Assistant Professor of English -Creative Writing

The English Department at Fairfield University invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position in Creative Writing (fiction) at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in September 2024, pending final budget approval. The English Department is home to a vibrant community of writers and scholars supporting the English major (with concentrations in five areas, including creative writing) as well as a Low-Residency Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. The successful candidate will join both the undergraduate and graduate programs, teaching in the primary genre of fiction writing as well as in any secondary genres of interest. Candidates with one published book from a nationally recognized press and a history of teaching excellence are welcome to apply, with emphasis and attention given to writers addressing the concerns of BIPOC communities or those from underrepresented populations.

The teaching load will be a 3-3, distributed within the graduate and undergraduate programs in collaboration with the chair, the coordinator of undergraduate creative writing, and the director of the MFA program. In a typical academic year, at least half of the teaching duties will be at the undergraduate level.  Opportunities for pre-tenure leave, as well as guidelines for those with prior experience at rank are outlined in the university handbook (available at this link).

Requirements:

Applicants are expected to have completed an MFA or Ph.D. in Creative Writing or a closely allied field. A strong commitment to excellence in graduate and undergraduate teaching and the potential to assist in the development and flourishing of undergraduate and graduate writing communities on and beyond campus are especially important for the successful candidate. Specialization in a second genre is welcome.  Additionally, the candidate should demonstrate an interest in pedagogical innovation. Opportunities to direct both the undergraduate and graduate programs rotate among faculty, so candidates with some administrative experience of a creative writing organization or program, or an interest in developing same, are preferred. To promote diversity, the Department welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.

Application Instructions:

Review of applications is ongoing; for full consideration please submit all requested material (see below) by November 22, 2023.  We plan to do Zoom interviews for selected candidates in  early or mid January, with campus visits to follow in late January or early February.

For full consideration, please click "https://ffd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EmploymentOpportunities/details/Assistant-Professor-of-English---Creative-Writing_JR0001885" and upload the following materials:

a curriculum vitae, letter of application, and statement of teaching philosophy. Candidates selected for the second round of review will also be asked to submit a writing sample and dossier of 3 recommendation letters via email.

About Fairfield University:

Fairfield University is a co-educational, comprehensive Jesuit university with a 200-acre campus located along the scenic shoreline community of Fairfield, CT.  The University is comprised of approximately 3,500 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students pursuing degrees within 5 schools: The College of Arts and Sciences, The Charles F. Dolan School of Business, The School of Engineering, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and The Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions.  As an expression of our Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity, Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values.

Additional Information:

The salary and the benefits for the position are competitive.

Fairfield University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, committed to excellence through diversity, and, in this spirit, particularly welcomes applications from women, persons of color, and members of other historically underrepresented groups. The university will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with a disability.