The Department of Writing invites applications for a tenure-track, assistant professor position beginning August 2012.  Teaching load is 4/4 (12 hours per semester).  Responsibilities include teaching advanced courses in rhetoric and composition and/or technical communication as well as courses in general education writing. In addition to strong experience teaching general education writing, the successful candidate should have expertise in writing with technology and teaching writing with technologies. The candidate should also have the capacity to teach, research, advise, and provide leadership. Preference will be given to candidates who have training and experience in technical communication, grant writing, and/or other professional writing.

Minimum Qualifications: College writing teaching experience, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, Technical Communication, or closely related field.

In addition to general education courses in writing and linguistics, the department offers undergraduate majors and minors in writing, creative writing, and linguistics. The department provides advanced offerings in rhetoric, technical writing, writing for new media, composition theory, linguistics, and creative writing.  It also provides courses in the teaching of writing and houses the Great Bear Writing Project, an established site of the National Writing Project. The department is housed in the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

The University of Central Arkansas ranks 23rd among the top 25 “Most Desirable Large Schools” in the Fall 2010 Kaplan/Newsweek guide, Finding the Right College for You.  The university also ranks 24th in the category of “Most Desirable Rural Schools” and was recently listed in the 2011 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report.  UCA enrolls approximately 11,500 students and has programs leading to undergraduate degrees in 66 areas of study, master’s degrees in 25, and doctoral degrees.  The student body consistently scores above the national average on the ACT exam.  Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2007, UCA is proud of its tradition of teaching excellence and has increased its contributions in scholarly and creative activities.  Faculty members are achieving regional and national recognition with nearly 90 percent of the tenured and tenure-track faculty holding terminal degrees representing more than 100 institutions.  UCA continues to commit substantial funding to new construction and campus improvements.  The campus is widely acclaimed for its beauty and convenience. UCA has the second largest library in the state and is the first to be fully automated with CD technology.  All faculty have Internet access as well as wireless capabilities.  More information may be found at the UCA website www.uca.edu.

 UCA is located in Conway, a progressive and growing city of 50,000, home of two private colleges, a public school system ranked among the state’s best, and a strong K-12 parochial school, all within 30 minutes of Little Rock and 40 miles of the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests.  Residents have easy access to a variety of fine and performing arts, handicraft and folk culture, and pristine wild areas near the Buffalo National River.  Real estate is moderately priced and taxes are relatively low.

Review of applications begins November 14, 2011 and will continue until filled.  Electronic submission of application materials is encouraged.  Candidates should submit a cover letter describing interest, experience, and teaching philosophy; curriculum vitae; and contact information for five references to:

Dr. Scott Payne, Chair
Department of Writing 
College of Fine Arts and Communication
University of Central Arkansas
201 Donaghey Avenue, Thompson 308
Conway, AR   72035

Email:  spayne@uca.edu

The University of Central Arkansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer.