Associate or Assistant Professor- Tenure System

   The Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) at Michigan State University (MSU) seeks an accomplished poet to teach courses that include poetry and creative writing, and to serve as the Director for the RCAH Center for Poetry.

 The ideal candidate will demonstrate a well-established and extended trajectory of publishing, performance, and community engagement within the literary arts. A secondary and demonstrated interest in scholarship, criticism, or critical nonfiction is not required but highly desirable. The successful candidate will also demonstrate excellence in teaching (particularly in courses on literature, poetry, and creative writing), and an ability to integrate teaching and civic engagement in the context of a large research institution with a diverse student body. The successful candidate must also be an effective leader, able to administer a Center dedicated to the collaborative development and promotion of the literary arts across colleges and programs at MSU and the Greater Lansing community.

We are looking for someone who will: conceive of poetry broadly, to include poetic expression beyond traditional forms of print poetry (e.g. spoken-word poetry, new media poetry); be interested in exploring the connections between poetry and forms of creative expression in other disciplines, including music, visual arts, dance, film, and theatre; be committed to developing projects that engage local, diverse communities in poetic production and performance.

  The candidate will work closely with The Center's assistant director and interns. A terminal degree in a related field by the time of appointment and evidence of an active career as an arts practitioner capable of thriving in an interdisciplinary undergraduate learning context is required.

 

The RCAH at MSU is an interdisciplinary, residential undergraduate college in the arts and humanities with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and with a curricular emphasis on social justice, community engagement, and the study of language and culture.

  Michigan State University is a Carnegie R1 institution that values cross-college collaboration, and the successful candidate will also have opportunities to connect with faculty in his/her discipline at MSU

 

  The RCAH Center for Poetry (https://poetry.rcah.msu.edu/index.html),  founded in 2007, encourages the reading, writing, and discussion of poetry, in order to cultivate an awareness of the place and power of poetry in our everyday lives.  The Center accomplishes these goals, among other ways, through readings, performances, community outreach, workshops, contests, and publishing. The Center works to build a poetry community in the Greater Lansing area and beyond. Recent visiting poets include Marvin Bell, Tina Chang, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Toi Derricotte, Natalie Diaz, Mark Doty, Carolyn Forché, Tyehimba Jess, Li-Young Lee, Robin Coste Lewis, Thomas Lynch, George Ella Lyon, Naomi Shiab Nye, Carl Phillips, and Ocean Vuong.

This position will start 8/16/2020. The RCAH is a vibrant, multi-disciplinary community that is diverse along many dimensions, including race and ethnicity; gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression; ability status; and religious belief, creed, or ideology. MSU is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.

 MSU is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. The University actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.

  Applicants should include a cover letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, statement on diversity, sample syllabi for creative writing and poetry courses, and a (min 20 page) writing sample that suggests the breadth of their creative and critical interests. These materials should be compiled in a single PDF. Applicants also will be required to submit names and emails for three people from whom letters of reference will be solicited. Application due Nov. 30; initial interviews to be held online in early January.

To apply, go to https://careers.msu.edu. Click on Search Postings at right, enter posting number 617612 in the Posting Number field, and click Search. From there, follow prompts. All applicants must apply using this application portal.


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