Carlow University announces one new graduate and two new teaching assistantships for the MFA in creative writing program.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | August 16, 2016 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Pittsburgh, Pa. – For the first time, Carlow University will offer two teaching assistantships and one graduate assistantship in the Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing program. These assistantships will begin in the fall 2016 semester.
“With these offerings Carlow becomes one of the only low-residency MFA programs to offer opportunities of this kind,” said Kevin Haworth, director of Carlow’s MFA program. “These opportunities are the result of months of planning. Lou Boyle, PhD, chair of the English Department, Matthew Gordley, PhD, Dean of the College of Learning and Innovation, and Carlow’s provost, Deanne D’Emilio, JD, were instrumental in supporting the MFA program in this project.”
Please find more information about each of these new positions below.
Graduate Assistantship for Residency Planning
Beginning August 2016, the MFA program will offer one student the opportunity to serve as a Graduate Assistant with a primary focus on helping to plan and execute the January residency in Pittsburgh, with a secondary focus on the June residency in Ireland. The GA will work with invited visiting writers, help to plan residency programming, and help plan and assist with all aspects of the student experience. The time commitment is expected to be 6-8 hours per week during the semester. The GA is also expected to be ‘on duty’ during the January residency and participate in all residency activities. This position is ideal for a student to learn how to plan literary conferences, reading series, and other literary community activities.
Eligibility: Since being a GA would interfere with a student’s ability to complete his/her residency, only students who have completed all four residencies and are in the manuscript phase of the program can serve in this position.
Tuition Credit: The GA will receive $2217 in credit toward that semester’s tuition.
Term: One semester, renewable at the director’s discretion.
Teaching Assistantships for First-Year Writing
Beginning January 2016, two Carlow MFA students will have the opportunity to teach first-year writing to Carlow undergraduates. Each student will teach one section of either SKW 100 or SKW 101, Carlow’s first-year writing course. This will provide invaluable teaching experience for MFA students who aspire to teach at the college level. Roberta Foizey, Director of First-Year Writing, has generously offered to assist with this project and help mentor MFA teaching assistants.
Eligibility: All currently enrolled Carlow MFA students are eligible to apply. In January 2016, Carlow anticipates having two teaching sections available: one on campus for MFA students who live within commuting distance of the university, and one online section open to any MFA student regardless of geographic location. Teaching assistants will be chosen by a committee consisting of MFA Director Kevin Haworth, English Department Chair Lou Boyle, and Director of First-Year Writing Roberta Foizey. Applications will be due October 1.
Tuition Credit: The GA will receive $2956 in credit toward that semester’s tuition.
Term: One semester. The TA positions are designed to be rotating positions, to maximize the number of students that have the opportunity to participate in this project. If more than two sections per semester are available via the English Department, more students will be selected to participate, or students will have the opportunity to teach for multiple semesters.
“As the director, I am incredibly excited to debut these opportunities, and to continue to ensure that Carlow is one of the very best places to pursue an MFA degree,” said Haworth.
Carlow’s MFA program, which can be completed in five semesters, provides the convenience of a low-residency program with boundless opportunities in which students work with internationally-renowned writers in the United States and Ireland. Each year, students complete two residencies. In January, students spend 11 days in Pittsburgh, a city known for its world-class teaching and research institutes. In June, students experience the magnificent setting and rich literary tradition of Ireland during an 11-day residency at Trinity College Dublin.
For more information about Carlow’s MFA program, please visit www.carlow.edu or contact Patrick Martyn, graduate admissions counselor, at pdmartyn@carlow.edu or by phone at (412) 578-6699.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Eds, Meds, and Tech” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curriculum, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three colleges: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Learning and Innovation. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change. Carlow’s eleven athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.