Instructor or Lecturer, Writing & Rhetoric

The Opportunity

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is pleased to invite applicants for a non-tenure earning instructor or lecturer with an anticipated start date of August 8, 2025. This 9-month appointment carries a 4/4 course teaching load each academic year, with opportunities for summer teaching in a writing studies focused first-year writing program that won the 2023 CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence award. UCF’s first-year composition program serves over 6,000 students annually and is driven by collaboratively-developed student learning outcomes that value equity, access, and sustainability. The composition curriculum is informed by guiding principles developed from rhetoric and composition praxis. DWR’s talented writing faculty have a range of expertise in rhetoric and composition and draw from various approaches to teach writing. A successful applicant will work full-time in our first-year composition program with opportunities to teach upper-level undergraduate writing courses. Teaching modes may include face-to-face, mediated/hybrid, and fully online. All faculty in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric report to the department chair.

As an independent writing department, DWR is the academic home to 10 tenure-earning faculty members, 35 full-time non-tenure earning instructors and lecturers, and 15 graduate teaching assistants. The department supports comprehensive writing instruction that includes a first-year composition program, an undergraduate major (B.A.) and minor, and a graduate program with both an M.A. and certificate in professional writing. The department has an undergraduate certificate in Medical Writing and Rhetoric alongside the Public and Professional Writing certificate. The department is the home of the college's new interdisciplinary certificate in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Human Impacts, which signals DWR's commitment to being a leader in shaping conversations around emergent technologies and their consequences, both locally and nationally. The department houses the Center for Writing Excellence encompassing the University Writing Center and the Writing Across the Curriculum program.

UCF offers opportunity for professional development and advancement through its Center for Teaching and Learning, Office of Faculty Excellence, and Center for Distributed Learning for faculty members at all ranks. One of the nation’s largest universities, UCF is a metropolitan, Hispanic serving institution (HSI) that promotes a diverse and inclusive environment. UCF holds the Carnegie Foundation's highest classifications for research activity and community engagement. Central Florida is one of the nation’s fastest-growing and diverse metropolitan areas and is home to a variety of cultural and natural attractions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (for an instructor) or terminal degree (for a lecturer) from an accredited institution in Rhetoric and/or Composition or closely related field; degree must be conferred by August 1, 2025.

• A minimum of two years teaching college-level composition courses.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Rhetoric and/or Composition from an accredited institution.

• Graduate coursework in Composition Histories, Theories, and/or Pedagogy.

• Experience teaching digital literacy/rhetorics and/or multimodality writing.

• Demonstrated excellence in teaching college composition and experience working with a range of diverse writer populations, particularly multilingual writers.

• Experience teaching writing effectively in online learning environments and/or certification in online writing instruction.

• Evidence of scholarly engagement with artificial intelligence (AI) in academic and/or industry contexts.

• Pedagogical knowledge, coursework, and/or experience in one of the following areas: business/professional writing and editing; STEM writing; cultural rhetorics; community literacies; medical rhetorics.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/.  In addition to the online application, candidates should attach the following PDF documents:

• cover letter addressing qualifications for the position,

• curriculum vitae with contact information for three references,

• teaching philosophy, and

• unofficial transcript(s) of graduate-level coursework.

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

Review of applications will begin immediately. The position is anticipated to close on January 2, 2025. First round interviews will occur in February 2025 with second round interviews in March 2025.

Questions regarding this search should be directed to the search committee chair Garrett Arban at garrett.arban@ucf.edu or for more information on DWR, visit http://writingandrhetoric.cah.ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

January 2, 2025

Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted as ‘Open until filled’ may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program. 
• Paid time off, including annual (12-month faculty) and sick time off and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options. 
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions. 
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment. 
• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide click here.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including Disabled/Vets.  Click on UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement to view the President’s Statement.

The UCF affirmative action plans for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected Veterans are available for inspection in the Office of Institutional Equity, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., upon request.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request. 

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.