Professor of Practice - Composition

Job Details

Department: English

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Description:

The Department of English at the University of Houston invites applications for several 9 month, full-time, non-tenure track, Professors of Practice to teach Freshman Composition I and Freshman Composition II beginning Fall 2026.

With over forty faculty, the University of Houston’s English Department contributes substantially to one of the nation’s most diverse in public research institutions. With more than 48,000 students located in the fourth-largest city in the United States, the University of Houston is a major force in higher education, driving innovation, research, and workforce development across the region.

The English Department has a deep commitment to writing and the teaching of writing, starting at the first-year level. In addition to its programs in Literature and in Creative Writing, the Department offers a doctoral concentration in Rhetoric, Composition, and Pedagogy. In particular, the Department is interested in how the field of Rhetoric and Composition intersects with such areas as cultural, digital, and literacy studies, and how these areas contribute to the theory and practice of writing and writing instruction. The concentration aspires to build on the dynamic relationship that exists between the University and its multicultural setting.

These Teaching Professor of Practice positions grow out of our commitment to putting recent composition theory into practice, mainly in our two-course sequence of first-year writing (ENGL 1301 and 1302). We are looking to hire a total of four (4) positions, each with the possibility for yearly renewal depending on funding and satisfactory job performance.

The positions are as follows:

Three (3) positions, each of which will:
• Teach a 4-4 load of ENGL 1301 and/or 1302 sections, primarily through in-person or hybrid instructional modes, and sometimes asynchronously online
• Supervise the teaching of 7-9 Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), most of whom also teach ENGL 1301 and/or 1302. Supervision will include reviewing syllabi of the GTFs, meeting periodically with the GTFs, observing the GTFs’ teaching, giving feedback on the GTFs’ own feedback to undergraduate students, and fielding teaching questions from the GTFs, among other needs as they arise.
• Rotate into serving on the English Department’s FYW Committee

One (1) position with the following responsibilities:
• Teach a 4-4 load of ENGL 1301 and/or 1302 sections, primarily through in-person or hybrid instructional modes, and sometimes asynchronously online
• Assist the First Year Writing Program with planning and leading an annual New TA Orientation, Returning TF Orientation, and January Teaching Conference; assessing the FYW program; updating pedagogical resources; and liaising with on-campus groups also involved in FYW
• Rotate into serving on the English Department’s FYW Committee

In their cover letter, applicants should indicate which of these positions they are more interested in. This will be among the points discussed at the interview stage.

We expect these instructors to become an integral part of a team of scholar-teachers who refine and sustain a collective commitment to theoretically aware teaching at the first-year level. Also, these instructors may choose to be considered for additional paid teaching in summers or minimesters, pending availability.

At the University of Houston, ENGL 1301: First Year Writing I focuses on analytical and expository writing, and ENGL 1302: First Year Writing II focuses on research-based persuasive writing. These courses take a rhetorical perspective on textual meaning making and connect the English Department to the University’s entire undergraduate student population.

Minimum Qualifications
Individuals who have received their PhD or MFA degrees in English or a closely related field are invited to apply
• Evidence of innovation in teaching first-year writing
• Graduate coursework, research, or other exposure to scholarship in Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

Preferred Qualifications
PhD in Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
• 2+ years of experience teaching first-year writing
• Experience mentoring or otherwise assisting instructors of first-year writing classes
• Ongoing activity in relevant professional organizations and/or relevant university service
• Experience with online and hybrid teaching at the college level

Special Instructions to the Applicant
Through the University of Houston’s employment website, the candidate should submit a cover letter addressed to the English Department’s Search Committee and speaking to the candidate’s teaching experience, research interests in writing pedagogy, and potential contributions to the Department. Additionally, the candidate should submit a curriculum vitae; transcripts of their graduate degree(s); a list of three references; one or more teaching evaluations; and sample course syllabi. More successful applicants will combine a record of teaching and academic excellence with evidence of their ability to contribute to the intellectual community of the Department.

Official transcripts are required for a faculty appointment and will be requested upon selection of the final candidate.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check. Individuals conducting research in critical infrastructure areas (i.e., communication infrastructure systems, cybersecurity systems, electric grid, hazardous waste treatment systems, and/or water treatment facilities) are subject to regular review to ensure the security and integrity of the research is maintained.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.