High Point University invites applications for a 9-month, nontenure-track Assistant Professor of English and Director of First-Year Writing. The position begins August 2024. All High Point University faculty at this rank teach a 3/3 load and enjoy professional development funding as well as opportunities to make a significant impact on the institution’s academic life. This position carries 1 course reduction per semester for the work of directing the First-Year Writing program.
We seek an outstanding teacher-scholar to join the department of English. The candidate will teach courses in HPU’s new general education curriculum as well as courses for the English major and minors as needed. Potential teaching needs include a redesigned first-year seminar (now called Intellectual Discovery), the first-year writing course, a sophomore Humanities course, courses in the Public and Professional Writing minor, and a diversity-designated course at the 3000 level. Comfort with teaching and learning technologies for writing and a commitment to comprehensive pedagogies are essential.
Competitive candidates will demonstrate a vision for cultivating a vibrant culture of writing at a small private university, including but not limited to, ideas for collaborating with other departments or services or launching any kind of interdisciplinary initiatives. The successful candidate will also have an active research agenda and demonstrated potential for scholarly publication. Specialization is open, but preferred areas of interest include writing program administration, writing pedagogy, first-year writing, basic writing, writing assessment, service learning, and community engagement.
The First-Year Writing program is a one-course sequence (ENG 1103: Research and Writing) for most incoming Freshmen, but also offers one developmental writing stretch course and one course for English-language learners. Typically, the program offers approximately 60 ENG 1103 courses per academic year across approximately 15 instructors.
Minimum Requirements: Ph.D in Rhetoric and Composition, Writing Studies, or a closely related field in hand by August 2024.
Administrative responsibilities include:
· Ensure uniformity and coherence between FYW and the general education writing requirement, with respect to course and program outcomes.
· Oversee curricular and programmatic assessment in FYW, and provide leadership/direction for the implementation of changes based on this assessment or other evaluations of writing needs.
· Advise and assist English Department Chair in the hiring and mentorship of adjunct writing instructors and the scheduling of FYW courses each semester.
· Serve on departmental, college, and university-level committees as needed.
Application instructions: Initial screening of applications will begin mid-October but the position will remain open until filled. We request that applicants submit a cover letter and CV. After initial review, selected candidates will be contacted for an interview and departmental presentation. At which point, candidates may also be asked for additional documents such as an administrative philosophy (which should address assessment of writing programs among other ideas) and a teaching portfolio (which may include recent syllabi, assignments, and course evaluations).
Please submit application materials at the following link:
For additional information or questions regarding this position, please contact the chair of the search committee: Dr. Justin Cook at jcook3.
At High Point University, the faculty and staff are devoted to ensuring every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. High Point University is a God, family, and country school.
High Point University does not sponsor H1-B Visas.
Dr. Justin H. Cook | Assistant Professor of English &
Director of The Writing Center
One University Parkway, High Point, NC 27268