Assistant Professor of Creative Writing

Minimum Qualifications:

1) An earned M.F.A. or Ph.D. in English or closely related discipline from an accredited institution (or equivalent) is required; however, Ph.D. applicants nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) may be considered.  For appointment, the doctorate must be completed by the date of appointment (08/18/2022).  
2) Evidence of successful teaching experience at the undergraduate level.
3) Creative writing publications.

Preferred Qualifications:

1) Evidence of successful teaching experience and/or mentorship in creative writing, including at the graduate level.
2) Ability to successfully teach and supervise more than one creative writing genre.
3) Evidence of literary magazine experience.
4) Evidence of work in, commitment to, and/or interest in community engagement.
5) Promise of future creative writing publications and significant creative impact.

Duties:

The primary professional responsibilities of instructional faculty members are: teaching, research, scholarship and/or creative activity, and service to the University, profession and to the community.  These responsibilities generally include: advising students, participation in campus and system-wide committees, maintaining office hours, working collaboratively and productively with colleagues, and participation in traditional academic functions.

The Department of English has a long and illustrious history of supporting creative writing in all genres at the BA and MA levels. This tenure-track Assistant Professor position results from faculty retirements and offers the successful candidate the opportunity to have a significant impact on the growth, direction, and future of this valued specialization. The department houses a 70-year-old literary magazine, Statement, which won the AWP National Program Director’s Prize in Content, and annually sponsors the Henri Coulette Academy of American Poets Prize. The College hosts an esteemed multi- and cross-cultural Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, founded in 2004 to serve the campus and community, which provides exciting opportunities for participation and leadership. The specialization is open but the ability to teach courses and offer MA thesis supervision in more than one genre is desirable, as is experience in literary magazine editing and advisement. Duties will include developing and teaching undergraduate and MA creative writing courses, student mentorship, and the potential to propose readings, seminars, and lectures. The curriculum currently offers a multi-genre introductory course for non-English majors, and upper division and graduate courses in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Reflecting the university’s commitment to the public good, social justice, equality, and diversity, the department is especially interested in candidates who integrate these concerns in their teaching and acknowledge the cultural contexts in which creative writing is produced. We are seeking a colleague who views teaching, creative writing, and community engagement as mutually inspiring practices. 

The successful candidate will be committed to the academic success of all of our students and to an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates diversity and differences. To this end, the successful candidate will work effectively, respectfully, and collaboratively in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings. In addition, the successful candidate will be ready to join faculty, staff, students, and administrators in our University’s shared commitment to the principles of engagement, service, and the public good.

Required Documentation:

Please submit the following to the Search Committee Chair at the email address below:
1) A cover letter specifically addressing minimum and preferred qualifications.
2) A narrative statement describing your commitment to working effectively with faculty, staff, and students in a multicultural/multiethnic urban campus environment with a substantial population of students who are among the first-generation of their family to attend a college or university.
3) A curriculum vitae.
4) A list of three professional references.
5) A University Application for Employment Form
6) Creative Writing Portfolio---please send a sample of what best represents your creative writing. Depending on medium and genre, this may include one or more published works (PDF is acceptable), digital links, and/or a diverse compilation. 
7) Three current letters of recommendation

Finalists will be required to submit:
Official transcripts.

Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. 

Application:

Review of applications for full consideration will begin November 1, 2021.

Please email all application materials in a single PDF to: ENGLsearch@calstatela.edu. Please type “Creative Writing Tenure-Track Application” in the subject line.  Confidential letters of recommendation should not be included in the single pdf with the rest of the application materials, but should be sent separately to ENGLsearch@calstatela.edu

Please address all questions to the search committee chair (Dr. Linda Greenberg) at: linda.greenberg@calstatela.edu 

For more information, please review the full position announcement: https://www.calstatela.edu/2022/college-arts-letters/al-engl-ttf