Assistant Professor of English in Writing Studies

Overview

The Department of English at Utah State University Tooele seeks applications for an academic-year, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of English in Writing Studies, a new department curricular area. To serve USU students broadly, the successful candidate will be well prepared to teach not only writing studies courses in the English Department, such as its foundational course on professional communication, but also general education courses for USU's Center for Civic Excellence.

The candidate will join a department committed to transformative pedagogies and equal opportunities for all students.

The successful candidate will have expertise that allows them to collaborate productively with the campus and community in Tooele. For example, a successful candidate might be able to partner with Social Work or Criminal Justice programs in Tooele; have expertise in writing as therapeutic intervention that intersect with Social Work initiatives; have expertise in prison literacy that would intersect with Criminal Justice concerns;

and/or have expertise in life writing and community writing that enhances community partnerships.

The applicant is required to have a PhD in Composition and Rhetoric or a related field, a strong teaching record, and potential for publication. This is a teaching-centered position with a teaching load of three courses per semester (3/3). The candidate will also engage in research as their secondary area. Teaching will be based on the Tooele campus, approximately 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City.

The position begins in August 2026. Review of applications begins February 17, 2026, and continues until the position is filled.

Responsibilities

The successful applicant will contribute to the department in the following ways:

* Deliver courses from Tooele to USU students across the state in a variety of formats, including virtual and online asynchronous.

* Provide students with mentoring and educational opportunities to develop transferable workforce skills for a variety of careers and professions.

* Strengthen the structure and support the development of the department's Writing Studies curriculum.

* Teach courses in writing studies, professional communication, integrated humanities in general education, and additional areas of the department's undergraduate curriculum, based on department need and the successful candidate's interests and expertise.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

* Must have earned a PhD in Composition and Rhetoric or a related field and must have earned their degree by August 1, 2026.

* Must have a proven record of effective and innovative teaching of first-year writing studies courses.

* Be willing to teach students in multiple locations using a variety of virtual and online delivery formats.

* Must demonstrate potential for a successful research agenda.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Preference will be given to applicants who have a demonstrated interest in teaching professional communication courses at the lower-division level.

* Experience teaching distance education courses and working with nontraditional student populations is desirable.

* MFA in creative nonfiction or related field is desirable.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV" Cover Letter to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Documents 1-10" Names and email addresses of three references. If your candidacy advances to the next round of review, your references will be contacted and asked to upload a letter of recommendation.

Candidates advancing to the next round will be asked to provide a philosophy of teaching and a writing sample.

Document size may not exceed 10 MB.

Advertised Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent benefits

ADA

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

University Highlights

Founded in 1888, Utah State…