[breadcrumb.workplace_remote] Creative director [h1.location_city]

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Fall 2026

Location : UTK

Open Date : Sep 10, 2025

Description :

The Department of English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville invites applications for a tenure-track position at the level of assistant professor or advanced assistant professor in Creative Writing to begin August 1, 2026. Applicants should have a strong record of publishing in poetry and / or creative nonfiction and in at least one other emergent media form, including but not limited to : video poetry, video essay, graphic storytelling, podcasting, screenwriting, documentary narrative, or hybrid forms. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate teaching and mentoring as well as the ability to contribute to the MFA and PhD programs in creative writing as a workshop leader and mentor.

Candidates should have the MFA or PhD in hand or expected by August 1, 2026. Duties include teaching and mentoring in both graduate and undergraduate programs, significant publication, and service. Salaries and teaching loads are competitive, and our endowment provides ample support for research and travel.

An R1 institution and the flagship of the University of Tennessee system, UTK is a land-grant university and values engaged forms of research, scholarship, and creative activity. Based in the Department of English, this position is part of a new constellation of interdisciplinary faculty positions in the UT College of Arts and Sciences emphasizing Envisioning and Narrating Emerging Futures (ENEF) : https : / / artsci.utk.edu / about / faculty-initiatives . We are seeking tenure-line faculty who will have overlapping interests that foster faculty development and collaboration. The goal is to bring together and invest in faculty across departments whose research, scholarship and creative work are linked through this initiative and to attract faculty who can bring different perspectives to an important issue or area.

The University is beginning a next-level initiative aimed both at substantially elevating the University's national reputation for impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity and at assembling a roster of faculty committed to delivering one of the nation's best educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.

Applications received by October 30 will receive full consideration.

Qualifications :

Candidates should have : (1) MFA in creative writing and / or Ph.D. in English with a Creative Writing Concentration or Ph.D. in Creative Writing, in hand or expected by August 2026; (2) record of and / or potential for excellent teaching; (3) active creative agenda, including publications and works in progress.

Application Instructions :

Applicants should submit a letter of application, CV, and work samples (up to 10 pages each of written samples, and / or up to five minutes of video or audio) to Interfolio https : / / apply.interfolio.com / 173398 by October 30, 2025. Address inquiries to Professor Martin Griffin, Associate Head, English Department, The University of Tennessee, 301 McClung Tower, Knoxville, TN. 37996-0430, wmg@utk.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement :

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to  eoa@utk.edu , or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to  investigations@utk.edu , or by phone at 865-974-0717.