereed) article per year, ideally.
* For a non-native Japanese language speaker, a certain level of Japanese proficiency will be considered an asset.

Application Procedures:
Applicants should send: (1) a cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a statement of motive of application, research, and teaching interests, and, (4) three samples of written work, including one academic research article. Applicants should arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to:
Office of Academic Affairs
Akita International University
193-2 Okutsubakidai, Yuwa, Tsubakigawa, Akita-City, Akita 010-1211 Japan
E-mail: positionaiu@aiu.ac.jp; FAX: +81-18-886-5910

Application materials can be sent by e-mail or fax, if the originals follow in regular mail. Materials should be received by September 30, 2006. E-mail or FAX copies must be received before September 30. 2006; originals must be postmarked by September 30. Review of applications will begin October 1, 2006, and selected applicants will be called for interviews and teaching presentations in mid-October. Please indicate both on the envelope and at the top of all documents the course area for which you are applying, e.g., "accounting."
The final results will be announced around the end of October, together with the information about the courses in question.

Annual Salary and Other Benefits:
The annual salary is negotiated based on the results of interviews, within the following salary range by the job grade set up by the AIU salary regulation:
Professor: 9.5 million yen to 13 million yen
Associate Professor: 7.5 million yen to 9.5 million yen
Assistant Professor: 5.5 million yen to 7.5 million yen
Other benefits are provided according to the AIU's related regulations.
No retirement allowance is provided.
Other Matters to Note:
Subject to the results of the Education Ministry's credential assessment, the job grade and/or the courses to teach might be changed.
The contract includes a four-month probation period.
AIU conducts an annual performance evaluation of its faculty and staff members, the results of which will be reflected in an annual salary adjustment and in consideration of any contract renewal.
For more information, please refer to http://www.aiu.ac.jp/.


NOTE:  Despite wanting PhDs (or the equivalent) for faculty, AIU offers 3-year contracted positions with no mention of the possibility of tenure, a four-month probationary period, a heavy workload, no retirement pay, and job evaluations of allegedly questionable aims.  In other words, conditions that are in no visible way different from any other gaijin-contracting "non-international university" in Japan.  Except that unlike them, AIU provides no retirement pay.
Further information available from the Chronicle of Higher Education forum at
http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php?topic=28632.0

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