Walker Percy Assistant Professor in Poetry

The Creative Writing Program of the Department of English and Comparative Literature (ECL) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill invites applications for a full-time, tenure-line Assistant Professor of Poetry, to begin in Fall 2024. Candidates should be prepared to teach a 2/2 load of undergraduate Poetry courses at the introductory, intermediate, advanced, and senior honors level, as well potential poetry electives. We especially welcome candidates whose work engages a wide aesthetic range and champions under-represented communities.

A potential for leadership is highly desirable, as is an eagerness to nurture the talent of young writers (as we are an undergraduate-only program) and to assist with the myriad activities of our program. UNC strives to create an environment where all members of the community feel welcome, valued, and can thrive. The ideal candidate will share in this commitment. Accordingly, applicants should describe in their Cover Letter the specific ways in which their scholarship, teaching, and service goals can support this vision. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2024

The Creative Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill celebrated 75 years of nurturing student creativity in 2022. Thousands of students have graduated from our program, and many have gone on to study at top MFA programs and publish award-winning books of their own. Our undergraduate-only program currently offers students the opportunity to major or minor in the field with a specialty in Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Musical Writing, or any combination therein; many faculty teach in multiple genres. Select students may also compose an honors thesis during their senior year.

Details about our program can be found at https://englishcomplit.unc.edu/creative-writing/. Our hosting institution, the Department of English and Comparative Literature (ECL) boasts a 225-year history of its own. Current course offerings present a diversity of approaches to the study, production, and appreciation of literary and non-literary texts. We pursue a four-fold mission to 1) explore the history and significance of American, British, and world literature; 2) promote interdisciplinary connections and incorporate the study of culture, theory, and history into our research and courses; 3) offer training in rigorous thinking, precise analysis, and critical reading; and 4) foster practical skills in rhetoric, composition, and expression in essays, creative pieces, even emerging forms of digital media.

The ECL is home to the undergraduate and graduate programs in English and the undergraduate and graduate programs in Comparative Literature as well as various certificate programs. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the flagship institution of a strong state university system comprising 17 campuses across North Carolina. Chapel Hill is an exuberant college town near the Research Triangle economic hub and 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Neighbor institutions within 25 miles include Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and Meredith College. We welcome applications from candidates who will add to the ECL’s diversity. You can read our departmental diversity efforts here