Pool for Part-time lecturer - English 368: Small Press Editing (Zaum literary magazine)

English Department

 

Faculty Employment Opportunity - Lecturer

The University

Sonoma State University’s beautiful 274-acre campus is located in Sonoma County wine country, an hour north of San Francisco. The campus offers the ideal setting for teaching and learning and access to a community of rich cultural, environmental, and recreational opportunities. Founded in 1960, SSU is one of the 22 campuses of the California State University System. As members of the largest public higher education system in the nation, we provide accessible, high-quality education.

The Department

The English Department has a long history of providing students of diverse backgrounds with the chance to study composition, literature, and rhetoric and to practice creative writing with a faculty dedicated to quality education and personalized support and instruction.  We are committed to serving students from all backgrounds, and are proud that our department and Sonoma State provide access to all residents of California (and beyond).   Our faculty are expected to teach in the general education program and to be flexible in terms of meeting the needs of the department.  Lecturers who teach in our program teach primarily composition, although this is an opening for the teaching of the English 368 Small Press Editing: Zaum class

Prospective applicants are encouraged to see the department’s web page at: https://english.sonoma.edu/

Duties of the Position

- Teach the 4 Unit English 368 Zaum class. This course offers experience in editing and publishing a student literary journal as well as working on a national literary journal. Activities include editing, layout and graphics, marketing, and distribution. The faculty member both instructs and supervises the students in the class, who solicit contributions for a literary magazine, select pieces for publication, and publish a print copy of the magazine.

-The teaching of the Zaum class requires specific logistic and practical aspects, including work with a printing company, the coordination of campus events, coordinating student promotional efforts including social media articles/promotions, and the coordination of publicity for Zaum by arranging to have students attend campus promotional events.
- Follow university Syllabus polices
- Hold office hours (typically 1 hour per 3-unit course)

-The Zaum class is taught both Fall and Spring semesters as students work on the literary magazine from planning through to publication and promotion. Although the hiring of a faculty member for the Fall 2026 Zaum class is not a guarantee of being hired for the class in Spring 2027, the intention/aspiration would be for the same faculty member to be able to continue with the course in the spring 2027 semester.

Required Qualifications

Qualifications for this English 368 Small Press Editing course focused on working with students to produce a literary journal include:

1) an MFA or PhD degree in Creative Writing;

2) previous editorial/leadership role in the publication of a print literary magazine at the graduate level (affiliated with MA/MFA/Ph.D. program) or in a professional capacity (such as paid work or work for a journal affiliated with a professional organization, foundation, or academic institution);

3) publication of creative work in journals with regional prominence;

4) previous teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Significant previous experience in literary publishing and promotion and/or in organization of literary events (festivals, reading series, etc.). Publication of a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Significant publications in journals with national prominence. Significant teaching experience specifically in creative writing workshops and/or publishing.

Rank and Salary

Full-time is a 15-unit workload per semester. Actual salary is dependent upon the number of units assigned, educational preparation, and availability of funds subject to any CSU system faculty contract salary increases.

• Salary commensurate with degree level and experience.
• Anticipated Hiring Salary Range: $5,507 - $6,677 per full-time month.
• The full-time (15 units per semester) monthly base salary range indicated above is prorated to the number of units worked and are paid in six monthly payments for each full semester.
• Selection as a candidate in the applicant pool, does not guarantee employment. Temporary Faculty appointments are made on a part-time, temporary basis and contingent upo