Divinity School Teaching Fellow

Divinity School Teaching Fellow . The University of Chicago: Divinity School . Chicago . The Divinity School invites applications from current and recent University of Chicago Divinity School doctoral students for a competitive two-year program designed to enhance their pedagogical skills and research profile.

Teaching Fellows participate in a community of practice around teaching, research, and professional development. Candidates should demonstrate excellence in their original scholarship as well as in undergraduate teaching. Successful candidates will be appointed as full-time Lecturers beginning July 1, 2027, with the following workload: teaching four courses per academic year at the undergraduate level, making progress on research (e.g. revising the dissertation for publication, writing articles, presenting at professional conferences, and other research activities potentially unrelated to their teaching), and developing competencies that further the Teaching Fellow’s professional goals. Teaching Fellows will be assigned courses at the undergraduate level, usually a combination of general education “Core” courses and teaching within disciplinary majors that will make a significant contribution to the undergraduate curriculum in their field of study.

Teaching Fellows may also be assigned to teach a self-designed course(s) which meets the curricular needs of the Divinity School. A self-designed course must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Associate Director of the Religious Studies Program, and the Director of the Teaching Fellows Program. The terms and conditions of employment for this position are covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The salary for AY27-28 will be $64,613.

Each Teaching Fellow receives research and professional development funds in the amount of $2,500 per year. Each Teaching Fellow will also be provided with a shared workspace, library privileges, and access to career services support through UChicagoGRAD. Each Teaching Fellow also receives a range of employment benefits, including health insurance coverage options through the University Benefits office. Teaching Fellows are expected to be fully in residence and on campus during the three quarters of the academic year (autumn, winter, and spring).

Teaching Fellows teaching Core classes will participate in pre-quarter meetings about their Core class as well as weekly meetings with other instructors of their Core class when they are teaching it. Teaching Fellows may participate in a program of pedagogical and professional development under the joint supervision of the Divinity School Director of the Teaching Fellows Program and their faculty mentor, with support from the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning (CCTL) and UChicagoGRAD. Fellows may also participate in monthly discussions with the Director of the Teaching Fellows Program. Teaching Fellow positions are full-time.

Teaching Fellows are prohibited from accepting any other on-campus employment and from receiving additional compensation from the University during their two-year term of appointment, with the exception of summer work, which must be pre-approved by the Provost’s Office before its official start and offered to the Teaching Fellow in the form of an addendum to their letter of appointment. Teaching Fellows are also subject to the University’s Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policy , which requires approval prior to accepting any outside employment and prohibits academic appointees from accepting academic appointments at other institutions. Teaching Fellows are required to attend the Divinity School Orientation for New Teaching Fellows in May 2027, the in-person Fall Orientation hosted by the Provost’s Office on Thursday, September 2, 2027, and the in-person Divinity School New Teaching Colleagues Orientation on Friday, September 3, 2027. . Program Eligibility: To be eligible for the Divinity School Teaching Fellows program: 1.

Applicants must have received or be on track to complete and receive the PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School [1] in any quarter from Summer 2025 through Spring 2027, as confirmed by the Dean of Students Office. 2. Students completing their PhD in Spring 2027 should note the timeline to submit the dissertation. It is recommended that applicants complete their Midpoint Reviews by the end of Summer 2026 to provide appropriate time to complete the dissertation by the Spring 2027 deadline. Applicants must have their defense scheduled for no later than Wednesday, April 28, 2027; appointment is contingent upon submitting the dissertation and graduating in Spring 2027.

The Dean of Students Office must receive final approval of the dissertation from all committee members and notification that the defense has been passed no later than Friday, April 30, 2027. All students are required to include a divisional approval form with their dissertation when submitting the final dissertation to the Dissertation Office by the deadline of Wednesday, May 5, 2027, at 4:30PM Central Time. Applicants who do not have the degree awarded by Spring 2027 will not be eligible for appointment as Divinity Teaching Fellows. 3. Candidates must identify a faculty member who will commit to participate actively as a mentor during the program.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek out a faculty mentor who is not the dissertation chair. 4. Teaching Fellows must show appropriate documentation of eligibility to work lawfully in the United States by the start of the appointment. International students who receive an appointment must secure work authorization from the Office of International Affairs prior to July 1, 2027, to avoid a delay in their ability to begin employment. The Office of International Affairs in the past has hosted a visa workshop for those interested in attending.

N.B. Preference will be given to students that completed the PhD within 8 years. [1] Students and recent alumni of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East program in NELC are eligible to apply if all other eligibility requirements are met. . Applications must be submitted through the University’s Academic Recruitment website (Interfolio) at apply.interfolio.com/197487 . The application deadline is Friday, January 8, 2027, 10:59PM Central Time .

Please note the time of the deadline; Interfolio operates on Eastern time. If you have any questions, contact Sara Bigger at [email protected] . Each application must include: 1. Cover letter (two pages maximum): should outline how this Fellowship fits into your long-term career goals and include an explanation of which Core Sequences are best suited to your training.

Current doctoral students should include a brief timeline of dissertation completion. Descriptions of the Core Sequences for Social Sciences and Humanities may be found here: · Social Sciences: https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/social-sciences-core · Humanities: https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/humanities-core 2. Statement of Teaching Philosophy (one page maximum) 3. A sample syllabus for a proposed self-designed RLST course.

The sample course should be appropriate for both majors and non-majors in the applicant’s area of study. The course should complement existing courses within the undergraduate curriculum. · More information may be found here: http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/religiousstudies 4. Current CV 5. Current UChicago transcript (unofficial transcript acceptable) 6.

A single PDF of all the UChicago course evaluations you have received as TA or instructor (downloadable from https://coursefeedback.uchicago.edu/ ) as well as any conducted at other institutions. 7. A reference letter, to be submitted directly to Interfolio. (Note: If you are a current student, letter must be from your dissertation advisor, confirming timeline of your dissertation completion, including: 1) detailed description of work that has been completed; 2) detailed description of remaining research and writing; 3) anticipated timeline of Midpoint Review and Defense; and 4) confirmation of dissertation completion occurring no later than Spring 2027.) Applicants will supply the name and email address of the faculty member and Interfolio will solicit a confidential letter from them. 8. The Mentor Agreement Form indicating commitment from a faculty member who agrees to serve as mentor during the 2027-28 academic year and who will be in residence for the full year. The form will be submitted directly to Interfolio.

Applicants will supply the name and email address of the faculty member and Interfolio will solicit a confidential letter (e.g., the form) from them. Notes on the two supporting documents: Applicants should submit their reference letter request and their Mentor Agreement Form request through the Interfolio application system as soon as possible (i.e., this can be done prior to submitting their final materials) to allow ample time for faculty to upload their documents. These two documents must be submitted as “confidential letters of recommendation” via the Interfolio website. Selection Process: The Teaching Fellows Selection Committee (Professors Fredericks, Hammerschlag, Johnson, Krause, and Wedemeyer) will assess the application materials as well as the likelihood of completing the dissertation within the required timeline.

In February, selected candidates may be invited for an interview (20-25 minutes) with available members of the selection committee. Those selected for interviews may be asked to submit their dissertation in present form at that point, as well as a plan for dissertation completion. Interviewees may also be asked to submit teaching materials. The selection committee is advisory to the Dean.

Notification and Start of Program : Successful Teaching Fellows and alternates will be notified between March and April 2027. The Fellow’s appointment will be for a two-year period, beginning July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2029. . The salary for AY27-28 will be $64,613.