The Slavic, East European, and Near Eastern Summer Language Institute (SLI) at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures seeks an Instructor of Russian and Riga Program Assistant for its new Pittsburgh Riga Russian language program for the summer of 2025.
The instructor/program assistant will teach 5 weeks of intensive Russian during SLI’s summer session, which begins on June 2, 2025. After the conclusion of the fifth instructional week, the instructor/program assistant will travel to Riga, Latvia to facilitate the abroad program, which concludes on August 9, 2025.
During the five weeks of teaching in the domestic program in Pittsburgh, classes will meet five days a week from 9 am-2:50 pm. In addition to classroom teaching, instructors are expected to help plan and facilitate the cultural programming for the language program. Instructors will be asked to team teach.
Duties associated with the five weeks in Riga do not include teaching but do include: conducting pre-program and in-country orientations; facilitating proficiency testing; coordinating with the Riga-based language school faculty and staff on language instruction and cultural activities; academic mentoring and program participation monitoring; and providing 24/7 student support in Latvia on matters of health, safety, and compliance with program policies. The program assistant will be the primary liaison between the students, staff in Riga, and the SLI and Project GO management at the University of Pittsburgh. The program assistant will be the program’s liaison with the US Embassy in Riga in case of emergency.
Applicants should have a master’s degree in Russian or a related field and experience teaching in a college or university setting using the communicative approach or other proficiency-based methods.
A minimum of advanced mid proficiency in Russian is required for the position. Experience with the Latvian language and/or culture is a plus.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens without dual citizenship due to federal sponsor requirements associated with the position.
Learn more about Pitt’s SLI at www.sli.pitt.edu.
Applicants should submit a CV and, if available, representative student evaluations and a cover letter. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later stage in the search.
The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is committed to building and fostering a culturally diverse environment. Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in support of a diverse community are required.
The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all.
The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.
