Assistantship and Hourly Opportunities

Job Title:                                  Teaching Assistant (TA)

Application Deadline:               Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Dates of Appointment:                09/06/26 to 01/16/27 [19 weeks]

Hours/Week: 15 hours               Stipend: $41.24 / hour

How to Apply:

Please submit your resume/CV, a statement of interest, and a writing sample to [email protected]. In your statement, please indicate why you are interested in teaching for the UMass iCons Program, and how your specific skills can contribute to this course. The most recent course syllabi can be supplied upon request. The writing sample can be an academic piece or something for a broader audience.

Contact Person:

Wesley J. Dunham, Strategic Communication and Program Manager ([email protected], 430 Lederle Graduate Research Tower, 413.545.3674).

Job Description:

The UMass iCons Program is looking to hire one (1) graduate teaching assistant (TA) in the Fall 2026 semester for our iCons 2 writing / communications class focusing on sustainable energy & materials. The TA will play a key role in reading student work and providing detailed feedback to students to support their revision process. The TA will also interact with students during class time to support their progress and development in individual assignments and team projects.

Ideal candidates enjoy working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment, and have an interest in honing new teaching skills. This can include opportunities to lead class discussions, design activities, and contribute to the course design. The selected candidates will have the chance to work closely with experienced instructors to support the overall course objectives.

[Note that weekly hours may be irregular – weeks when large writing assignments are due, requiring substantial feedback, may require more than 15 hours.  Weeks that don’t require such feedback will require fewer hours. The total workload will not exceed an average of 15 hours per week for the semester.]

Qualities of successful candidates:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Interest in honing new teaching skills – especially in problem-based education, team-based education, student-driven learning, and inclusive education.
• Possessing knowledge of research methodologies including proposal writing/reviewing, relevant to any field overlapping renewable energy/sustainability.
• Excellent teamwork skills.
• Strong ability to constructively interact with undergraduate students, including giving written feedback on student assignments.
• Ability to work independently within a larger instructional team.
• Ability to meet weekly deadlines.
• Ability to initiate and engage all learners in conversation and productive dialog about their work.

Required Duties:

• Provide feedback to student assignments.
• Meet with studentsin class and outside of class to discuss writing and revisions.
• Attend all class meetings.
• Attend weekly meetings with the teaching team.
• Contribute as needed to instructionaldesign and planning.
• Participate as needed during class meetings and out-of-class help sessions.
• Related duties as assigned.

Applicants must be eligible for a benefited GEO assistantship Position
Type: Internship
Department: University of Massachusetts Press
Hours per week: 5 hours, approximately 14 weeks
Hourly rate: GEO minimum 
Appointment Dates: 3 appointments available with start dates in September 2026, February 2027, and May 2027

Priority Deadline: April 3, 2026

Job Description:

The University of Massachusetts Press is pleased to offer three graduate internships during 2026-2027 as a way to learn about publishing careers. The Press seeks applications from advanced graduate students in the humanities or social sciences with an interest in scholarly publishing to join our team and learn the functions and workflows of a scholarly publisher/university press. The publishing industry follows an apprenticeship model, wherein job experience is frequently the key qualification for both entry-level and advanced positions. In order to explore or launch a career in publishing, applicants generally begin as assistants, providing support to acquisitions and marketing staff. Based at the Amherst office of the University of Massachusetts Press, this internship will offer exposure to the workings of a university press and provide the experience necessary to land an entry-level job in the industry. As such, applications are encouraged from those with limited or no prior experience in the scholarly publishing industry. 

Please note this search is for three interns for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027. The next search in April 2027 will be for Fall 2027 and beyond. If you are interested, please apply now! 

The intern will carry out the following tasks:

• Under the supervision of staff at the University of Massachusetts Press, participate in training to learn the functions and workflows of a scholarly publisher/university press.
• Vet manuscripts and proposals. Research comparable projects. Participate in deliberations about which titles to pursue.
• Identify potential peer reviewers and track manuscript reviews
• Research areas of growth and emerging scholarly fields
• Assist authors with manuscript preparation, formatting, art preparation, and permissions
• Learn in-house systems, including Title Management and Manifold
• Write and proofread cover, catalog, and marketing copy
• Research publicity and review opportunities for specific titles
• Prepare reports for presentation to University Press Committee
• Other duties as assigned

The desired qualifications include:

• Advanced graduate training, with familiarity in the disciplines central to the Press’s publishing program, including American studies, African American studies, Native American and Indigenous studies, gender, and sexuality studies, public history, cultural history, literature, and the history of journalism. 
• Commitment to using an understanding of the diversity of human experiences in developing, recruiting, and marketing trade and scholarly books. 
• An interest in exploring a career in academic publishing.
• Sustained engagement with communities and cultures under-represented in scholarly publishing and an interest in bringing those experiences and that learning into academic publishing. 

We are looking for a curious, conscientious, detail-oriented person who appreciates books—whether print or digital—and scholarship. The internship will require five hours of work per week for approximately one semester. The position does not qualify for tuition remission or health benefits but would provide some supplemental income for a TA or RA position. Additionally, the position provides the chance to explore the work world of publishing and to consider it as a potential career pathway as well as the experience often required to land entry-level publishing jobs. The successful intern will participate in a team effort to publish specific titles. After an initial training period, some portion of the weekly hours may be conducted remotely, based upon the Press’s needs. 

This program is co-sponsored by the UMass Press, Graduate School, College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

How to Apply: 

All application materials (cover letter, CV or resume) should be submitted through this form. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in publishing, any previous experience relevant to publishing, and how this experience will contribute to your professional goals. Additionally, please discuss experiences,  insights and/or strategies for incorporating diverse perspectives in the work of academic publishing.

To maximize your chances of acceptance, you will be asked on the form to indicate ALL times (Fall semester 2026, Spring semester 2027, and/or Summer 2027) in which you would be eligible, per University workload policy, to accept a 5-hour assistantship. 

Questions about this application may be sent to Matt Becker, Editor in Chief ([email protected]).