"Benedetti Teaching Artist-in-Residence"

About Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts:

At MCLA, we're here for all, and focused on each of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants. Learn more at www.mcla.edu

Job Description:

MOSAIC is MCLA's public program for open arts and intersectional culture. MOSAIC brings people together through the acts of artistic and cultural exchange in order to learn about each other, break through barriers to understanding, and build the commonalities that define communities. MOSAIC brings people together through the acts of artistic and cultural exchange in order to learn about each other, break through barriers to understanding, and build the commonalities that define communities.

BENEDETTI ARTS FELLOWSHIP OVERVIEW

Founded in 2021, the Benedetti Arts Fellowship provides opportunities for early career arts professionals from historically-minoritized communities to complete large-scale arts projects within a community-focused liberal arts college program. During their time in residence, Fellows will further have such opportunities to teach students within the Department of Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) and engage with the wider community as befit the needs of the college and interests of the resident in any given year.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Fellowship Description

For the Spring 2027 Benedetti Fellowship, MCLA/MOSAIC invites applications from creative writers working in poetry or experimental prose for a five-month residency and teaching fellowship. The Fellow will engage in a semester-long process of creating and/or completing a substantial piece of work. Part of the resulting work will be presented, performed or read during MOSAIC's programming season at the end of the residency period.

During the residency, the Fellow will also teach one creative writing course during the Spring 27 semester and will become part of a close-knit liberal arts campus with an engaged community of undergraduate writers. Determinations about the specific nature of this course will be made based on curricular need in coordination with the Fellow's pedagogical interests and areas of expertise.

The Fellow will be appointed on the basis of their outstanding creative accomplishments, as demonstrated in their curriculum vitae and through an extended writing sample. In their cover letter, the Fellow should also speak to the trajectory of their writing career, and how this fellowship will contribute to it. Given MCLA's proximity to MASS MoCA and other arts institutions in our region, we are especially interested in qualified applicants working at the intersection of creative writing practice and the visual arts. As the residency is situated within an arts-rich regional and campus context, we welcome writers who engage visual culture or explore interdisciplinary, collaborative, or materially engaged approaches to writing.

Requirements:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• The Fellow must be able to work independently on their own creative project.
• The Fellow must be able to fulfill such teaching duties as agreed upon hiring, with an emphasis on an inclusive and interactive classroom pedagogy.
• The Fellow must demonstrate the ability to integrate content and issues relating to diverse populations.

Qualifications

• Strong Record of Publication (required)
• Relevant graduate-level degree (MFA or PhD preferred)
• Prior teaching experience, ideally at the college level

Additional Information:

This is a part time, temporary, non-benefitted position. Position starts on 01/19/2027 and goes through 05/29/2027. Fellows will receive a salary between $20,000-$25,000 for the five-month residency period. Housing and transportation to North Adams will also be provided at no cost to the Fellow. Additional compensation at institutional pay rates will be offered for the Fellow to teach a 3-credit course during the residency.

Until further notice, in response to the Presidential proclamation, issued on September 19, 2025, imposing a significant fee on the entry of individuals with new H-1B visas, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Application Instructions:

Deadline for applications is 3/15/2026.

Applicants should electronically submit an application by clicking on the APPLY NOW button below.