Visiting Assistant Professor of English – Poetry

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Job Title:

Visiting Assistant Professor of English – Poetry

Department:

Arts and Sciences nearmejobs.eu English

Position Overview

The Department of English seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) to teach courses and workshops in poetry to Creative Writing undergraduate specialists and MFA students. This one-year appointment will commence on August 15, 2025, with the possibility of renewal for up to 3 years total. The VAP in Poetry will participate fully in the life of the MFA and Creative Writing programs and serve on the MFA Committee with MFA core faculty (service includes thesis advising, MFA admissions screening, and other programmatic planning). Preference will be given to candidates who can also teach creative nonfiction. At least one published book of poetry is required.

Performance Objectives

• Teach 5 creative writing courses (3 in autumn and 2 in spring, or vice versa) at the advanced undergraduate and/or graduate levels.
• Serve on the MFA Committee as a thesis advisor and/or thesis reader and participate in MFA applicant screening and recruitment
• Attend on-campus creative writing readings and events

Education and Experience Requirements

Required:

• Completed MFA
• At least one published book of poetry

Desired:

• Publications in creative nonfiction

Additional Information:

How to Apply

To be considered, please submit your application electronically via Workday. Application materials must include:

Required:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vita (CV)
• Statement of Teaching and Mentoring
• One writing sample (25-50 pages in a single pdf file; excerpts of a book acceptable.)

The College

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college and the academic heart of the university. The College hosts 81 majors. With 38 departments, 20+ world-class research centers, and more than 2,000 faculty and staff members, students have the unique opportunity to study with the best artists, scholars, and scientists in their field. The College values diversity and offers a supportive, open, and inclusive community.

Department Information

Ohio State English — one of the largest English departments in the United States — is an innovative, flexible department that produces first-rate research and creative work while also focusing on creative course offerings, attention to diversity and comprehensive advising of our majors. Both disciplinary and interdisciplinary in our individual and collective work, the department supports BA, MA/PhD and MFA students in all subdisciplines of the field of English studies, preparing them for a wide range of careers.

The great strength of Ohio State’s English department is our depth within disciplinary breadth. Ohio State English faculty are doing field-changing research and creative production in every subfield that constitutes the discipline of English studies — defined as the production, interpretation and evaluation of texts. Even as the dimensions of English studies have expanded substantially over the past 20 years, the discipline remains fundamentally committed to the study and creation of English-language texts in their historical and cultural contexts, as formal structures and as modes of practice. Thus, the many fields encompassed by English studies are united by a shared concern with texts, their circumstances of production and the ways in which they can be interpreted. 

The Ohio State Department of English comprises faculty who work on literary history (Old and Middle English; Renaissance; 18th-, 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century British literature and American literature; U.S. ethnic and postcolonial literatures); linguistics; rhetoric, composition and literacy; creative writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction prose, and screenwriting); narrative theory; digital media studies; folklore; popular culture studies (film, TV, comics and popular genres such as science fiction and fantasy); children’s literature; women’s, gender and sexuality studies; history of the book; and literary theory. Those subfields converge under public-facing research and teaching areas featuring faculty with national and worldwide reputations, including disability studies, medical humanities, human rights studies, literacy studies and environmental humanities. Many Oho State English faculty members’ work crosses more than one of our subject area groups, and we are equipped to direct dissertations in all these subfields. Ohio State English is diverse and inclusive, collaborative across subfields, internally interdisciplinary and externally cross-disciplinary, large enough to incorporate emerging subfields in English studies while maintaining our legacy strengths, and flexible enough to accommodate individual faculty members’ developing research expertise in new subfields. In a world where “narrow specialization” is a demerit, we are the English department of the future. 

MFA Program Information

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there are numerous opportunities for related study both within and beyond the Department of English. All students are fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing.

Approximately 36 graduate students are taught by tenure track, visiting and affiliated (Film Studies) faculty, who also teach in the undergraduate program. Graduate student TAs teach introductory and intermediate special topics undergraduate creative writing courses, undergraduate literary publishing, as well as first-year and second-year writing (required courses for all Ohio State undergraduates). TAs teach two classes a year, one in autumn and one in spring. In addition, they have the opportunity to work as editors of Ohio State’s prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal, and to serve on the editorial staff of our two annual book prizes, one in poetry and one in prose.

Course offerings are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops (in the long poem, in characterization, in literary translation, in humor writing, and so on) ensure that, in addition to “regular” workshops, opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework designed for “crossing over,” such as, poetry workshops for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems; and “forms” classes in prosody, the novel, the memoir, novellas, for example. 

Screenwriting for MFAs is offered regularly, and many students also elect to study playwriting or writing for performance as an elective. Some MFAs choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State’s size and breadth offer our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.

The University

Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers and recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ list of best U.S. employers for diversity. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

The Ohio State University’s Shared Values include Excellence and Impact, Diversity and Innovation, Inclusion and Equity, Care and Compassion, and Integrity and Respect. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression.

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation (DCFR) to focus on supporting new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual careers partner consultations, identifying potential employers and/or employment opportunities, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are provided to support the partners of new and prospective faculty as they are considering or transitioning to The Ohio State University. 

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).

Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and diverse metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. Beyond its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.

Location:

Denney Hall (0030)

Position Type:

Term (Fixed Term)

Scheduled Hours:

40

Shift:

First Shift

The Ohio State University believes in diversity in people and ideas. What Ohio State does matters. And how we do it matters. When we are at our best, we make a real difference to people. Our size, breadth, geography, history and standard of excellence position us to drive the future of higher education. We believe that the university should be a place where people can work and learn together in a safe environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. As such, finalists for any faculty position that carries tenure must sign an authorization and disclosure form, which will allow current or prior employer(s) to share information to the University regarding any findings of employment-related misconduct or disciplinary proceedings against a candidate and/or any pending investigations related to alleged misconduct. Such information shall include findings and pending investigations with respect to sexual harassment, violence, or harassment; research misconduct; financial fraud or misconduct; foreign influence violations, grant misuse or misconduct; and/or any other type of finding or pending investigation relating to a candidate’s employer’s policies and rules governing faculty conduct that may reasonably be expected to affect a candidate’s appointment. If the University becomes aware of any past finding of misconduct or pending investigations that were not disclosed, Ohio State will treat that as a serious omission and reserves the right to rescind an offer or terminate employment.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

Thank you for your interest in positions at The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. Once you have applied, the most updated information on the status of your application can be found by visiting the Candidate Home section of this site. Please view your submitted applications by logging in and reviewing your status. For answers to additional questions please review the frequently asked questions.

The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer.

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