Assistant Professor - Assistant Writing Programs Administrator

Overview

The Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University invites applications for an Assistant Professor and Assistant Writing Programs Administrator beginning in August 2026. We seek an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition to teach rhetoric and composition courses at the entry and advanced levels and assist in administering the first-year writing programs. The ideal candidate will engage with emerging technologies—particularly AI—and their impact on writing instruction and writing-intensive courses, as well as writing program administration and digital literacy.

A developing record of peer-reviewed scholarship, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, or related field of study is required by August, 2026.

The Department provides writing instruction for more than 5,000 first year students a year. The First-Year Writing Program is entering the third year of a digital literacy initiative grant funded by Adobe Systems. The right candidate would join a vibrant department that offers BA concentrations in English, Teacher Prep, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing alongside MA and MFA programs.

Ongoing initiatives within the college and beyond include a new Digital Humanities Center, an Institute for Ethical Technologies, colleagues investigating AI from a Humanities perspective, and a systemwide DH@CSU which supports our efforts to provide ethical and equitable futures for the diverse populations we serve. We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education.

A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

• Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition or related field by date of appointment
• Relevant teaching experience and ability to teach a range of courses
• A developing publication record and a research agenda in Rhetoric and Composition Studies that will secure tenure
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience

• Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:
• Experience in coordinating or administering writing programs—particularly Stretch English or similar programs
• Teaching experience in multiple levels of university writing courses
• Demonstrated interest in generative AI, large-language models, and their effects on writing instruction and program administration
• Demonstrated interest and experience teaching and supporting digital literacy
• Potential to contribute to our ongoing campus discussion of Humanities and technology, especially the ethical and philosophical issues presented by AI and other new technologies

• The candidate will support the administration of writing programs, including the university’s Stretch English program for first-year composition
• The candidate will supervise instruction and assessment (and other writing courses as needed) in composition courses in close coordination with the Writing Program Administrator and the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Director
• The candidate will participate in committees that oversee writing instruction
• The candidate will participate in hiring and evaluation of faculty teaching in the first-year writing program as well as providing professional development for those faculty
• The candidate will help to develop, assess, and improve the university’s writing curriculum and outcomes
• Teaching rhetoric and composition courses at the entry and advanced levels, as well as other courses in composition theory and pedagogy, or in another field of the candidate’s strength
• Strong teaching, publication record, fundraising or grant activity, and committee and other service to the department and university are considerations for tenure
• The candidate will…