Assistant Professor - Creative Writing [1]
Brief Summary of Work for this Position
The Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is seeking a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing/Poetry beginning August 2021.
Responsibilities include teaching a range of creative writing courses, and coordination of our nationally recognized MFA program. Administrative duties include oversight of day-to-day operations in our MFA program in concert with other department coordinators and administrators; assistance in coordinating scheduling, recruitment and admissions, and events; response to student needs; collaboration on marketing, social media, and outreach; and advocacy for the MFA program on and off campus.
Teaching opportunities may include introductory and advanced creative writing workshops, craft-based literature courses, publishing and graduate seminars.
In addition, the successful applicant will direct and read MFA and BFA theses, mentor graduate teaching assistants and serve on departmental committees. All curricula should emphasize diversity.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
- An appropriate terminal degree (MFA, PhD, or equivalent degree).
- Three to four years of administrative experience; preferably in directing a program
- At the Assistant Professor level: At least one book of poetry of literary merit from a national press.
- Additional publications in reputable magazines or anthologies appropriate to rank.
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching poetry writing at undergraduate and/or graduate levels.
- Interest and/or experience in teaching culturally diverse curricula.
- Publication and experience in, and the ability to teach some aspect of editing and publishing.
Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Interest and/or experience in contributing to the leadership of the department.
Primary Function of Organizational Unit
The UNCW Department of Creative Writing is a community of deeply committed writers who believe that the creation of art is valuable to self and culture. Our faculty encourages a rigorous yet safe, supportive environment in which diverse writers can grow as artists and as individuals. We believe excellence starts with an informed application of craft and we encourage writers to explore aesthetics and methods across genre lines.
College/School Information
The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately two-thirds of the university’s academic credits. Ours is a comprehensive arts & sciences college comprising the arts, the humanities, the mathematical and natural sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences.
The College’s twenty-five units offer a variety of undergraduate majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music, and the Bachelor of Science. The College also offers a full complement of minors, including interdisciplinary minors such as Africana studies, Asian studies, Forensic studies, Latin America studies, Middle East & Islamic studies, Native-American studies, and Women’s and Gender studies, among others.
Applied learning is a hallmark of the student experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Each of the College’s departments requires an applied learning experience as a part of the curriculum for its undergraduate majors. Examples include faculty-directed research, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects, all of which challenge students to integrate various strands of knowledge and to apply that knowledge to broader, real-world or real disciplinary situations. Through applied learning, students in the College gain direct hands-on experience with the skills of their major fields as an essential part of their preparation for life and career.
In addition to its undergraduate major and minor programs, the College is chiefly responsible for the curriculum that comprises the UNCW’s University Studies Program, through which all UNCW undergraduates gain a foundation in the liberal arts and develop the transferable skills essential for life in the twenty-first century. The College strives in its undergraduate programs and in its University Study offerings to nurture creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, diversity and inclusion, and academic integrity in students while providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge in their chosen fields. Upon completion of their undergraduate studies, College of Arts and Sciences students will have the necessary preparation for rewarding careers, advanced study, effective citizenship, and meaningful lives.
Graduate degrees awarded in the College of Arts and Sciences include the Master of Arts, the Master of Fine Arts, the Master of Public Administration, the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy (Marine Biology and Psychology). In addition, the nationally awarded Graduate Liberal Studies program offers a personalized curriculum of interdisciplinary study leading to the Master of Arts. Post-baccalaureate certificates in Applied Statistics, Environmental Studies, Forensic Science, Conflict Management and Resolution, Gender Studies and Hispanic Studies are available. Graduate programs in the College are designed to develop intellectual competence and to prepare the student for careers in business, industry, government, teaching or for further study at the doctoral level.
University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.
A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.
The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.
Please apply online at https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/20015 [2]
Special Notes to Applicants
Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required.
Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on March 23, 2021, the posting closing date. To apply, please complete the online application process available at https://jobs.uncw.edu/ [3] and attach the following materials as an Adobe PDF document including:
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vita
- Combined unofficial Graduate Transcripts
- Teaching Philosophy – Statement of Teaching Philosophy describing teaching interests including a list of potential course offerings, plan for actively engaging students in field-based or methods courses, and how issues of diversity shape the applicant’s working practices, past and planned.
- Writing Sample – Separate pdf of a published collection of poems.
Note that letters of application without the requested components will not meet the application requirements.
Please note that a minimum of three professional reference contacts are required for all applications. References will be requested during the screening process.
Please direct questions concerning the search to Prof. Malena Mörling, Chair, Assistant Professor Search Committee, at morlingm@uncw.edu [4], (910) 962-7841. For questions regarding the online application process, contact Ms. Megan Hubbard at hubbardm@uncw.edu [5]
EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.