Job Details
The Department of English at Winthrop University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position specializing in Medieval Literature. The successful candidate will have teaching and research expertise in medieval literature cultures and be able to contribute to a curriculum that brings medieval texts into conversations with later literary traditions, global contexts, and diverse forms of storytelling.
Teaching responsibilities will support undergraduate and graduate programs, including significant contributions to Winthrop's innovative general education core (Composition, The Human Experience, and Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing). This individual must have both a strong teaching record and a promising research agenda.
Position Responsibilities
Teach courses in their area of specialization as well as contribute to the department's comprehensive undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Teaching responsibilities may include Chaucer, Shakespeare, World Literature, and other courses in medieval and early modern literature and culture. The successful candidate will also contribute to the Medieval Studies minor, including developing and teaching courses that explore a range of medieval and early modern texts, genres, traditions, and forms of storytelling. As part of the department's broader teaching mission, the successful candidate will also contribute to the university's general education curriculum, which may include WRIT 101, HMXP, and CRTW.
We prefer candidates who can help students encounter the medieval world through an expansive understanding of literary culture and who can make connections across periods, traditions, media, and cultures. Possible areas of interest might include, but are not limited to, manuscript and book history; gender and sexuality; race and ethnicity; religion; material culture; environmental humanities; digital humanities; adaptation and reception; global or comparative medieval studies; and histories and theories of narrative.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to excellent undergraduate teaching, an active scholarly agenda, and collaborative participation in the intellectual and curricular life of the department and university.
Major responsibilities include:
- Teaching the equivalent of twelve contact hours each semester, including those in the general education core, as well as upper-division courses and graduate courses in the area of specialization.
- Developing curricula and new courses for the B.A. and M.A. programs.
- Pursuing productive research in the discipline and promote undergraduate and graduate research.
- Advising and mentoring English majors.
- Participating in professional service activities for the department, college, university, and discipline
- Other duties as assigned by the department chair.
About the College
To learn more about the College of Arts & Sciences please visit: https://www.winthrop.edu/cas/
About Winthrop University
Founded in 1886, Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, offers its 5,200-plus undergraduate and graduate students an educational experience that blends liberal arts, professional programs, global awareness, and civic engagement. In its colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business and Technology; Education, Sport, and Human Sciences; and Visual and Performing Arts, Winthrop embraces only those programs and activities that can be delivered at an exemplary level. Winthrop University is achieving national stature as a competitive and distinctive co-educational, public, residential, comprehensive, values-oriented institution. The values of service, excellence, community, and leadership provide the foundation for Winthrop's continuing development and shape Winthrop's continuing success. Numerous national accolades reflect the sustained high quality and value of the Winthrop Experience, including the most recent U.S. News & World Report's ranking of Winthrop as one of the top-10 public comprehensive universities in the South. Winthrop is an active member of the Rock Hill community and recognized as a key component of the region's economic resurgence. Approximately 20 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina, Winthrop has direct access to and is engaged in a broad and expansive regional business community. Winthrop's beautiful campus encompasses a rich architectural blend of neo-Georgian buildings and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The attractive recreational and research complex area that surrounds Winthrop Lake is home to Winthrop's 18 Division I men's and women's sports.
Benefits
At Winthrop University, we are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package that significantly enhances the total compensation for our employees. In partnership with the State of South Carolina and the Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), our benefits include health and life insurance, generous paid leave, parental leave, and retirement programs. These benefits reflect our commitment to supporting the well-being and financial security of our employees. For more information please visit: https://www.winthrop.edu/hr/employee-benefits.aspx.
Background Check
Winthrop University is committed to providing a safe campus community. Winthrop conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check.
Position Availability: 08/16/2027
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in English, Medieval Studies, or a closely related field by the appointment date. ABD candidates will be considered and appointed at the rank of instructor until the doctorate is completed
- Specialization in Medieval Literature.
- Evidence of effective college-level teaching or potential for excellence in teaching.
- Evidence of an active scholarly agenda appropriate to a tenure-track position.
- Strong potential for contributions to WRIT 101, HMXP, and CRTW
- Interpersonal skills required for successful collaboration with colleagues and students.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ability or interest in teaching Chaucer and a range of medieval literature.
- Ability to teach Shakespeare and/or other early modern literature.
- Ability to contribute to World Literature offerings
- Interest in developing interdisciplinary courses and contributing to the continued development of the Medieval Studies minor.
- Teaching or scholarship that expands students' understanding of medieval and early modern literary cultures through global, comparative, interdisciplinary, or innovative approaches to texts and storytelling.
Employment Conditions
This is a full-time, tenure-track appointment requiring daily on-campus contact; instructional duties during the academic year (9 months, Aug. 16 – May 15) come with the option to teach during the summers for additional compensation.
Application Instructions
Applicants should submit 1) a letter of application stating candidate's qualifications for the position and teaching philosophy; 2) a current CV including the names, phone numbers, and email address of three professional reference from whom letters of recommendation can be requested; 3) a sample of representative writing (an article, or chapter-length contribution); and 4) all graduate transcripts (unofficial are acceptable for initial review). All materials should be submitted by October 19, 2026.
Please contact Dr. Amanda Hiner at hinera@winthrop.edu with questions.
Three letters of recommendation will be requested from semifinalists at a later date. (The CV must include the names, phone numbers, and email addresses for all references.)
Organization
Ideally situated in the heart of the Carolinas, Winthrop University is a highly ranked public, comprehensive university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that is committed to be among the very best institutions of its kind. Founded in 1886, Winthrop offers its students an educational experience that blends liberal arts, professional programs, global awareness, and civic engagement. Numerous national accolades reflect the sustained high quality and value of the "Winthrop Experience," including the most recent US News & World Report's ranking of Winthrop as one of the top-10 public comprehensive universities in the South.
Today more than 5,000 undergraduate and 1,000-plus graduate students are enrolled at Winthrop University. The University recruits South Carolina's most able students as well as highly qualified students from beyond the state whose presence adds diversity and enrichment. Winthrop prides itself on being the institution of choice for groups traditionally under-represented on many college campuses, providing Winthrop faculty with the opportunity to create a teaching legacy that not only changes individual lives, but reshapes whole family trajectories.
Where we are matters, and Winthrop's presence is significant. Winthrop University is an active member of York County and recognized as a key component of the region's economic growth. With Charlotte less than 20 minutes away—and 300-plus Fortune 500 Companies in Winthrop's backyard—formal and informal community partnerships are numerous, threading through school and business networks. While Winthrop students have options about where they conduct their experiential learning, faculty and staff are privileged to select a residence from neighborhoods large, small, or somewhere in-between. During holiday, Winthrop faculty find themselves a short drive from either the mountains or the beach.
Included in the National Register of Historic Places, Winthrop's campus encompasses a rich architectural blend of neo-Georgian buildings. The attractive recreational and research complex area that surrounds Winthrop Lake is home to Winthrop's 16 Division I men's and women's sports. The physical beauty of Winthrop's campus is a source of great pride, one that reflects the learning community for which it provides a foundation.
Whether in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration, College of Education, or College of Visual and Performing Arts, Winthrop University offers only those degree programs that can be delivered at an exemplary level. High-impact practices such as first-year experiences, common intellectual experiences, undergraduate research, and global learning are embedded throughout the curriculum, encouraging active teaching and learning. At Winthrop, faculty—not teaching assistants—are the lead facilitators, class sizes are small enough that teachers know their students by name, and faculty research agendas often include student collaborators.
Quality student life programs supplement the academic, providing opportunities and services to foster student development along cognitive, personal, and interpersonal dimensions. Students pursuing lifetime wellness can run alongside their faculty at the Lois Rhame West Health, Physical Education and Wellness Center where members can access a climbing wall, four racquetball courts, a 25-yard pool with 8 lanes, four basketball courts, an 8,000 square foot weight room, 2,000 square feet of cardio space with four additional cardio stations, and two aerobic/activity rooms.
Inside—and outside—the classroom Winthrop prioritizes a learning environment that produces Winthrop graduates who:
- Think critically and solve problems
- Are personally and socially responsible
- Understand the interconnected nature of the world and the time in which they live
- Communicate effectively
Faculty and staff who expertly model and teach these competencies are an excellent fit at Winthrop and a critical ingredient in the Winthrop Experience. We encourage you to review current openings and bookmark our jobs page for future possibilities.
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