Job Description:

• Serves as the Director of the Parrhesia Summer Academy (PSA), in collaboration with Summer Session, including overseeing its curriculum; designing and piloting courses on public discourse and free expression, teaches of selected courses; overseeing co-curricular programming; recruiting, selecting, oversees, and mentors instructors; developing portable curricular and pedagogical materials and creates digital platforms for communication, exchange, and dissemination; building a national network of PSA faculty and student alumni; and overseeing grant programs for PSA faculty and student alumni.
• Develops and oversees Parrhesia orientation programming of the College and, depending on demand, other Divisions and Schools at the University of Chicago, including designing orientation programming; creating portable online components that can be adopted by other institutions; developing professional development of involved faculty; developing and overseeing the training and mentoring of student discussion facilitators; and collaborating with Resident Deans and housing staff, as well the Collegeâ™s and the Universityâ™s Dean of Studentsâ™ Offices.
• Rebuilds and oversees the Debate it Forward Program, including redesigning of curricular and pedagogical materials; overseeing the hiring of a program director; designing and overseeing training and mentoring of student teachers; advising the Office of Civic Engagement in developing partnerships with public and private schools in Chicagoland; and overseeing DiF summer programming.
• Develops and directs outreach initiatives and programming both within the University and beyond, including developing and overseeing relationships and collaborations with internal and external partners; designing Parrhesia curriculum for export and provides support to faculty in developing models and moduls for their own teaching; developing and building partnerships with other colleges and universities, as well as with primary and secondary schools; conducting workshops and providing pedagogical support for faculty and students at other institutions; and engaging with non-academic communities and the general public, with the aim of building and strengthen community networks.
• Leads the design and implementation of new curricular and pedagogical initiatives and formats related to public discourse and free expression.
• Develops and provides, in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning, faculty development in public discourse and discussion-based pedagogy across the University.
• Teaches, time permitting, courses in the curriculum of the Parrhesia Program.
• Collaborates with Faculty Director in the development and drafting of grant proposals, managing relations with foundations, and fundraising.
• Oversees annual reporting process for all relevant program activities and expenditures.
• Oversees digital marketing to reach and recruit faculty and students.
• Evaluates overall impact and performance of outreach and engagement initiatives, and proposes new programs that express the academic and cultural values of the University of Chicago and are financially viable.
• Supervises a professional employee. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources, and assesses policies for subordinates.
• Pursues scholarly and professional interests. This includes attending scholarly and professional conferences, presenting at other institutions, conducting workshops, etc.
• Builds relationships with educators and administrators, both on campus, nationally and internationally.
• Provides specialized professional expertise in program management. Implements plans for educational programs and initiatives and acts as a liaison between the program and program participants.
• Plans and develops program objectives and/or content. Researches and identifies trends and needs and establishes program directions accordingly.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Masterâ™s degree or PhD in rhetoric, communication studies, or a related discipline.

Experience:

• Prior experience with progressive responsibility in academic administration, budgeting, and program development at the university level.
• Teaching experience in the liberal arts classroom.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experienced with project-based faculty and student relations, university administrative procedures, and financial planning and budget management.
• Comfort with accessing and using data from University systems to inform strategic decision making; intermediate level skills or above in Excel (i.e. using formulas, pivot tables, charts).
• Proficiency in Mac and PC environments.
• Proficiency in Word, Outlook, Excel, and on-line organizational tools.

Preferred Competencies

• Acquainted with the habits of a university scholarly community.
• Develop forward-thinking, pro-active strategy and implement that strategy in concrete ways.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills and build partnerships with faculty and representatives from other University of Chicago programs.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills. Focus on both high-level and detail-level tasks to assure a superior level of program quality and customer service.

Working Conditions

• Office environment.
• Some evening and weekend work.
• Frequent travel.
• Fast-paced environment.
• Sit at a computer for 4-6 hours.
• Periodic walking to other campus locations.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, to include interest in and competencies for this position (required)
• References Contact Information (3)(required)

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via the Applicant Inquiry Form.

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About University of Chicago (UC)

One of the world's premier academic and research institutions, the University of Chicago has driven new ways of thinking since our 1890 founding. Today, UChicago is an intellectual destination that draws inspired scholars to our Hyde Park and international campuses, keeping UChicago at the nexus of ideas that challenge and change the world.

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