Overview
The University of Central Arkansas’s Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing invites applications for a nine-month, tenure track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction + Secondary Genre), beginning August 16, 2024. The successful candidate will have a terminal degree in Creative Writing or closely related field, a book published in a nationally recognized press and/or an extensive publication record in national literary magazines and/or peer-reviewed journals, experience teaching at the university level, and a commitment to supporting the university’s initiatives in diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity. This position requires teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, pursuing creative work, and university service with a reliable campus presence.
The UCA Creative Writing Program offers a BA in Creative Writing and an MFA in Creative Writing, supporting an undergraduate literary magazine, a graduate-run national literary magazine, an on-campus literary festival, and multiple nationally recognized visiting writers each year. The program is committed to supporting and enhancing a multicultural environment that values diversity, belonging, inclusiveness, and equity. Its mission is to develop creative writers, editors, and publishers through the combination of storytelling, community engagement, and critical thinking.
The ideal candidate will:
● support the creative writing program’s mission;
● demonstrate excellent teaching skills at the university level with an innovative and responsive approach to the ever-changing and varied needs of a diverse student body;
● serve the program, department, college, and university on committees and participate in robust recruitment activities;
● create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with an energetic and diverse faculty;
● and show productivity in one’s artistic and scholarly life.
The position carries a 4-4 annual course load.
The successful candidate will teach fiction as their primary genre, with the ability to teach a secondary genre in playwriting, screenwriting, or illustrated narrative (writing for comics, video games, or other hybrid creations), and may advise the Vortex, UCA’s undergraduate literary journal, with accompanying course load adjustment. The candidate will teach multi-genre introductory courses, as well as genre-specific upper-division and graduate-level courses. They will also serve on MFA thesis committees. The ideal tenure-track candidate will devote a portion of their time to developing their own creative work and serving the department, college, and university at large. Candidates must be able to work in a wide variety of computer software applications, including Google Docs, Gmail, classroom management systems, collaboration applications, and university specific applications.
MFA and/or PhD in creative writing or closely related field; university teaching experience; and publication in national literary journals required.
Book publication, or promise thereof, with a nationally recognized press preferred.
The University of Central Arkansas is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution dedicated to attracting and supporting a diverse student, faculty and staff population through enhanced multicultural learning environments and opportunities. In keeping with its nondiscrimination policy in employment, admissions and other functions and programs, the university considers employees and students on the basis of individual merit and will not discriminate against a person on the basis of gender, race or color, ethnicity, religion, spiritual beliefs, national origin, age, familial status, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, disability, political beliefs, intellectual perspective, genetic information, military status, or other factors irrelevant to participation in its programs.