Position Description

The College at the University of Chicago invites applications for appointment as Instructional Professor at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full in the Chicago Center for Writing (CCW). This is a full-time, career-track teaching position. The initial appointment term is from two to five years depending on rank and will begin on September 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is renewable with opportunity for promotion within the Instructional Professor track based on performance review and College recommendation.

The primary responsibility of CCW Instructional Professors is to teach up to six seminar-style, writing-intensive courses per year following CCW guidelines. All CCW Instructional Professors teach Inquiry, Conversation, Argument (ICA, WRIT 10100), the College’s interdisciplinary first-year Core writing requirement. Organized around a shared curricular framework, ICA invites students to develop their abilities as writers, thinkers, and readers through sustained inquiry, argumentation, drafting, and revision. Individual instructors design their sections around motivating questions that reflect their disciplinary interests and invite students into meaningful intellectual conversations.

In addition to ICA, CCW Instructional Professors may develop and teach upper-level writing courses and other writing-intensive offerings, including courses in advanced research writing (such as the CCW’s historic flagship course, Academic and Professional Writing, commonly known as “Little Red Schoolhouse”); public, professional, and community-oriented writing; multimodal composition; and writing in the age of AI. Beyond their teaching, Instructional Professors contribute to the CCW’s intellectual and pedagogical community through curriculum development and assessment, collaborations with campus partners, and other initiatives that support the teaching and practice of writing across the University.

Successful candidates will join the Chicago Center for Writing, housed in the University’s New Collegiate Division, as it enters an important new phase of growth. Established to strengthen and sustain a culture of writing across the University, the CCW brings together instructors, students, and faculty from across all disciplines to explore writing as a practice of inquiry, intellectual development, and exchange. New colleagues will become part of a dynamic community of teacher-scholars at a leading urban research university dedicated to critical inquiry and free expression.

We welcome candidates from all disciplines and domains who have strong collegiate-level teaching experience and demonstrated interest in writing pedagogy.

Salary Range

Assistant Instructional Professor: $77,946–$84,181; Associate Instructional Professor: $84,182–$91,113; Full Instructional Professor: $91,114–$100,940 for Academic Year 2027–2028. This base pay range is for a nine-month academic appointment paid over twelve months. The position provides support for professional development and may also include a relocation allowance for qualifying expenses. The terms and conditions of this position are described in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Chicago and the Service Employees International Union.

The position is benefits-eligible. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook. 

Minimum Qualifications

·       Doctorate or other terminal degree (completed by position start date). Because the CCW is an interdisciplinary unit, there are no restrictions on disciplinary expertise. Candidates with degrees from a wide range of academic fields are encouraged to apply. 

·       Demonstrated high-level effectiveness in college-level instruction (as evidenced in the application materials and, at later stages, course evaluations and references), including at least three years of professional teaching experience (may include professional teaching experience as part of a graduate program).

·       Strong academic writing abilities (assessed through the application materials and, at later stages, a writing sample).

Preferred Qualifications

·       Experience designing and implementing writing-intensive curricula that emphasize critical inquiry, close reading and analysis, creative thinking, research, drafting, feedback, and revision.

·       Demonstrated ability to engage students in sustained intellectual inquiry and support their development as independent thinkers and writers.

·       Experience with and enthusiasm for working with outstanding students from diverse backgrounds (culturally, linguistically, socioeconomically, educationally, etc.).

·       Experience participating in collaborative curricular and pedagogical initiatives, including the development or refinement of shared teaching practices.

·       Intellectual curiosity, strong interpersonal skills, commitment to strengths-based pedagogical practices, and eagerness to contribute to the mission of an interdisciplinary academic center motivated by the University of Chicago’s values.

Application Instructions

Candidates must apply through the University of Chicago’s Interfolio website: https://apply.interfolio.com/197365. Review of applications will begin on December 14, 2026, and will be based on the qualifications listed above. All applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 3, 2027, will receive full consideration.

All applicants will be asked to upload the following materials (which should not be generated using AI):

1.      CV

o   Including your full legal name.

2.     Cover letter

o   Describing your interest in the position, relevant teaching experience, approach to teaching writing, and how you envision contributing to the CCW’s interdisciplinary teaching community.

3.     Teaching statement

o   To complement what you discuss in your cover letter, not to exceed 750 words.

4.     Syllabi for two courses previously taught

o   You are welcome, though not required, to include a brief headnote indicating anything you think it would be helpful for us to know about these syllabi.

5.     Sample commentary you have provided on an anonymized piece of student writing

o   We are interested in seeing an example of feedback you have provided to a real student from one of your classes. We ask that the sample of student writing containing your commentary be (1) an academic genre, (2) relatively short—preferably 5 pages or shorter, no more than 10 pages—and (3) include a headnote indicating:

§  The prompt, guidelines, and/or instructions for which the assignment was submitted;

§  The name, level (e.g., first-year, advanced, etc.), and type of course for which the student submitted the assignment;

§  Anything else you think it would be helpful for us to know (e.g., whether the sample assignment is a rough or final draft, why you selected this example, etc.). 

o   Please ensure that the search committee can view your feedback. Comments included in documents downloaded directly from learning management systems are sometimes inaccessible. We recommend submitting a PDF in which your comments are visible on the page.

Applicants who advance will be asked for additional materials at subsequent stages of the search, including ideas for teaching ICA, course evaluations, and a student-facing instructional resource; finalists will also be asked for a writing sample and references. Semifinalist interviews are anticipated in February and finalist interviews in March, with offers anticipated by the end of March 2027. If you have questions, please contact the Executive Director of the Chicago Center for Writing and chair of the search committee, Abigail Reardon, at ccwsearch@uchicago.edu. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.