2024 TESOL Assistant/Associate Professor/Lecturer

About Wenzhou-Kean University

Along with NYU Shanghai and Duke University Kunshan, Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) is one of only three full legal-person Sino-American universities with all English instruction approved by the Ministry of Education in China. We invite applicants for full-time tenure track positions in Instruction and Curriculum (TESOL-focused) to begin in the Spring of 2024, with additional openings for the Fall. 

WKU sits on approximately 500 beautiful acres and currently enrolls 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students. It is now in the midst of rapid growth that will bring enrollment to 7,500 students within the next five years.  All instruction at WKU is in English, and the curriculum is provided by Kean University and adapted to the needs of the local student population. In addition to its current 18 undergraduate programs, WKU was approved by the Ministry of Education to offer graduate programs starting from 2020. Currently, the University offers 8 graduate programs. 

Wenzhou is one of the most vibrant and economically developed cities on China's East Coast, located one hour by plane and just over three hours by high-speed train from Shanghai. 

About the Job:

WKU launched the graduate program in Instruction and Curriculum (TESOL Concentration) in Fall 2020 with an initial cohort of 12 students. We are now in the fourth cohort with 45 students. Our student body includes both pre-service teachers as well as experienced K-12 teachers from all over China. We anticipate a steady programmatic expansion in the future that will bring in additional students as well as faculty members.

WKU is seeking two to three candidates to teach a full range of MA TESOL graduate courses. Our faculty teaches graduate-level courses in general linguistics, TESOL methods, and language assessment, and engages in research with students, as well as in a variety of other program-specific projects.

The successful candidate will have a clear record of expertise in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and the demonstrated ability to prepare MA TESOL students to teach in both ESL and EFL contexts. Candidates with EFL teaching at the K-12 level and teacher-training experience will be prioritized for this position. Candidates must have an ongoing agenda for engaging students in research and are expected to publish research outcomes in well-recognized journals. Candidates are expected to advise graduate students to develop research projects and produce publishable research outcomes. In addition to teaching and research, candidates are expected to contribute to the growth of the program, including but not limited to curriculum development, program assessment, student recruitment and advising, faculty hiring, program promotion, and internship opportunities.

This full-time faculty position can start as early as Spring 2024 or as late as Fall 2024. This position will be offered at the Lecturer level or at the rank of Tenure-Track Assistant or Associate Professor. These positions are full-time assignments appointed on a 3-year contract at the first instance. 

Faculty at the Lecturer position typically teach 39 credits per academic year. The Tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor positions are 10-month appointments that require research and publications in internationally recognized and vigorously peer-reviewed journals in the field. Tenure-track faculty members typically carry a 24-credit-hour load per academic year. Six (6) credits course release per academic year is available in the first 2 years of appointment. After the initial 2 years, course release may be available to faculty for national-level grant proposal development or other substantial research initiatives. The candidate will be expected to participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including high-quality teaching, research, advising, student learning support, and service to the university and/or professional community. 

The University will provide start-up grants (up to 80,000 RMB) to support candidates to start their research projects. After joining WKU, faculty have the opportunity to apply for a variety of internal research funding including international research collaboration grants (up to 300,000 RMB per project) as well as external funding opportunities at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. 

Teaching assignments and related responsibilities may include day, evening, weekend and online courses. Interest or experience in using advanced instructional technologies to improve the teaching/learning process is highly desirable.

Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. or Ed.D. in TESOL, Applied Linguistics, Curriculum and Instructions, or closely related areas. ABD can be considered with a completion date prior to the effective date of employment.
• Candidates with doctorate degrees from reputable universities (Carnegie R1 institutions or comparable research institutions with strong academic reputations in the fields) are encouraged to apply. 
• The successful candidate must demonstrate excellence in research and have a strong publication record.
• A minimum of two years of teaching experience at the post-secondary level is required.
• Evidence of successful teaching experience at the college level, preferably graduate level (e.g. course evaluations, teaching portfolio).
• Familiarity with current trends in pedagogy and program development.
• Knowledge of and experience with assessment and accreditation is desirable.
• Experience in teaching K-12 in ESL/EFL settings is highly desirable.
• Experience in teacher training is highly desirable.

Application Information:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled. Please send a cover letter, resume, statement of teaching philosophy, a research statement describing research interest, past accomplishments in research and research plan (for tenure track positions only), unofficial transcripts, and contact information of three professional references by email to the Search Committee Chairperson at wkutesol@wku.edu.cn. Official transcripts for all degrees and three current letters of recommendation are required before the appointment.

TESOL faculty positions at WKU offer:

• Annual salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience with the range from $66,000-$70,000 for lecturers; $70,000-$75,000 for Assistant Professors; $75,000-$80,000 for Associate Professors. 
• A well-rounded healthcare coverage, academic travel up to $2,000, housing options and subsidy up to $3,000, home traveling up to $6,000 (2 international round-trip airfares), a reimbursement to cover relocation expenses up to $1,000, shuttle bus to campus for work.
• Tuition discount of local private/international kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools for children of faculty.
• A collegial environment.
• The opportunity to teach high-quality students with more than a third of graduates being admitted to the graduate schools at the World’s Top 50 Universities, and about 70% of graduates at the World’s Top 100 Universities.

Background Screening:

Wenzhou-Kean University conducts background screenings on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background Screenings.