"Teaching Fellow in the Arts & Humanities"

Program Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Teaching Fellows Program, an applicant must:

• have received or be on track to receive the PhD degree within 7 years of registration into a PhD program in the Arts & Humanities Division of the University of Chicago;
• have received their PhD degree no earlier than in the Spring Quarter 2025; or be on track to complete all degree requirements and file the dissertation no later than Wednesday, July 29, 2026 for graduation in the Summer Quarter 2026;
• identify a faculty sponsor who will commit to mentoring the Teaching Fellow during the program;
• receive the endorsement of their department chair.

Note

The TF appointment is contingent upon graduation no later than the Summer Quarter of 2026, and on the satisfactory presentation of appropriate documentation of eligibility to work lawfully in the United States by the start of the appointment.

International students who receive an appointment must secure work authorization from the Office of International Affairs prior to September 1, 2026, to avoid a delay in their ability to begin employment.

Applications are due by 10:59pm Central Time/11:59pm Eastern Time on Thursday, January 29, 2026 and must be submitted through The University’s Academic Recruitment site (Interfolio). The posting may be accessed at https://apply.interfolio.com/178023.

Each application must include:

• a cover letter. This letter should describe the applicant’s teaching experience and interests, as well as the research and scholarly interests they will pursue during their time as fellow. Please limit this to two pages. In addition, please indicate the following:
  • your top three choices of Humanities/Arts Core sequence
  • if you are interested in teaching courses through the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity (RDI), the Gender and Sexuality Studies program (GNSE), the Chicago Studies Program, or the Cognitive Science (CogSci) major
• a current CV
• the following teaching materials:
  • a teaching statement, max. 750 words, which includes a description of the applicant’s methods and goals in teaching a text or artwork in the Humanities Core or Arts Core. Applicants should write about a text or artwork of their own choosing (which may or may not currently be included on the syllabus of a Core sequence), but are encouraged to review details of Humanities Core Sequences and Arts Core Sequences as they prepare their statement
  • one sample syllabus for a self-designed course which demonstrates the applicant’s pedagogical approach to undergraduate teaching. The sample course should be appropriate for both majors and non-majors in the applicant’s area of study. This syllabus should be entirely of your own design (not a variation on a pre-exiting syllabus for a core sequence or other existing course). If an applicant is interested in teaching for RDI, GNSE, the Chicago Studies Program, or CogSci they may submit a second sample syllabus designed for that area of study. RDI is especially interested in proposals for the major’s foundational courses.
  • One PDF with all course feedback reports for any courses taught at the University as a graduate student
• 3 Faculty Support Documents*

Applicants must request these documents through the Interfolio application system using the “confidential letter request” feature. Downloadable templates for the first two are linked below:

• The Department Chair Form attesting to the applicant’s progress to degree, the prospects for completing the dissertation and graduating by Summer Quarter and listing possible teaching assignments. Joint degree students should request this from the chair of their home department. Joint degree students selected as Teaching Fellows will be appointed in their home department only;
• The Mentor Agreement Form indicating commitment from a faculty member who agrees to serve as mentor during the 2026-27 academic year and who will be in residence for the full year;
• And one letter of recommendation addressing the applicant’s teaching experience

*Notes on support documents:

Applicants should submit the requests through the application system as soon as possible (i.e. prior to submitting their final materials) to allow ample time for faculty to upload their documents. All documents must be submitted as "confidential letters of recommendation" via the Academic Recruitment website.

Each of the above requirements must be fulfilled, but you may ask one person to provide multiple documents. For example, if the faculty mentor can also write a letter addressing the applicant’s teaching experience, they may submit both the Mentor Agreement form and the letter.

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed by the Teaching Fellow search committee, which includes a representative of the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning, the Master of the Arts & Humanities Collegiate Division, the Dean of Students of the Division of the Arts & Humanities, the Faculty Director of the Teaching Fellows program, and two additional faculty members from the Arts & Humanities Division, to be designated by the Dean of the Arts & Humanities Division.

Notification and Start of Program

Successful Teaching Fellows and alternates will be notified by March 5, 2026. Teaching Fellows’ appointment will be for a term of two years beginning September 1, 2026.

The Division of the Arts & Humanities is accepting applications from current and recent graduate students in the Division for a competitive two-year program designed to enhance their pedagogical skills and research profile. Teaching Fellows participate in a community of practice around teaching, research, and professional development.

To be eligible, applicants must be current or recent graduate students who are on track to receive or have received a PhD within 7 years of registration from a Ph.D. program in the Arts & Humanities Division at the University of Chicago.

Successful candidates will be appointed as full-time Lecturers beginning September 1, 2026 with the following workload: teaching four courses per year, making progress on research (revising the dissertation for publication, writing articles, presenting at professional conferences, and other research activities potentially unrelated to their teaching), and developing competencies that further the Teaching Fellow’s professional goals.

Teaching Fellows will be assigned courses at the undergraduate level and will typically teach at least one course in the Humanities or Arts Core. Other course assignments may include language courses and courses in majors and programs that relate to Teaching Fellows’ expertise. Teaching Fellows will also typically be assigned to teach a self-designed course which meets the curricular needs of their department or program.

The terms and conditions of employment for this position are covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University and the Service Employees International Union.

The salary for AY26-27 will be $62,731. Each Teaching Fellow will also be provided support for research and professional development, including financial support for conference travel, access to library privileges, and access to career services support through UChicagoGRAD. Each Teaching Fellow also receives a range of employment benefits, including health insurance coverage options through the University Benefits office. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Teaching Fellows must be on campus beginning September 1, 2026 and must be in residence during the three quarters of the academic year. Teaching Fellows will participate in a program of pedagogical and professional development under the joint supervision of the Arts & Humanities Division Faculty Director of the Teaching Fellows program and their faculty mentor in a relevant Divisional department or program, with support from the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning and UChicagoGRAD.

Teaching Fellow positions are full-time. Teaching Fellows are prohibited from accepting any other on-campus employment and from receiving additional compensation from the University during their two-year term of appointment, with the exception of summer work, which must be pre-approved by the Provost’s Office before its official start and offered to the Teaching Fellow in the form of an addendum to their letter of appointment. Teaching Fellows are also subject to the University’s Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policy, which requires approval prior to accepting any outside employment and prohibits academic appointees from accepting academic appointments at other institutions.