Job Description

Job Location: Harrisonburg, VA 22802, Job Title: Director of Writing and First-Year Experience

Department: Faculty and Student Success

Supervisor: Dean of Faculty and Student Success

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Position Type: Full-Time, Faculty (Non-Tenure Track)

Rank: Assistant Professor

Work

Schedule: On-campus, 10-months, 1.0FTE

Salary Range: $46,000 - $51,000

Why Join Eastern Mennonite University?

Join a close-knit, caring community where your work has purpose. EMU is located in Harrisonburg, a thriving and eclectic college town in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, with the Blue Ridge Mountains just minutes away. Here, you’ll work alongside faculty and staff who are committed to supporting one another and preparing the next generation of leaders to make a positive difference in their communities and the world.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition with 3 years of experience in higher education administration, writing or first-year program leadership and/or assessment preferred.

• Experience with first-year, transition programs, or student success initiatives
• Experience with supervision
• Required: AI competency and experience with curricular design

Responsibilities: The Director of Writing and First-Year Experience is responsible for ensuring the vibrancy and effectiveness of EMU's first-year general education and communication curriculum.

• Teaching load (18 hours): teach general education, undergraduate writing courses, writing tutor practicums, and at least one section of the first-year seminar course: Big Questions, Deep Connections.
• The administrative work (~7 hours) will focus on the areas of program evaluation, student outcome assessment, and faculty development and support, ensuring that our first-year general education programming meets the needs of our diverse student body.
• This position will hire and supervise contingent faculty, graduate writing coach, and writing peer tutors.
• Limited to no academic advising is needed; however other university service is expected

Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervise support staff, contingent faculty, or student employee members.

Position Details: Ten-month contract. 18 teaching hours plus 7 administrative hours = 25 Total semester hours per year.

Appointment Date: Positions begin mid-August 2027. EMU reserves the right to fill the position at any time or keep the position open.

Inquiries: Application review begins November 2026 and is ongoing. Application materials, including cover letter, curriculum vitae, transcripts (unofficial acceptable) and contact information for three professional references should be submitted in the application. The cover letter should include information on how the candidate’s experience will contribute to the university’s mission, vision, values. Finalists will be asked to respond to questions relevant to EMU’s faith-based mission. The final candidate will be required to provide official transcripts upon hire. Follow the Apply Now instructions at the top of this page.

Requirements & Contingencies

Appointment is contingent upon the submission of official transcripts and the successful completion of a background check following a conditional offer of employment. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; Eastern Mennonite University is not offering visa sponsorship for this role at this time.

Salary Range: The salary range for the position is $46,000 - $51,000, per year, however, actual starting salary will commensurate with course loading, education and/or experience.

Key Benefits at a Glance

• Retirement Investment: 403(b) plan featuring a generous employer match.
• Education Perks: Substantial tuition remission programs.
• Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, and employer-supported health savings account (HSA).
• Income Protection: Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Voluntary Plans: Accident, critical illness, additional life insurance, flexible spending accounts (FSA).
• Time to Recharge: 15 holidays.
• Supportive Environment: Confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and a collaborative campus culture.
• Relocation Assistance: Moving allowance available for eligible out-of-area hires to support your transition to Harrisonburg.
• Campus Lifestyle & Discounts: Complimentary admission to EMU home athletic and cultural arts events, plus employee discounts across university dining venues, bookstore, and the University Outpost.

About EMU: Eastern Mennonite University (emu.edu) is a private, faith-based, liberal arts university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, known for academic excellence and affordability with a focus on service, social justice, and global engagement. With more than 1,500 students studying at our main campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia; at our Lancaster, Pennsylvania, instructional site; and online, EMU offers rigorous academic study at the undergraduate and graduate level.

EMU is committed to an inclusive and equitable campus community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and can be their authentic self. Our goal is to remove the barriers that underrepresented and marginalized groups have frequently encountered in our society. We commit to address the structures that produce discrimination, racial injustice, gender inequities and other forms of oppression, and to fully include LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other members of historically minoritized communities.

EMU encourages students, faculty and staff to live their faith and values through service to others, peacemaking, cross-cultural engagement and sustainability. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, EMU is committed to enhancing our community and encourages applications from qualified individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who would deepen the diversity of the University.

Qualifications