Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate Professor of Composition and Digital Narrative and Interactive Design

The University of Pittsburgh Department of English invites candidates specializing in User Experience (UX) and/or User Interface (UI) design to apply for the position of Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate Professor of Composition and Digital Narrative and Interactive Design, pending budgetary approval. The successful candidate will be able to introduce students to the relationship between UX and UI and draw from their expertise to teach best practices and principles of design in creative and critical ways, primarily to undergraduate students. This position comes with a 3/3 teaching load and an expectation of service. Such service may include course development support, directing undergraduate independent study projects, overseeing digital projects and assessments, organizing events, and/or committee work.

This faculty member will teach undergraduate courses such as Usability Testing in Professional and Technical Writing Environments, Digital Narrative and Interactive Design (a collaboratively taught course with a professor from the School of Computing and Information), Integrating Writing and Design, and Writing for Accessibility. The ideal candidate will demonstrate success in teaching the societal impacts of UX / UI, navigating field-specific genres (such as user stories), and guiding undergraduate students through design or production experiences. Industry experience in the UX or UI field is appreciated but not essential. We welcome pedagogical approaches that connect issues of diversity and inclusive design, including (but not limited to) critical approaches to disability, race, gender, sexuality, and age in UX / UI. Examples of such connections might include but are not limited to, disability and accessibility GIS mapping, Black histories and interactive digital exhibits, text and audio description, safe space network app prototypes, semantic HTML, community co-designed workshops, assistive hardware, etc.

The Digital Narrative and Interactive Design (DNID) program at Pitt spans the four constituent programs in the English department (Composition, Film and Media Studies, Literature, and Writing) and the School of Computing and Information. DNID combines the technical expertise of computer science and information science with humanities methods and narrative strengths, positioning students at the nexus of context-aware design and development. The Composition program, where most of this position's teaching is located, offers an array of first-year composition courses, general education writing courses, and a Public and Professional Writing (PPW) major and certificate to which this position will contribute. PPW focuses on writing that serves professional goals or the public interest (or both), helping students develop the critical writing, learning, and thinking skills necessary to all sectors of professional life-private, nonprofit, and government. Composition, PPW, and DNID faculty work fluidly with colleagues across program lines to develop creative projects in collaboration with our highly motivated Pitt undergraduate students. We value flexible teachers who can create engaging courses that respond to the needs of our programs and to school-wide general education requirements.

The English Department at Pitt offers professional resources to build and sustain community, including mentoring committees for early- and mid-career teaching faculty; teaching clusters devoted to working through challenges and changing practices around AI, assessment, disability, and more; and university-wide Affinity Groups. As a department that values welcoming environments in which to work and learn, we are interested in hearing from candidates whose lived experiences would prove resourceful in mentoring students of diverse backgrounds, including students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities.

This is a non-tenure-stream, renewable, full-time position with the opportunity for promotion. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience, and benefits are generous. The position will begin in Fall 2025, and candidates must have a PhD or terminal Masters degree (e.g., MFA) in English or a related field.

To apply, please supply the following materials by January 5, 2025 via Pitt's Talent Center Portal:

• Cover Letter

• C.V.

• Teaching statement

• Statement on diversity (1-2 pp.) that demonstrates your track record and/or potential contributions to diversity and inclusion through teaching and service.

• Three confidential letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the candidate's teaching, send to engchair@pitt.edu

As candidates progress through the search process, the committee may request:

• A teaching portfolio that includes sample syllabi for two courses and at least two assignments, class activities, workshop practices, or course units that demonstrate the integration of the key elements described in the advertisement.

• Student surveys for two classes, at least one of which should coincide with sample syllabi.

• A teaching demonstration video