Assistant Professor of Professional and Technical Writing

Assistant Professor of Professional and Technical Writing (id:67307)



The Department of English at the University of Maine seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Professional and Technical Writing, anticipated to start August 30, 2021. The position is a nine-month, academic-year appointment with a usual teaching assignment of five courses per annum. The Department offers a concentration within the English major, as well as a separate minor, in Professional and Technical Writing; an internship program; and graduate courses in collaborative writing and information design. We particularly welcome applications that demonstrate research or teaching strengths in disciplinary and/or workplace enculturation, especially in the STEM fields, and engage with contemporary workplace cultures, digital/public rhetorics, science communication, Writing in the Disciplines, and/or university-community partnerships. Commitment to teaching and providing leadership for coursework in technical communication for engineering is expected. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Technical Communication or a closely-related field by date of hire; the ideal candidate will outline the next steps of a research agenda that has been shaped by workplace experience, such as those involving STEM-related, digital, and/or public communication. We are especially interested in applicants who can contribute to the University of Maine’s commitment to an inclusive and diverse student body that includes first-generation and low-income students and those from groups that are under-represented in their field of study, such as women and minorities.
 

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Maintaining robust scholarly activity, including peer-reviewed publications, relating to professional and technical communication;
• Teaching and developing innovative, engaging, and student-centered undergraduate and graduate courses in professional and technical communication;
• Collaborating productively with the College of Engineering to provide intellectual leadership, pedagogical and curricular support, and as-needed outcomes assessment for ENG 320: Technical Communication for Engineering, among other courses that serve students in STEM majors; 
• Advising students and participating in MA-level committees;
• Participating in service to the department, college, university, and profession.

About the University:

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,700 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus and throughout the state. UMaine is the state land and sea grant university and maintains a leadership role as the System’s flagship university.  As a result, it is dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research, and service at the university, state, and national levels.

Further information about UMaine can be found at https://umaine.edu/

The University of Maine offers wide range of benefits ( https://www.maine.edu/human-resources/benefits/ ) for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life.  Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. 

Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here  https://www.visitbangormaine.com/about-the-region/the-region-at-a-glance/

Qualifications:

Required:

• Ph.D. in Technical Communication or closely-related field by date of hire; 
• Evidence of a productive research agenda; 
• Evidence of ability to teach and provide leadership for coursework in technical communication for engineering.

Preferred:

• Record of effective teaching at undergraduate level with promise of successful teaching at Master’s level;
• Research interest in disciplinary/workplace enculturation, especially in STEM fields; 
• Research or teaching strengths in contemporary workplace cultures, digital/public rhetorics, Writing in the Disciplines, and/or university-community partnerships;
• Evidence of ability to contribute to the development and assessment of the Professional and Technical Writing curriculum;
• Evidence of ability to work productively within an evolving and interdisciplinary campus environment along with colleagues in literature, creative writing, writing studies, and other disciplines, including engineering.

Other Information:

Materials must be submitted via "Apply For Position" below. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:

1. a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position with specific reference to the qualifications outlined above
2. a resume/curriculum vitae
3. a teaching portfolio that includes: a concise statement of your teaching philosophy, one that specifically addresses your approach to writing instruction for students in engineering and other STEM majors, and evidence of effective teaching, such as a sample syllabi, student evaluations, etc. 
4. a writing sample
5. a research agenda
6. you will be required to provide email addresses for three professional references. Each referee will automatically be notified that you have applied for this position and are requesting a letter of reference. Instructions on how to upload the letter of reference will be provided to the referee in their original notification email. 

You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: April 17, 2021
Screening interviews to begin no earlier than: April 26, 2021
Finalist interviews to begin, virtually, no earlier than: May 3, 2021
Tentative start date: August 30, 2021

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Dylan Dryer at dylan.dryer@maine.edu or 207-581-3825.

Appropriate background checks are required.

The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Amie Parker, Interim Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME  04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

Length:

Academic Year (Sept-May)

Required Documents:

Cover Letter, Research Statement, Resume/CV, Teaching Statement, Writing Samples