Professor and Chair, Department of Writing & Rhetoric

The Opportunity

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications for the position of professor and department chair, a 12- month administrative position anticipated to begin August 8, 2025.  

DWR is committed to innovative teaching and research that address challenges related to composing, rhetoric, and literacy in school, workplace, civic, and community settings. As a standalone department, we seek an outstanding scholar-leader who can help us to execute a strategic plan that will allow us to grow our academic programs to national prominence and expand our role as a valued source of expertise on public and academic writing-related issues.  

The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day operation of the department and coordination between as well as oversight of department programs. The chair provides leadership for the department by connecting department goals to college and university objectives. Guiding both short- and long-term visioning, the chair serves as an advocate for the department. The chair reports to the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Mentoring faculty in support of developing research and teaching agendas; 

• Fostering the growth of the department’s research culture, which includes undergraduate, graduate, and faculty participation in research;  

• Maintaining an atmosphere of transparency and inclusion; 

• Coordinating and managing programmatic assessment to align with institutional accreditation;

• Promoting a spirit of collegiality that encourages faculty across all ranks and staff to leverage their individual abilities and interests in support of a common vision of success for the department; 

• Managing programs, personnel, and budget; 

• Coordinating fundraising and public-facing outreach; 

• Evaluating faculty and staff performance. 

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 existing 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. Graduate faculty may request to teach in the interdisciplinary doctoral Texts and Technology program, which includes an area of specialization in Rhetoric and Composition. The department houses the Center for Writing Excellence encompassing the University Writing Center and the Writing Across the Curriculum program. DWR boasts a nationally recognized faculty with expertise in cultural and feminist rhetorics; disability studies; medical rhetorics; composition theory and pedagogy; digital writing; community/public rhetorics; multimodal rhetorics; writing program administration. For more information on the department, please visit http://writingandrhetoric.cah.ucf.edu. 

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must be a tenured professor in the UCF Department of Writing and Rhetoric at the time of application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated record of strong teaching, research and service.

• Demonstrated record of successful and sustained experience in academic administration.

• Demonstrated experience with operational processes, including budget and personnel management, program administration, strategic planning, assessment, and faculty and student recruitment.

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 application, candidates should attach a letter of application summarizing relevant background and experience, a statement of leadership philosophy, a current CV, and names and contact information of three references when applying.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be uploaded at that time. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents. The committee will begin reviewing applications immediately.

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

For questions about the position, please contact the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Rudy McDaniel at rudy@ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

This position is open to current tenured faculty in the UCF Department of Writing & Rhetoric only. 

Job Close Date:

February 6, 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

Department

Work Schedule

Type of Appointment

Expected Salary

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.