"Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing"

Company: Stetson University

Job Location: Deland, Florida

Category: English and Literature

Type: Full-Time

POSITION: VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CREATIVE WRITING

Stetson University seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor of English who is broadly trained with a record of demonstrated excellence teaching undergraduates in Creative Writing. This is a full-time, 9-month position beginning in August 2026, with the possibility of a one-year renewal.

QUALIFICATIONS:

An MFA or PhD in Creative Writing by August 2026. We seek a student-centered colleague who is actively engaged in writing creative and critical work, is interested in collaborations among a broader community of undergraduates and faculty and has a demonstrated record of excellence engaging undergraduate students.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The annual teaching load includes eight regular courses. Primary teaching responsibilities include undergraduate creative writing courses, ranging from first-year courses to senior level advanced workshops, and may include lower-division literature or expository writing courses. Courses will be based on the candidate's expertise and may include offerings for the University’s requirements in General Education, including courses for Historical Inquiry, Creative Arts, or Culture and Beliefs requirements. For more information on our expectations in teaching and scholarship, and our support for faculty development, please see the Academic Affairs website at http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/prospective-faculty/index.php.

THE DEPARTMENT:

The English department is a vital community of undergraduate, graduate, and faculty writers that supports the English major and minor, the Creative Writing Minor, and the MFA of the Americas program; area studies programs, the Gender Studies program, the Pre-Law advisory program, and the University Writing Program; the Sullivan Lectures series; and several prominent student organizations. We are committed to engaging our students and colleagues in scholarship, critique, and creative practice. For more information, see the department web page: https://www.stetson.edu/other/academics/undergraduate/english.php.

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

Stetson's College of Arts and Sciences (https://www.stetson.edu/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University's colleges and schools; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts. With nineteen academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University. A great strength of the College is its faculty of approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars. The College offers 31 undergraduate majors and 34 undergraduate minors; seven graduate degrees are offered in Education, Counselor Education, and Creative Writing. Every undergraduate major requires a senior research project, allowing students the opportunity to design and carry out independent research under faculty mentorship. Our academic programs are shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility. All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional, and global community. The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences prepare students to live significant lives, to interact with and positively affect the world around them.

THE UNIVERSITY:

Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprising a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs. Collectively, Stetson's faculty works with approximately 3,800 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University's historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls approximately 2,400 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida's first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1945, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs based at the main campus in DeLand include Business, Accounting, Education, Counseling, and Creative Writing, with Educational Leadership cohorts also offered at the Gulfport campus. Florida's oldest private institution of higher learning, Stetson has regularly been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively. Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future-locally, nationally, and globally.

THE COMMUNITY:

DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 38,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

SALARY

Salary is competitive.

STARTING DATE:

August 10, 2026

APPLICATION:

Applicants must send the following materials for consideration:
1) a cover letter that includes the candidate's philosophy of teaching in a liberal arts university;
2) a curriculum vitae;
3) transcripts (copies are acceptable for screening);
4) three letters of recommendation (at least one of which should include an evaluation of teaching ability);
5) samples of creative work; and
6) all available teaching evaluations. In the application materials, candidates are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to promoting inclusive academic environments and engaging across differences.

Application materials may be submitted electronically to englishdept@stetson.edu.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For best consideration, please submit your application by Friday, March 6, 2026.

Authorization Requirements:
Work authorization sponsorship may be available for this position. However, sponsorship is contingent upon the non-applicability of the visa petition fees outlined in the relevant Executive Order signed September 19, 2025. Due to the recent federally-mandated increased financial expense, the university is not in a position to absorb this significantly increased cost of sponsorship for new H-1B petitions at this time. International candidates are encouraged to apply but should be aware that eligibility for sponsorship will be evaluated in accordance with current U.S. immigration regulations and institutional policies.