AY 26-27 Adjunct Faculty Pool - Publishing

Portland State University; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 83,000 - 110,000; Part time

Job summary

Portland State University’s Publishing Program invites qualified instructors to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in book publishing. Courses include WR 331, WR 410/510, WR 460/560, WR 462/562, and more.

Candidates should hold a Bachelor's degree, have publishing experience, and reside in Oregon or SW Washington. Master’s degree and prior college teaching are preferred. The position is adjunct and paid per credit hour under the AFT agreement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Professional experience in publishing suitable to the course content.
• Must be resident of Oregon or SW Washington.

Responsibilities

• WR 331 Book Publishing for Writers course instruction.
• WR 410/510 Entrepreneurship in Publishing instruction.
• WR 460/560 Introduction to Book Publishing instruction.
• WR 461/561 Book Editing instruction.
• WR 462/562 Book Design Software instruction.
• WR 463/563 Book Marketing instruction.
• WR 466/566 Digital Skills instruction (HTML/CSS).
• WR 471/571 Typography, Layout, and Production instruction.
• WR 472/572 Copyediting instruction.
• WR 473/573 Developmental Editing instruction.
• WR 476/576 Publishing for Young Adults instruction.
• WR 477/577 Children's Book Publishing instruction.
• WR 480/580 Advanced Book Design instruction.
• WR 481/581 E‑book Production instruction.
• WR 582 Literary Agents and Acquisitions instruction.

Skills

Teaching experience

Publication industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Portland State University

Position Details

• Proposed Start Date: 12/16/2026
• Working Title: AY 26-27 Adjunct Faculty Pool - Publishing
• Department: 220801 - ENG English Dept Office
• Position Number: D97754
• Representation: AP - AFT, Local 3571

Position Summary

A thriving campus in the heart of the city, Portland State University is Oregon's most affordable public research university and we offer tremendous opportunity to 20,000 students from all backgrounds. Our mission to "let knowledge serve the city" reflects our dedication to finding innovative, sustainable solutions to local and global problems. Our location in the heart of one of America's most dynamic cities gives our students unmatched access to career connections and an internationally acclaimed culture scene. PSU is the only Oregon university to offer a four-year degree guarantee.

The Publishing Program is looking for qualified instructors to teach a wide variety of courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Courses may include:

• WR 331 Book Publishing for Writers, a comprehensive course on the publishing industry for writers who would like to get their own work published.
• WR 410/510: Entrepreneurship in Publishing, a course that provides an overview of the role of entrepreneurship in the book publishing industry and equips students with skills to start up their own entrepreneurial ventures in publishing, from freelancing to publishing company creation.
• WR 460/560: Introduction to Book Publishing, a foundational introductory course to the contemporary book publishing industry in the U.S.
• WR 461/561: Book Editing, a comprehensive course in professional book editing, including editorial management, acquisitions editing, substantive/developmental editing, and copyediting. Covers issues specific to both fiction and nonfiction books.
• WR 462/562: Book Design Software, a foundational course in design software used in the book publishing industry, focusing on Adobe InDesign. Also explores Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat, as well as XHTML and ebook design. The class considers audience expectations through a range of hands‑on design projects.
• WR 463/563: Book Marketing, a comprehensive course in professional book marketing. Covers issues specific to the marketing of fiction and nonfiction books in variety of genres and markets. Teach students how to do market research, produce marketing plans, write press releases, write advertising copy, and develop related marketing materials.
• WR 466/566: Digital Skills, a course in which students code webpages in HTML and CSS, then use domain management software to upload these pages to the web. Students modify website templates on Wordpress.org and can craft a digital portfolio or other final project in consultation with the instructor.
• WR 471/571: Typography, Layout, and Production, a comprehensive course in professional book design and production.
• WR 472/572: Copyediting, a course in clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness of other people's writing through application of grammatical and stylistic guidelines.
• WR 473/573: Developmental Editing, a course in the process of developmental editing that includes editor-author relations, the editorial process, and editorial expectations.
• WR 476/576: Publishing for Young Adults, a comprehensive course on the current publishing landscape of young adult books (readers age 12+) that addresses editing, design, and marketing for young readers.
• WR 477/577: Children's Book Publishing, a comprehensive course on the current publishing landscape for children's books (board books through middle grade books) that addresses, editing, design, and marketing for young readers.
• WR 480/580: Advanced Book Design, a course that explores the intermediate to advanced functionality of Adobe InDesign in the context of print and digital book design. The class will include units on advanced application of design principles, the software, and production considerations.
• WR 481/581: E‑book Production
• WR 582: Literary Agents and Acquisitions, a comprehensive course about how books are selected for publication and the associated rights negotiations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Professional experience in the particular area/aspect of publishing suitable to the course content.
• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Must be resident of Oregon or SW Washington.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited institution and prior college-level teaching experience.

Key Cultural Competencies

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Adheres to all PSU's policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental Stewardship

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

Required Professional Standards of Conduct

At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct which are available at www.pdx.edu/hr/professional-standards-conduct.

Compensation

Adjunct faculty members are paid per credit hour per the AFT Collective Bargaining Agreement which can be found at https://www.pdx.edu/academic-affairs/academic-unions#psufa.

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