Assistant/Associate Professor- Creative Writing (Poetry)

Department of English

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Department of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for an Assistant Professor or tenured Associate Professor in Creative Writing (Poetry) with a target start date of August 16, 2026. We especially welcome applicants with a secondary expertise in teaching African American, Arab American, Asian American, Indigenous, Latinx, Chicanx, and/or Queer literature.

Candidates are expected to have a record of publication indicative of an associate professor or evidence of a promising research agenda indicative of appointments as assistant professor, demonstrate evidence of teaching effectiveness in Creative Writing, and show a commitment to mentoring students and to fostering an inclusive teaching and departmental environment. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further our commitment to these values. We are also interested in candidates with expertise in a secondary genre, especially literary nonfiction and/or screenwriting. Candidates at either level should have an MFA and/or Ph.D. in Creative Writing, have published one book of poetry, and at least have a second book under contract.

The successful candidate will teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels within the Department of English and the Creative Writing Program. The course load for the position is 2/2. Other duties include directing graduate theses, advising undergraduate and graduate students, advising Ninth Letter, our award-winning literary magazine, and contributing to the creative and intellectual life of our community.

The budgeted salary range for the position is $88,500 – $93,000 for Assistant Professor; $100,000 -- $130,000 for Associate Professor. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate, including equivalent years in rank, training, and field or discipline; internal equity; and external market pay for comparable jobs. It is not typical for a beginning Assistant Professor to be offered a salary at or near the top of the full range for the position.

To apply, create your candidate profile through https://jobs.illinois.edu and submit application materials by October 1, 2025. Applicants should submit for initial review a CV, cover letter, and ten-page writing sample. In subsequent rounds, applicants will be asked for the following: copies of their books; a Teaching Portfolio including Statement of Teaching Philosophy; and contact information for three professional references.

We ask that all documents be uploaded in a single .pdf file as an upload in the “Resume/CV” section. Only applications submitted through the University of Illinois Job Board will be considered.

If you have any questions about the position, please reach out to Professor Corey Van Landingham, chair of the hiring committee, at coreyv@illinois.edu. For inquiries about application materials, email: lascollegehiring@illinois.edu.

We have an active and successful dual-career partner placement program and a strong commitment to work-life balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staff (http://provost.illinois.edu/faculty-affairs/work-life-balance/).

To find out more about the resources available at the university and Urbana-Champaign community please visit these sites:

Dual Career Program

Benefits

Living in Champaign-Urbana

The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants.