Lecturer English

Description

Job ID

FU9792 -0008-1906

Position Classification

FT Faculty UDMPU (9 month)

Position Summary  

The Department of English at University of Detroit Mercy seeks applicants for a full-time, renewable lecturer position focused on first-year writing courses. In alignment with the University’s mission, the Department of English is committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment for undergraduate students from across the university through engaged teaching, advising, and mentorship. 

We seek a dynamic and enthusiastic teacher with a strong commitment to undergraduate education and demonstrated excellence in teaching first-year writing courses. The teaching load is 24 credit hours (8 courses) per academic year. Full-time faculty in the English Department collaborate on program development and assessment, academic advising, and student engagement and retention. 

The University of Detroit Mercy, a Catholic university in Mercy and Jesuit traditions, exists to provide excellent student-centered education while serving our Core Values: educating the whole person, cultivating a diverse and inclusive community, embodying mercy and compassion, fostering faith and justice, and serving and leading in Detroit. We are a unionized faculty with a strong system of shared governance. Our excellent student outcomes led to recognition by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 report, ranking UDM 2nd in Michigan and 36th nationally. 

The faculty in UDM's Department of English strive to create a welcoming, supportive community for both colleagues and students. Campus- and community-based initiatives including the Triptych speaker series, the Creative Writing Collective, our arts and literary magazine, [sic], and the non-profit children’s literacy program Rx for Reading Detroit offer students and faculty the opportunity to engage with each other and our broader community.

We welcome applications from individuals who would bring additional dimensions to the university’s mission of providing excellent, student-centered education for a diverse student body. More information about the English Department is available on the Department website: https://udmercy.edu/english.
 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications  

• Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, English, or a related field conferred no later than August 15, 2026.
• Experience teaching first-year writing courses.
• Demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching.
• Knowledge of and commitment to best practices for teaching and mentoring a range of undergraduate students, including first-generation college students.
• Commitment to and preparation for service to the department, college, and university.
• Understanding of and engagement with the spirit of the university’s mission and core values, including teaching praxis that seeks to cultivate a diverse and inclusive community and integrate students’ intellectual, spiritual, ethical, and social development.   

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with undergraduate student advising and/or mentorship
• Experience with assessment at the course and/or program level  

Special Instructions for the applicant

Candidates should complete an application and upload materials below required application materials

• Letter of application that states the applicant’s interest in the position and shares their experience with and approach to undergraduate teaching. The letter should also reflect on how their teaching, service, and/or community engagement resonates with one or more aspects of Detroit Mercy’s mission and core values. 
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Official graduate transcripts (or copy of official graduate transcripts);
• Teaching portfolio, including:

1. Statement of teaching philosophy and praxis;
2. Selected course syllabi;
3. Assignments and/or other teaching materials;
4. Student evaluations of teaching from the past two or more years;

• Optional: Peer (colleague or mentor) evaluations or observations of teaching;

Questions regarding this position or application materials should be directed to Mary-Catherine Harrison, Ph.D., chair of the English Department: mc.harrison@udmercy.edu.

Note: Letters of reference (including at least one that speaks directly to the candidate’s teaching) will be solicited from semi-finalists. 

Deadline for applications: Review of applications will begin March 18, 2026. Applications will be accepted until March 25, 2026.

Start Date: August 16, 2026.

Salary/Pay Information

Commensurate with experience

Anticipated Schedule

TBD

Physical Requirements

Job may require lifting light weight objects (1 to 10 pounds) with no repetitive bending or stooping. Occasionally lift average weight objects (1 to 10 pounds).

Work Environment

Regular exposure to favorable conditions such as those found in a normal office.

Employee Benefits 

At the University of Detroit Mercy we continually strive to provide a high-quality, comprehensive benefits package to our valued employees. We offer our employees the following: 

· Medical -

        o Three health plans to choose from with a large national provider network

· Dental -

           o UDM’s School of Dentistry, discounted to you and your dependents

           o Option to purchase additional dental plan through Sun Life

· Vision - 

           o UDM’s School of Optometry, discounted to you and your dependents

o Option to purchase additional vision plan through Heritage

· Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options

· Employee Assistance Program -

       o Provided to everyone in your household

· Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

· Life and AD&D - 

        o One times base salary up to a hundred thousand dollars

· Option to purchase additional life insurance, accident insurance, and/or critical illness insurance

· Tuition Remission Benefit for you, your spouse, and children

· Retirement Plan -

       o UDM provides matches up to 8%

Michigan’s largest, most comprehensive private University, University of Detroit Mercy is an independent Catholic institution of higher education sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and Society of Jesus. Detroit Mercy seeks qualified candidates who will contribute to the University’s mission, diversity, and excellence of its academic community. University of Detroit Mercy is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer with a diverse student body and welcomes persons of all backgrounds.