27-46 Tenure Track Assistant Professor of English - Children's Literature and Publishing

West Chester University•West Chester University, PA

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join a vibrant equity-minded campus community whose excellence is reflected in its community, cultural engagement, and student success. The Department of English invites applicants for a Full-time, 9-month, Tenure-Track, Assistant Professor of English with a specialization in Children’s Literature and Publishing. The position begins in July 2027. WCU is a regional flagship of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and a Carnegie-designated Doctoral University - High Research Activity (R2). As a comprehensive public institution, WCU is committed to excellence in teaching, advancing research and creative activity, and serving the public good. Our vibrant and inclusive campus community supports faculty in developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally while contributing to the health and well-being of their communities. The University offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate programs in the sciences and mathematics, business and public management, arts and humanities, health sciences, education and social work, music, and interdisciplinary studies. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good. The Department of English, part of the College of Arts and Humanities, empowers students as readers, writers, and thinkers to grasp the nuances of texts (literary, rhetorical, visual, etc.) and to use language to participate effectively in academic, aesthetic, and professional contexts. Our programs prepare students for productive lives as critical thinkers, informed citizens, and ethical leaders. Our teaching and research emphasize the ideal of a socially conscious education that values critical literacy and communication as resources for democracy. We pursue these goals via teaching that reflects innovative scholarship, uses current technologies to facilitate learning, and responds to the cultural diversity of our student body. The department comprises over fifty full-time faculty members and serves hundreds of undergraduate majors and minors and master's degree students, as well as thousands more in our First-Year Writing program. Learn more about the English Department. The faculty position involves teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses in youth literature, publishing, and book history within the English Department, as well as courses in general education writing. Faculty teach four courses per semester, and all faculty in the department teach First-Year Writing and/or other general education courses during most semesters. Courses may be offered through in-person, online, and/or via distance education modalities, depending on department need. The ideal candidate will use innovative teaching skills and demonstrate strong attention to the learning and teaching needs of the department’s students. Their experience, substantive specialization, and pedagogical training will serve to strengthen the department's mission and vision. The faculty will collaborate with other departmental and college faculty & staff to ensure student success.

Requirements

Ph.D in English specializing in children's literature/culture and publishing.
A Ph.D in Library and Information Science may be considered if demonstrated focus of research, publication, and teaching is youth literature and publishing.
ABD may be considered - degree must be completed on or before August 2027.
Demonstrated teaching expertise and an active research agenda in children’s literature and publishing
Demonstrated ability to teach courses in First-Year Writing/English Composition

Nice To Haves

Secondary areas of research and teaching include global/comparative/multicultural children’s literature and/or children’s film & technology

Responsibilities

Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in youth literature and publishing or book history.
Secondary teaching responsibilities include courses in First-Year Writing (general education composition). At least 50% of the faculty member's 4/4 teaching load will comprise courses in general education writing.
Engage in scholarly activities such as research, presentations, publications, and/or grants in children’s literature and publishing. These activities are necessary for tenure and promotion.
Provide academic advising, including mentoring student researchers.
Serve the department, college, and university through participation on committees and various forms of service work.
Perform other duties as assigned.