Associate Lecturer (Center for Academic Excellence) at University of Massachusetts Boston in Boston, Massachusetts

Job Description:

Job no: 524514

Position Type: Faculty Part Time/Adjunct

Campus: UMass Boston

Department: Academic Support Programs

Pay Grade: No Pay Grade
Date opened: 07 Aug 2024 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close:

The Center for Academic Excellence anticipates availability for non-tenure-track associate lecturers to teach up to 2 sections (6-8 credits) of first-year seminar courses SEMINAR 114G: Investigations Across the Curriculum and/or CRW112: Critical Reading and Writing for the fall semester and occasionally spring semesters. Availability of courses depends on student enrollment and is not guaranteed beyond one semester.

Both courses focus on critical reading, the analysis of texts, and the writing of academic papers. These highly scaffolded courses introduce students to the principles of college-level learning and provide intensive practice in the use of those principles in their other courses.

CRW 112. Introduces students to the elements of academic thinking, with materials drawn from courses across the liberal arts curriculum. Students gain experience in the processes of intellectual inquiry as it is practiced in the liberal arts and sciences. Based on the course's theme, students analyze and interpret readings drawn from different disciplines in the college curriculum. Students learn to distinguish the methods authors use in developing their ideas, and the differences and similarities among perspectives of various authors, as well as to recognize implications and to question authors' purposes. 3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits. This course is typically followed by a First-Year Seminar in the next semester. Recent CRW 112 course topics include: Decision-making in the Courts and Other Contexts, Exploring Identity, and Reading American Culture.

SEMINAR 114G The topically focused First-Year Seminars offer instruction in the capabilities defined by General Education and are a natural progression for students who have begun a course of study with CRW 112.

First-Year Seminars welcome new students (with fewer than 30 transfer credits) to UMass Boston. These small-sized courses are designed to prepare students for a successful college experience. Students may choose from a variety of FYS courses, reflecting a wide range of topics and disciplines. Topics offered this fall include News Media and the War on Terror and Court Cases. A goal of First-Year Seminars is to practice the following habits of mind essential to university level educational success:

1. Careful Reading

2. Clear Writing

3. Critical Thinking

4. Familiarity with Library & Information Technology

5. Teamwork & Collaboration

6. Speaking & Listening

7. Self-Assessment of Learning

All First-Year Seminars meet 4 hours per week and carry 4 credits. A peer (student) mentor and a staff academic advisor are assigned to each seminar section.

In addition to instruction, the successful candidates will be expected to follow standard departmental policies related to instruction and course coordination in multi-section classes.

Required Qualifications:

• A master's degree or PhD/PhD candidacy in rhetoric and composition, English, Education, or a field of study closely related to the course topics, and experience teaching in the areas of the 7 capabilities.


• Demonstrated potential for excellence in instruction.

Desired Qualifications:

• A documented record of excellence in teaching postsecondary academic writing; demonstrated success in working with diverse student populations

Please apply online with the following:

1. A cover letter that describes:


2. interest and experience in postsecondary teaching


3. a brief statement of teaching philosophy


4. scheduling availability for the upcoming semester (fall and/or spring)

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.

UMass Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, whose impact is both local and global. We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who engage the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HRDirect@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.

Applications close: