Assistant Professor of Professional and Community-Engaged Writing

Overview

The Department of English at Utah State University Eastern seeks applications for an academic-year, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of English, specializing in Professional and Community-Engaged Writing. The candidate will join a department committed to transformative pedagogies and equal opportunities for all students. The successful candidate will be well prepared to teach foundational composition courses: ENGL 1010: Writing as Inquiry, ENGL 2010: Research and Argument across Perspectives, and ENGL 2020: Professional Communication. The candidate will also be well prepared to teach general education Integrated Humanities courses for USU’s Center for Civic Excellence. In addition to general education, the successful candidate will make other workforce-oriented Writing Studies courses—for example, ENGL 3170: Legal Writing, ENGL 3175: Healthcare and Medical Writing, and ENGL 3180: Writing for the Public—available to students in USU Eastern growth areas such as Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Social Work.

The successful candidate will collaborate with campus colleagues and community partners in the Price region by developing cross-departmental partnerships and relationships with community organizations (e.g., government offices, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and/or other organizations) to create experiential learning opportunities, internships, and other meaningful forms of community engagement for students.

The applicant is required to have a PhD in Composition and Rhetoric or a related field, a strong teaching record, and potential for publication. An MFA in Creative Writing or related field would be an optional but desirable credential, as the department would welcome a candidate who could also offer general education and/or major courses in creative writing. This is a teaching-centered position with a teaching load of three 3-credit courses per semester (3/3). The candidate will also engage in research as their secondary area. Teaching will be based on the USU Eastern campus in Price, Utah, approximately 120 miles from downtown Salt Lake City and 2-3 hours from several National Parks and Monuments. The position begins in August 2027.

The Department of English welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of their current U.S. work authorization status. Visa sponsorship may be available depending on individual circumstances and applicable immigration requirements. The University may support standard sponsorship costs but cannot cover the additional $100,000 H-1B fee if applicable. Sponsorship eligibility will be determined by University Human Resources at the time of offer.

Review of applications begins December 14, 2026 and continues until the position is filled.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will contribute to the department in the following ways:

• Teach in-person courses on the USU Eastern campus and deliver courses to USU students across the state in a variety of formats, including virtual and online asynchronous.
• Provide students with mentoring and experiential learning opportunities to develop transferable workforce skills for a variety of careers and professions.
• Strengthen the structure and support of the department’s Writing Studies curriculum.
• Teach courses in composition, professional communication, integrated humanities in general education, and additional areas of the department’s undergraduate Writing Studies curriculum, based on department need and the faculty member’s interests and expertise.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications :

• Must have earned a PhD in Composition and Rhetoric or a related field by August 1, 2027.
• Must have a proven record of effective and innovative teaching of first-year writing courses.
• Must be willing to teach students in multiple locations using a variety of in-person, virtual, and online delivery formats.
• Must demonstrate potential for a successful research agenda.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference will be given to applicants who have a demonstrated interest in teaching professional communication courses at the lower-division level.
• Experience teaching distance education courses and working with nontraditional student populations is desirable.
• MFA in Creative Writing or related field is optional, but desirable.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

• CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Cover letter addressing all required qualifications to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
• Names and email addresses of three references. If you are selected as a final candidate, your references will be contacted and asked to submit a letter of recommendation.
• Candidates advancing to the next round will be asked to provide a philosophy of teaching and a writing sample.