Job Details

Assistant Professor of English
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Position Number: 5581086
Location: Lexington, KY
Position Type: Liberal Arts - English and Literature

Transylvania University (www.transy.edu), a top-tier, independent, residential liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of English. This is a tenure-track position, teaching in-person classes, beginning August 29, 2025. Transylvania University recognizes that a diverse and inclusive community is essential to the fulfillment of our mission as a liberal arts institution. To that end, we seek to attract a diverse faculty skilled in the scholarship of teaching, research, and mentorship of students from a variety of backgrounds. Candidates are encouraged, in their cover letter, to identify their strengths and experiences in creating an inclusive academic community.

Job Description:

The successful candidate, a specialist in fiction writing and English literature with expertise in African American literature, will develop new courses for the English major with the possibility of cross listing in the Africana Studies minor. Teaching responsibilities will include some combination of ENG 1514 Readings for Creative Writers, ENG 2074 Fiction Workshop, ENG 3164 Advanced Fiction Workshop, and literature courses related to the candidate's field of expertise. Regular contributions to our First-Year Seminar and First Engagements programs, as well as service as an academic adviser, are also expected. The teaching load consists of three courses per semester, plus one short-term course in May (3-3-1) that offers additional opportunities for travel courses, team-taught courses and other more experimental classroom endeavors. Other responsibilities include academic scholarship/professional activity, preferably involving undergraduate students, and service to the university through various committee appointments. The university also has an excellent faculty development program that competitively funds faculty (and student) scholarly research and artistic projects.

The candidate hired for this position will be named the inaugural Mary Hodges Stamler Endowed Chair. This title brings with it an annual stipend that recognizes the teaching excellence of the holder and will support further pedagogical development. The endowed chair title rotates among English and Theater program faculty.

Qualifications:

An MFA or Ph.D. in creative writing or English is required by the start date. Preference will be given to candidates with undergraduate teaching experience, particularly in fiction workshops and African American literature. In addition to their teaching, the candidate will be expected to continue their own professional work. The candidate will also participate in interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration with faculty and students within and beyond the English Program in a liberal arts environment.

To begin the application process, please submit one PDF that contains all of the following: your curriculum vitae, your unofficial graduate transcripts, and a statement of teaching philosophy. Candidates are encouraged in their cover letter to identify their strengths and experiences in creating an inclusive academic community. This PDF, along with your cover letter, which will be uploaded separately, may be submitted by following the job openings link at http://www.transy.edu/jobs. If you are selected to move forward in the application process, you will be asked to provide official graduate transcripts and letters of recommendation at a later date. Please send questions specific to this search to Professor Bethany Packard, at bpackard@transy.edu. Review of applications will begin on September 30, 2024 and will continue until an appointment is made.

Transylvania University is ranked in the top 15 percent of the nation's four-year colleges by the Princeton Review, which cites its community-driven, personalized approach to a liberal arts education through 49 majors and 39 minors. Founded in 1780, it is the 16th oldest institution of higher learning in the country, with approximately 1,000 students.

Transylvania University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to enhancing the diversity of the university community. In support of this goal, we seek qualified candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We embrace diversity and encourage all who are interested to apply.