Associate Positions

The Writing Program invites qualified graduate students to apply for Associate Instructor positions in the 2023-2024 academic year. Associate application materials are due Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Why Teach in the UCSB Writing Program?

UCSB Writing Program Associate positions offer the opportunity to develop theoretical and practical experience in the teaching of writing, curriculum design, and work with students. The experiences garnered as a Writing Program Associate will help you to become a better teacher in your "home" discipline and a stronger candidate on the job market. Moreover, teaching in the Writing Program will help you to refine your own writing, reading, and critical analysis strategies.

What do Associates do?

Working with an assigned supervisor who is a senior lecturer in the Writing Program, Associates are given training in and have significant responsibilities for all aspects of instruction, including grading, for one class (typically 25 students) each quarter. While Associate appointments are quarter by quarter, we strongly encourage Associates to teach the full year. Given the training requirement for the first quarter and the fact that teaching a course for the first time can be challenging, many Associates find that the second and third quarter allow them to excel.  New incoming Associates usually begin their Writing Program assignment by teaching Writing 2, the General Education writing course required of all UCSB undergraduates.

Writing Program Associate positions begin with participation in Writing 501, Academic Writing: Theory and Practice, a 4-unit course that provides a foundation in composition and rhetoric theory and practice, as well as a grounding in the Writing Program's course content and pedagogical approach. While this is a Fall quarter course, it begins prior to the start of the term. For Fall 2023 this course will meet Monday, September 11 - Thursday, September 21 (excluding weekends). All ASEs (regardless of prior experience, travel schedules, or anything else) must be able to attend class from approximately 9:30am-3:30 pm from 9/11 - 9/21, then from 3-4:50 Wednesdays through the Fall quarter.

What do Associates teach?

Associates  teach Writing 2, the required lower division (Area A1) course at UCSB. About 80 percent of incoming first year students take this course.

At the core of Writing 2 is the idea that qualities of good writing are situated in local contexts and academic disciplines. Good writers, therefore, learn to analyze and adapt to the expectations for writing in these different situations. Writing 2 helps students build the critical writing, reading, and analysis strategies they will use in their UCSB majors and beyond, asking students (and instructors) to investigate and develop the literacy practices used in academic disciplines.

Writing 2 classes meet two days a week for 110 minutes per meeting, and instructors hold at least two office hours a week in addition to attending selected faculty meetings. Associate positions in the Writing Program are 50% appointments; compensation is set by terms of collective bargaining (EE/AO).

Associate Qualifications

To qualify as an Associate, you must:

  • possess a Master's degree (or equivalent training), OR be advanced to PhD candidacy

  • be in good standing with your home department

  • have at least one year of teaching experience

  • if you have not taught for the WP before, you’ll need a recommendation from your home department

Note:  If you have taught with the Writing Program before, the program will take into account the Writing Program Supervisors' verbal recommendations based on the teaching and service record. 

Application Requirements

Associate application materials are due Thursday, April 20, 2023. To apply, please complete the form linked below:

https://forms.gle/AtYULRUp2EqTmJgT8

Please note, the online application requires the following materials to be uploaded: 

  • department verification of academic standing form (to be completed by your home department graduate program advisor)

  • a cover letter addressing your qualifications. Please note that this should focus on your interest in or experience with working with students in a writing class.

  • a curriculum vitae

  • a one-to-two page statement describing the relationship between the teaching of writing to your academic research and/or career goals

  • Teaching Evaluations - Include the following ESCIs and comments for:

    • Your 3 most recent quarters as TA

    • All prior courses taught as an Associate

    • Any from prior WRIT TAships 

  • a teaching portfolio:

    • a one-page statement of teaching philosophy and instructional goals that focus on teaching writing at UCSB.

    • samples of syllabi, lesson plans, handouts, course readers, and/or assignments you have designed for courses in or outside of the UCSB Writing Program that involve significant writing tasks if you have taught previously. If you include these materials, please also include a statement describing the course and the materials.

      • If you have not taught your own class previously, please design a sample assignment that you would like to use in a course. The sample assignment could be for a course in your own field or for a writing course.

      • If you have previously taught with the Writing Program, please emphasize materials used/developed for the Writing courses.

Please understand the purpose of the portfolio is to allow you to give the strongest picture possible of your teaching and/or tutoring experience. We do not expect that most Associates will have the opportunity to design courses of their own. If you have questions about assembling a teaching portfolio, you may want to discuss your materials with  Jeffrey Hanson (hanson@ucsb.edu) or Jennifer Johnson (jkjohnson@ucsb.edu) for a consultation.

If you have any technical questions concerning the online application process, please contact Josie Patterson, SASC Student Services Manager, at jpatterson@hfa.ucsb.edu