"Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and Social Action"

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and Social Action

Classification: Academic Year Faculty
Priority Screening Date: February 14, 2026
Recruitment Status: Open Until Filled
Appointment Date: Fall 2026

California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California's Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation's largest four-year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year.

With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students' lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB's sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The university's Strategic Plan prioritizes inclusive excellence through recruiting and investing in developing a diverse body of faculty, staff and administrators. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University.

As one of the 23 campuses in the CSU system, CSUMB offers excellent benefits, including access to below-market-rate rental housing on East Campus, and competitive salaries for faculty and staff. With proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, opportunities for faculty, staff and students are as endless as the shores of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Housed in the interdisciplinary Department of Humanities and Communication (HCOM), the Creative Writing and Social Action minor and concentration teaches poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction that bears witness to injustice and provokes personal and social change. The program offers students the chance to advance their studies in creative writing and social action, and teaches "depth in representation," believing that everyone's stories matter and need to be heard. Social action writing is a form of engaged critical inquiry and an act of social responsibility. It is writing that witnesses, breaks silences, and transforms lives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Teach 12 units per semester of lower-division and upper-division courses in creative writing and composition, as well as major pro-seminar and senior capstone
• Advise and mentor students in the major
• Develop a sustained record of scholarly and creative activities
• Contribute to the university, community, and profession through service activities
• Develop curriculum, including contributing to the development of a bachelor's degree in English
• Participate in program assessment
• Contribute to the shared governance system of the department and university
• Help implement the goals of the College and the CSUMB Founding Vision Statement

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• M.F.A. or other related terminal degree by the time of appointment in Creative Writing
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in composition studies
• Teaching experience in social action poetry and knowledge of contemporary literature of social change
• Teaching experience with an integrated approach to reading and written communication
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with an ethnically and linguistically diverse campus community, including students, faculty and staff across a range of disciplinary areas
• Strong commitment to inclusive, cross-cultural, experiential, projects- and asset-based pedagogies

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Publication(s) in Social Action poetry
• Scholarship in Composition Studies
• Experience organizing/facilitating community-based social justice writing projects, such as school/community writing workshops, poetry festivals/slams, and literary projects
• Experience with social justice-oriented service learning pedagogy and practice
• Experience with the development of degree programs
• Knowledge of second language and experience in bilingual/bicultural, multilingual/multicultural contexts
• Expertise in an area of ethnic, transnational, critical race studies, social justice, and/or the literature of communities of color

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check (including a criminal records check).

The person holding this position will have a duty to report to the Campus Title IX Officer information pertaining to discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order EO 1095, EO 1096, and EO 1097 as a condition of employment.

The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

The incumbent is required to maintain confidentiality as outlined in the Department of Education's Family Educational Rights and Privacy and California's Educational Code Chapter 13 regarding sensitive student issues.

Working in the State of California is a condition of employment.

COMPENSATION:

Anticipated Hiring Salary Range: $7,132 to $7,507*

*CSU Salary Schedule
*CSUMB provides pay scales representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and CSU systemwide pay for comparable jobs.

BENEFITS:

CSUMB offers a premium benefit package that includes outstanding health, dental & vision plans; a fee waiver education program; and membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). For more information, visit: Employee Benefits Summary. The University Corporation at Monterey Bay also provides access to affordable housing near main campus. The allocation of housing is subject to several factors, including availability, eligibility criteria, and specific program guidelines. For more information, visit: https://csumb.edu/corporation/employee-housing

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

For full consideration, applicants must complete the required online application and submit required documents by the priority screening date found at csumb.edu/jobs. Application submissions received after the application screening date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University. Materials submitted become the property of CSUMB and will not be returned.

Cal State Monterey Bay is currently not sponsoring H-1B employment visas which are subject to the $100,000 fee established by the "Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers" issued on September 19, 2025. Applicants are responsible for determining the applicability of the fee.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Human Resources at (831) 582-3389 or humanresources@csumb.edu.