Open-Rank Professor - Literature

The University of Austin (UATX) educates citizens and leaders capable of assuring national prosperity and the success of constitutional liberty. We seek talented, energetic, and productive individuals to help us develop America’s newest university into an inspiring model of best practices in student formation. Ideal candidates will be passionate about teaching, eager to innovate, and committed to reforming higher education.

The Center for Arts at UATX invites applications for full- or part-time faculty positions in Literature, open to candidates at any academic rank. We are especially interested in colleagues specializing in medieval British, Irish, and European literature or modern British, Irish, and American literature.

Candidates should be enthusiastic about teaching broadly across multiple regions and centuries in the context of a curriculum focused on recurring debates, abiding structures, intellectual history, and the development of Western civilization. In addition to literature, ideal candidates will be open to teaching in other areas represented within the UATX curriculum such as philosophy, theology, history, and art history.

In addition to courses in our core curriculum, Intellectual Foundations, the candidate in medieval literature will be expected to teach a dedicated survey of medieval literature, as well as courses on Dante, Chaucer, and/or Shakespeare’s English history plays. Likewise, the candidate in modern literature will be expected to teach Victorian literature, modernism, and literary theory.

Applicants should have active and ambitious research agendas and must be ready to undertake research and undergraduate teaching within a liberal arts curriculum at the highest level. 

The Center for Arts @ UATX

The Center for Arts at the University of Austin helps young people entering the university develop the intellectual skills and historical awareness necessary to make informed, lasting, and important contributions to human flourishing. Students participate in debates about ideas, analyze and create works of art, and investigate the causes and effects of historical events. 

As part of the larger University, the Center aims to foster deep thinking, clear communication, and virtuous character. Students ask essential questions about human nature and explore possible answers with seriousness of purpose and generosity of spirit.

All students at the University of Austin complete a core curriculum, Intellectual Foundations, that includes ten courses on Western civilization and three courses on American civilization, as well as courses on mathematics, science, and economics. Representative courses include The Rise of the West, The Making of the Modern World, The Enlightenment, The Scientific Revolution, American Frontiers, and The American Century.

For students interested in the humanities, the Center for Arts offers four optional Concentrations: Philosophy, History, Literature, and American Civilization. Combined with Intellectual Foundations, these Concentrations comprise a scaffolded curriculum where students advance historically from antiquity to the present and within a discipline from more basic to more challenging texts, ideas, and debates. 

Appointment

Faculty will be appointed at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or full Professor, with an anticipated start date of Fall 2027. Part-time appointments will be considered; applicants interested in a part-time appointment should indicate this preference in their cover letter.

Compensation is competitive, commensurate with rank, and includes comprehensive benefits and a research stipend. Salaries for full-time Assistant Professors in Arts start at $90,000. 

UATX operates on a quarter schedule, with an annual teaching load of 18 quarter hours, equivalent to a 12 semester hour or 2/2 teaching load in a semester system. This structure supports excellence in undergraduate teaching while allowing faculty to maintain substantive research agendas.

UATX is committed to building a permanent faculty. Although the University does not operate under a traditional tenure system, these positions are designed as long-term academic appointments, supported by renewable five-year contracts. This model reflects UATX's commitment to institutional stability as well as high standards, building an enduring community of engaged teachers and active scholars.

Application Materials

Applicants should upload a CV and a cover letter via this website.

The cover letter should describe a candidate’s interest in the position, their relevant teaching and research experience, and their alignment with the distinctive mission of the University of Austin.

Review of applications will begin immediately. Applications submitted by January 4, 2027 will receive priority review. Applicants who are selected for further review may be asked to submit writing samples, a list of references, and/or a teaching portfolio. 

The University of Austin (UATX)

The University of Austin (UATX) is a non-partisan institution committed to the fearless pursuit of truth and the highest standards of scholarship and pedagogy. The university does not accept federal funding and does not charge its students tuition. 

Standardized testing is required for admission. The average student score on standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and CLT is within the top 5% nationwide. The typical section size is 12 to 20 students.

The curriculum at UATX emphasizes the distinctive value of Western civilization and the unique prosperity of American civilization alongside fields such as computer science, applied engineering, business, and law. 

More information can be found on the university website: https://uaustin.org/.