DescriptionThe Chicago Center for Writing at the University of Chicago invites applications for an Associate Director for Writing in the Core. Reporting to the Executive Director of the Chicago Center for Writing and the Master of the New Collegiate Division, the Associate Director will serve as a key member of the Center's leadership team during its launch phase and beyond. The selected candidate will be appointed at the rank of Assistant Senior Instructional Professor beginning January 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter, for an initial term of three years, renewable with the possibility for promotion. This is a 12-month, benefits-eligible position. For information on benefits, please consult the University of Chicago Benefits Guide.
Launching in Autumn 2026, the Chicago Center for Writing will serve as a faculty-led, intellectually ambitious hub for writing instruction, pedagogy, and support across the University of Chicago. Housed in the New Collegiate Division and working in close partnership with academic departments and campus units, the Center advances an integrated, multi-year approach to writing education that spans foundational Core instruction, discipline-specific writing, public and professional communication, and individualized support through a vibrant writing lab.
The Associate Director for Writing in the Core will provide intellectual, curricular, and administrative leadership for writing instruction across the Core, with primary responsibility for coordinating the College's Core writing requirement, Inquiry, Conversation, Argument (WRIT 10100), and supporting writing instruction in adjacent Core contexts. Additionally, the successful candidate will provide sustained, expert guidance to instructors teaching with writing; develop adaptable pedagogical resources; support coherent co-curricular programming; and help articulate the intellectual identity of the Chicago Center for Writing during a period of institutional growth.
The primary areas of responsibility for the Associate Director for Writing in the Core include:
- Strategic leadership for writing in the Core
- Instructor supervision, mentoring, and evaluation
- Curriculum and pedagogical resource development
- Cross-Core collaboration and co-curricular support
- Writing technologies (including generative AI) and academic integrity
- Evidence-informed program development and public engagement
- Teaching up to four quarter-length courses per academic year
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications- Doctorate or equivalent terminal degree completed by the position start date
- Demonstrated record of excellence in college-level teaching, including substantial experience teaching courses in which writing is central to student learning
- Evidence of successful experience in academic program management, curriculum development, and instructor mentoring, or evidence of strong potential to do so
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, instructors, staff, and students across disciplines
Preferred Qualifications- Experience teaching or administering first-year writing, Core/general-education writing, writing-in-the-disciplines, or interdisciplinary writing curricula
- Experience supervising, mentoring, observing, evaluating, or providing professional development for instructional faculty or other academic appointees
- Experience developing shared curricular resources, assignment sequences, instructor-facing materials, or student-facing writing resources
- Experience with assessment or evidence-informed program development in writing instruction
- Demonstrated reflective engagement with technologies of writing (including generative AI) and digital literacy as they relate to collegiate writing pedagogy
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to build trust with faculty and instructors across departments and programs
- Intellectual curiosity, broad disciplinary fluency, and a demonstrated commitment to the University of Chicago's values of rigorous inquiry, free expression, and serious intellectual exchange
Application Instructions Applicants must apply online through the University of Chicago's Interfolio website: apply.interfolio.com/191519. A complete application must include the following materials in PDF format:
- Curriculum vitae
- Cover letter describing your interest in the position, experience in writing pedagogy and program leadership, approach to mentoring and supervising instructors, and vision for supporting writing in the Core
- Teaching statement to complement what you discuss in your cover letter, not to exceed 750 words
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness, including syllabi for two courses previously taught
- Evidence of successful management of programs, or evidence of potential to do so
- Contact information for three references
Review of applications will begin on
September 15, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed.
