Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Writing

The Department of English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, with a focus on Professional Writing, beginning August 2025. Teaching responsibilities will include the College’s liberal arts seminars (which serve as the required writing course for first-year and transfer students), and topics courses in professional writing and rhetoric.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric and Composition, or a related field and be committed to excellence in undergraduate teaching. Applicants with expertise in digital media or digital humanities are especially encouraged to apply. Secondary expertise in a literary field or creative writing would be welcome, as the St. Mary’s English department is defined by its multidisciplinary faculty. We seek a candidate who can contribute to ongoing curricular and faculty development for the liberal arts seminars and for the professional writing component of the English major and minor. All professors at St. Mary’s are expected to contribute to the college-wide core curriculum as well as to their departmental curriculum. An interest in attracting and retaining students from underrepresented groups is desirable. Salary range: $70k-$75k, depending on qualifications and experience.

Non-sectarian since its founding, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a public Carnegie Baccalaureate Arts and Sciences institution located in St. Mary’s City, 70 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. has been designated as Maryland's public honors college. With selective admissions policies, academically talented students, and a rigorous curriculum, we offer a small college experience similar to that found at exceptional private colleges. St. Mary’s faculty benefit from a comprehensive program of support for scholarship, research, travel, and curriculum development, including course releases for pre-tenure faculty and leaves for tenured faculty. The quality of life is enhanced by the recreational opportunities of the Chesapeake region and by our proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

St. Mary’s College (www.smcm.edu) embodies diversity and inclusion in its mission. We create an environment that recognizes the value of individual and group differences and we encourage inquiries from applicants who will contribute to our cultural and ethnic diversity. Application materials should include:

  1. a cover letter (within the cover letter, applicants are requested to speak to ways in which their teaching will contribute to a culture of inclusion and campus diversity and also to provide a statement of their research interests);
  2. curriculum vitae,
  3. a statement of teaching philosophy; and
  4. evidence of teaching effectiveness (if available).

In support of inclusive hiring practices, the College will also request three professional references (rather than letters of recommendation) at the time of application. Of these three references, at least one referee should speak to the candidate's disciplinary expertise and at least one should have seen the candidate deliver or design classroom instruction. References will be contacted only for candidates who advance to finalist interviews. Applications are being accepted online at: apply.interfolio.com/156412.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Jeffrey Coleman, Chair of English, at jlcoleman@smcm.edu

Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. St. Mary’s College of Maryland is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.


Similar searches: Full-time, Composition and rhetoric, 4-year college or university, Creative writing, English, Professor, Assistant, Literature, African American, Literature, American, Literature, British, Literature, multicultural, Technical and business writing, Technology and digital media, Maryland