Faculty

Teaching Opportunities


Note: The 21–22 search has closed. For reference please find the advertisement below.


A limited number of full-time renewable lectureships for writing in the disciplines are offered each year. Applications are welcomed from Ph.Ds. with a strong interest in writing. Scholars from the natural and social sciences are particularly encouraged to apply. All faculty are provided with extensive training and support, so teaching experience, while desirable, is not necessary. New lecturers teach three seminars per semester capped at sixteen students.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and continue until all positions are filled.

Position Description

Penn’s Critical Writing Program is a Writing in the Disciplines (WID) program. We invite applications for one or more full-time, one-year appointment(s) (non-tenure track) as Lecturer to teach small, discipline-based writing seminars to Penn freshmen. Initial appointment(s) are for academic year 2021-22 and may be renewed for up to two additional years contingent on satisfactory performance and approval of the Dean. Following this period, qualified candidates may also be eligible for a renewable longer-term appointment. Teaching load is six courses per year on topics determined in consultation with the program administration. Additional responsibilities include midterm and final portfolio scoring, attendance and participation in all training sessions and faculty meetings, and active professional development in teaching, rhetoric, or writing in the candidate’s discipline.

Qualifications: Ph.D. preferred. Strong interest in writing required. Teaching experience desirable but not required. Extensive training and mentorship will be provided. Applicants with credentials in professional or technical writing, sociology, economics, engineering, or business are especially welcome. We are particularly interested in applicants with a global research scope or international research focus.

Application dossiers are to be submitted online via Interfolio (link below) and should include an application letter; a curriculum vitae; one writing sample; a draft course proposal; summary sheets of student evaluations, if available; and the names and contact information of three individuals who have agreed to provide a letter of recommendation. The University will contact the referees with instructions on how to submit their letters. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position(s) are filled.

Successful candidate(s) must be able to attend online training sessions during the summer and either online or in-person training, depending on whether the university has resumed customary face-to-face learning, from August 16 – August 20 and August 23 – August 27, 2021.

For more information on the program, visit writing.upenn.edu/critical.

The Critical Writing Program is strongly committed to Penn’s Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence and to creating a more diverse faculty (for more information see: http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v58/n02/diversityplan.html). The University of Pennsylvania is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should submit the following:

  1. A letter broadly outlining your qualifications and interest;
  2. Your current CV or résumé;
  3. A proposed course description, focused on your topic, and modeled after those offered by our program. Please include two scholarly monographs focused on your topic, ideally 250 pages or fewer, that you might use as the basis for organizing your course;
  4. Names and contact information for three referees. Referees may receive instructions for submitting letters of recommendation;
  5. Evidence of your accomplishments as a writer or scholar (writing sample);
  6. If applicable, evidence of your accomplishments as a teacher (e.g., teaching evaluations, awards).

All application materials should be submitted online via Interfolio: [search closed; see note above].

Primary Contact: Dr. Matthew Osborn, Associate Director of Writing in the Disciplines: mjosborn@upenn.edu.

Members of Penn faculty and administration interested in teaching a writing seminar should contact Dr. Valerie Ross, Director of Critical Writing: vross@writing.upenn.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Sansom Place East, 3600 Chestnut Street, Suite 228, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106; or (215) 898-6993 (Voice) or (215) 898-7803 (TDD).