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Posted: 23-Apr-26
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Internal Number: 276594
Please compile one PDF containing the following materials:
- A letter of application addressing your experience teaching first-year writing, leading community-engaged learning, working with diverse student populations including international students, and your knowledge of Detroit
- A current curriculum vitae
- A statement of teaching philosophy that speaks to your experience with place-based, research-based, and public-facing writing instruction, including your approach to positionality, ethical representation, and AI as a writing tool
- An example of your response to an undergraduate on a writing assignment that includes the assignment and context.
- The names of three (3) references, in lieu of letters of recommendation
Please include your last name in the title of the PDF and upload it using the Apply Now button.
The Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan seeks one or two Lecturers to teach 2 sections of Education 140: Writing with Detroit, a first-year writing course developed for students in the LEAPS (Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good) program. LEAPS is a residential cohort program housed at the Marygrove Conservancy campus in Detroit that prepares undergraduates for careers in education, law, public health, public policy, and social entrepreneurship. Students live and learn together in Detroit during their first year while also commuting to the Ann Arbor campus for coursework and campus life.
Writing with Detroit aims to help first year students develop as academic writers and critical thinkers through sustained engagement with Detroit's visual, cultural, and civic life. The course moves students through four interconnected modules: visual analysis and photography, source-based research, public writing (op-ed/open letter), and substantial revision culminating in a public gallery presentation.
The course will be taught at the Ann Arbor campus on Tuesday/Thursdays. Since students will be living in Detroit and taking other classes there, they will complete assignments requiring direct experience in Detroit outside of class.
This is a fixed-term lecturer appointment with the possibility of renewal. There will be multiple sections of course, with the possibility of teaching more than one section. Instructors will meet weekly to coordinate among sections of the course and will attend a monthly LEAPS Program meeting. This is a 3-credit course and the assigned effort will be 25%.
The LEO faculty members hired to teach this course will report to the LEAPS department chair, Professor Barry Fishman, and will work closely with Dr. Victoria Shaw, LEAPS writing and communication lead faculty.
- Teach Education 140: Writing with Detroit according to the established course framework, while bringing your own expertise, voice, and intellectual commitments to the curriculum. EDUC 140 meets twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Ann Arbor for 80 minutes with up to 18 students in each section
- Guide students through a four-module sequence involving visual analysis, research writing, public writing, and significant revision with peer workshop sessions and substantive feedback
- Integrate AI tools into writing instruction as both a pedagogical subject and a practical resource, helping students develop critical literacy around AI affordances and limitations
- Summer 2026: Course design and coordination meetings totaling 6-9 hours with other instructors at times arranged according to availability
- Fall, 2026: Participate in weekly coordination meetings with other instructors of this course
- Attend monthly LEAPS Program Staff meetings on Zoom
- Hold regular office hours and provide timely, substantive written feedback on student work
- M.A. or Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric, English, Education, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated experience teaching first-year or college writing, including research-based writing and public or community-facing genres
- Commitment to equity-oriented, culturally affirming pedagogy
- Experience or strong interest in place-based, community-engaged, or experiential learning
- Ability to teach visual literacy and integrate visual and textual analysis into writing instruction
- Experience facilitating structured peer review and collaborative learning
- Capacity to work as part of a team in an interdisciplinary, community-connected program
- Experience teaching writing in or about Detroit, or in comparable urban community contexts
- Background in multimodal composition, digital rhetoric, or visual studies
- Familiarity with public writing genres including op-eds, open letters, photo essays, and community presentations
- Experience working with first-generation college students, international students, multi-lingual learners, and/or students from diverse social and educational backgrounds
- Demonstrated attention to positionality and ethical representation in writing pedagogy
- Familiarity with AI writing tools and experience helping students engage with them critically
- Connections to Detroit communities, organizations, or cultural institutions
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
Applications received by April 30, 2026 will receive full consideration. We anticipate interviewing candidates between May 4-13, and notifying the successful candidate by May 22. Questions may be directed to Victoria Shaw at vhavilan@umich.edu.
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.
