FSRI Humanities Writing Instructor

FSRI Humanities Writing Instructor

Caltech

Job Category: Occasional
Exempt Overtime Eligible: Overtime Eligible
Benefits Eligible: Non-Benefit Based

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

The FSRI Humanities Writing Instructor will lead the development, planning and implementation of a five-week FSRI mini humanities writing course. The instructor will work closely with FSRI professional staff to ensure that students will learn skills and concepts necessary to succeed as readers and writers in their humanities coursework and develop the ability to draft an argument-driven essay. The course covers the similarities and differences in reading, thinking, and writing in the disciplines of literature, history, and philosophy. The course will use a variety of teaching methods to engage students, including interactive lectures, small group discussions, peer feedback, and individualized writing exercises. Class will meet in ninety-minute sessions twice per week (August 10 - September 4), to be followed by individual student meetings the following week (September 7 - 11, for feedback on final assignment), and grading/submission of final feedback until end date (September 18).

Class sessions will consist of both lectures and active learning. The position is anticipated to start June 8, 2026 to begin preparing for the FSRI summer humanities writing course; 40 hours of course preparation maximum are planned prior to the start of class. The FSRI humanities writing course meetings are scheduled from August 10 - September 4 (3 hours per week of class meetings). The FSRI Humanities Writing Instructor may hold office hours in person or virtually (1-2 hours per week). Given the short timeline of the course, regular feedback on students' writing assignments is emphasized.

Essential Job Duties

• Design a five-week summer course for incoming first-year students that will teach them the key writing skills necessary to write a successful argument-driven essay in various humanities fields.
• Develop all course materials including lecture notes and assignments.
• Plan and deliver all lectures, facilitate small group discussions, and provide regular feedback to students.
• Regularly update FSRI Program Director and staff of progress and report any issues.
• Collaborate with colleagues teaching similar courses.
• Design and administer assessments throughout the program.
• Monitor students' academic progress and communicate concerns to FSRI Program Director and professional staff.
• Hold office hours (1-2 hour per week during instruction weeks).
• Provide holistic feedback for each student that offers them an understanding of the strengths and limits of their work in the course.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• An M.A. in Rhetoric/Composition, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, Education, English, History, Philosophy, or related fields.
• Proven expertise in developing and delivering course content materials and lectures to students.
• Experience working with college-level writers on academic writing.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with diverse students in a collaborative and inclusive environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks with limited supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Caltech experience.

Required Documents

• Resume.