The Program in Writing and Communication (PWC) at Rice University (Houston, TX, USA) has just opened a search for two full-time non-tenure track faculty positions.
Associate Teaching Professor & Associate Director of Pedagogy. This position has a teaching load of five courses per year, with a two-course release to focus on the administrative leadership role. The administrative responsibility is to develop and implement pedagogical training for PWC faculty and FYW instructors, including workshops, retreats, reading groups, and learning communities, with a focus on topics related to accessibility and inclusivity. Experience teaching in a writing studio model or training studio leaders is a plus.
PWC Lecturer. This position also has a teaching load of five courses (15 credit hours) per year. In the fall, this position teaches three sections of our developmental FYW course; in the spring, two courses that could be either general FYW or graduate ESL writing. Experience teaching multilingual writers is desirable.
Here’s some additional information about the application process, positions, benefits, and context:
- The application deadline is January 6; we will hold interviews in February and March; and, ideally, the new faculty will start by July 1, though there is a little flexibility in either direction. (June 1 would be terrific!)
- These are full-time, benefits-eligible, 12-month faculty positions that are fully funded and on renewable 3-year contracts. The required teaching will take place in the fall and spring semester, and the summer work is reviewing 70-100 pieces of student writing for the first-year placement process.
- Both positions report directly to the campus WPA (me) and will join a group of eight other full-time faculty who teach a range of required and elective writing and communication courses, two post-doctoral teaching fellows, and seven staff members who work in the university’s writing center and communication-in-the-disciplines initiative. We are excited to welcome two new colleagues!
- For the senior faculty position with the leadership role, the starting salary is $80k. For the lecturer position, the starting salary is in the mid-$50k range. The cost of living in Houston is significantly lower than other major US cities (62% lower than NYC, 52% lower than San Francisco, 35% lower than LA, 21% lower than Chicago, 15% lower than Denver), so I encourage applicants to compare their salary expectations with a cost-of-living calculator.
- There will be funds for relocating (up to $4000 for each position). Our full-time faculty also receive annual funding for attending conferences and other professional development activities ($1800 in 2024-25).
- Both positions are eligible for promotion, the first to full Teaching Professor and the second to Senior Lecturer. Our lecturers also are eligible to apply to move to the teaching professor track if they want to do so and meet the university’s criteria; that would happen after several years of teaching for us.
- These are not remote or hybrid positions; we do not offer online courses in our program. However, the required summer work for the first-year placement process can be completed remotely.
- Houston is known for being one of the best food cities in the US and for its vibrant arts scene. Many are surprised to learn that it’s the most culturally and ethnically diverse city in the US. It’s quite green, with a sub-tropical climate. The Rice campus itself is a beautiful park-like enclave of 300 acres with a mix of classical and modern architecture in the center of the city.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these positions.
Jennifer Wilson
Jennifer Shade Wilson, PhD (she/her) Director & Senior Lecturer Program in Writing and Communication Rice University 200D Fondren Library pwc.rice.edu