Apply to Teach
The Rochester Education Justice Initiative (REJI) is currently accepting course proposals for the 2025–26 academic year.
Submit your proposal today through our application portal.
Why teach in prison?
College can be a sustaining force in the lives of people in prison and can provide them with resources to help them succeed upon their return to the community.
By becoming an instructor for REJI, you can help end mass incarceration and break down the barriers and stigmas that incarcerated individuals face in achieving their higher education goals.
Details
REJI provides college education to incarcerated students at three state prisons in our region: Attica, Groveland, and Wyoming. Students in REJI's programs work toward an associate degree in Liberal Arts and Science: General Studies from our partner, SUNY Genesee Community College, and as of fall 2023, students at Attica may also pursue a University of Rochester bachelor's degree in Multidisciplinary Studies.
REJI instructors can teach a survey course or a course focused on a specific area of research or study. Classes meet once per week for fifteen weeks. Compensation is the equivalent of a one-term adjunct appointment. However, some faculty may be able to teach as part of their regular teaching load, and some graduate students may be able to teach to fulfill departmental teaching requirements.
Eligibility
Individuals in the following categories can teach courses for REJI:
- Faculty (tenured, tenure-track, or instructional track) at the University of Rochester and other Rochester-area colleges and universities
- Non-faculty (e.g., postdocs, librarians, administrators) at Rochester-area colleges and universities who hold graduate degrees relevant to the proposed course
- UR graduate students who have (1) earned an MA or passed a PhD qualifying/field exam in the subject area of the proposed course or (2) earned a master's degree in any field and have completed 18 hours of graduate coursework in the subject area of the proposed course
- Independent scholars in the Rochester area who hold a master's or higher degree relevant to their proposed course
Application
Prospective instructors should complete this application. Course proposals are reviewed and approved by REJI's faculty recruitment team. We are eager to know why you are interested in teaching for us, so please include a statement of interest along with your application. The statement should address the following questions:
- What interests you about teaching a college course in prison?
- What area/subject are you interested in teaching?
- Are there any relevant details about your background/qualifications that we should know in considering your application?
If you have further questions, please contact Marianne Kupin-Lisbin, faculty coordinator, at mkupin@ur.rochester.edu.