Job Details

Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters

Position Number: 6690459
Location: Worcester, MA
Position Type: Liberal Arts - English and Literature

Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters

Description
Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters

The Department of English at the College of the Holy Cross invites applications and expressions of interest in the Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters. The Jenks Chair is held by a distinguished writer with a significant publication record, an established national or international literary reputation, and evidence of exceptional future creative promise. Writers of fiction and nonfiction, including in emerging and experimental genres, are invited to apply.

The Jenks Chair is a full-time faculty appointment with an initial three-year term (renewable for up to two additional years). In addition to active engagement on campus, the Jenks Chair teaches three seminar/workshop courses per academic year and hosts a series of readings by visiting writers (in collaboration with the Creative Writing program). The Jenks Chair is expected to maintain a significant public profile as an advocate for writing and the arts in the national and/or international conversations.

Compensation includes nationally competitive salary and benefits, dedicated funds for travel, research and professional development, and programming funds. The salary for the position will be at least $170,000. Faculty at the College create high-impact scholarship, cultivate a richly diverse academic community, and pursue innovative teaching. To learn more about faculty life at the College and in the Worcester area, candidates are encouraged to see the Resources for Prospective Faculty on our Faculty Openings page.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications: distinguished publication record, ordinarily including at least two books or the equivalent; established track record of significant awards, honors, and recognitions (juries, residencies, lectureships, etc); teaching experience, with evidence of demonstrated success and a commitment to inclusive pedagogies.

Application Instructions
Applications for the Jenks Chair may be submitted through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/176556, and should include the following:

A cover letter of no more than 3 single-spaced pages, including a description of your work to date and your work in progress, a discussion of your teaching experience, and a reflection on how you might contribute to and further the College's mission as an exclusively undergraduate Jesuit liberal arts college and its core commitment to creating a community where every individual feels empowered to contribute their talents and perspectives.
A current curriculum vitae, including links to your professional website (if available).

The search committee will request additional materials, including the names of three professional references and samples of your writing, at a later date for candidates invited to interview. Please do not send any additional materials at this time. The position is open to US and international faculty; the College will assist in securing an appropriate visa as needed. Informal inquiries may be directed to provost@holycross.edu. Application materials will be accepted until Thursday, December 4, 2025.

To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/176556

The College of the Holy Cross is a highly selective Catholic liberal arts college in the Jesuit tradition. It enrolls about 3,000 students and is located in a medium-sized city 45 miles west of Boston. The College seeks faculty members whose scholarship, teaching, advising, and on- and off-campus service demonstrate commitment to the educational benefits of a richly diverse community. Holy Cross aspires to meet the needs of dual-career couples, in part through its membership in Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (http://www.heccma.org) and the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (https://new-england.hercjobs.org/)