Associate Professor and Program Director, University Writing Center

The Opportunity

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) seeks an established, active scholar for a 12-month tenured position as an associate professor to serve as an administrative scholar to lead the University Writing Center (UWC). DWR is committed to innovative research and teaching that addresses challenges related to composition, rhetoric, and literacy in academic, workplace, civic, and community settings. Beyond active research production, job responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in writing and rhetoric studies, mentoring students, and engaging in appropriate academic service on department and college committees along with disciplinary service at the national level.

Our UWC is guided by six valued principles (respect, compassion, inclusion, adaptability, collaboration, and learning) with the purpose of providing the members of the university community with individual, peer consultations at any stage of the research and writing process. The UWC offers online and face-to-face appointments and serves as a campus resource for the on-going, cross disciplinary learning about writing through events and workshops. We encourage and promote the growth of peer tutors in a rich teaching and learning environment.

We seek a transformational leader who will encourage, motivate, and support colleagues, as we pursue the ongoing success and evolution of the center. The UWC program director will collaboratively advance writing and critical thinking across the university. The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day operations and oversight of the UWC. The position carries a teaching load of 1/1/1, which includes reassigned time for administrative duties. Teaching responsibilities will include first-year composition, upper-division rhetoric and writing courses, and graduate courses in writing center pedagogy.

Administrative duties include:

• Providing vision and direction for University Writing Center;

• Conducting and reporting programmatic assessment;

• Collaborating with colleagues, consultants, and other internal and external stakeholders;

• Supervising, guiding, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate tutors;

• Supporting curricular implementation and innovation;

• Representing the UWC in internal and external partnerships.

The program director is supported by a team that includes a staff member and a faculty member, at a reduced workload, who serves as the assistant program director. The UWC program director works closely with the department chair and programmatic directors within the department to support and enhance student experiences and successes. All faculty in the department report to the department chair. The anticipated start date is August 8, 2025.

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) is one of seven academic units in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida (UCF). As an independent writing department, DWR is the academic home to 12 tenure-earning faculty members, 35 full-time non-tenure earning instructors and lecturers, and approximately 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 offers 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in rhetoric and writing, communication, English, or a related field from an accredited institution.

• Experience teaching college-level writing.

• Experience administering a writing center at the college level with demonstrated strong leadership skills and the ability to solve problems.

• A record of scholarship, teaching, and professional service/leadership commensurate with a tenured appointment, pending a successful tenure vote and approval by the Board of Trustees.

• Commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all writing center students.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. with specialization in Rhetoric and Composition from an accredited institution.

• Significant experience directing a college-level writing center with responsibility for fiscal management.

• Experience developing partnerships across campus and engaging in community outreach.

• Active research agenda in rhetoric and writing studies with scholarly focus in writing center studies.

• Evidence of excellence in teaching writing/rhetoric courses at the college level.

• Experience with programmatic assessment.

• Experience working with writers who vary linguistically and in social background.

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 upload the following PDF documents:

• cover letter addressing qualifications for position,

• curriculum vitae with list of three references with contact information,

• statement of research, and

• administrative philosophy.

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. Zoom interviews will occur in early April with campus visits to occur in late April/early May 2025.

Questions regarding this search should be directed to: Shane Wood, Search Chair, at shane.wood@ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

March 27, 2025

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, postdoctoral 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 Employer.

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."

To request an accommodation with the application or interview process, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity by telephone: 407-823-1336; emailoie@ucf.edu; or visit in person: 12701 Scholarship Drive, Orlando, FL 32816-0030.