Director, Center for Appalachian Studies

Position Title Director, Center for Appalachian Studies Position Number 083421 Department College of Arts and Sciences - 250000 Description of University

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree in a field related to Appalachian Studies and/or notable work experience related to grant writing, development, and public programming, such as experience in a non-profit organization, consistent with the Center’s mission.

Demonstrated ability to collaborate, innovate, and initiate programming with interested stakeholders.

License/Certification Required

N/A

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Center for Appalachian Studies is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences; the Director reports to the Dean of the College. The Director is a collaborator with, and advocate for, Appalachian Studies who teaches, researches, and develops resources, including collaborative grant-writing, to support instruction, research, and community engagement. The Director coordinates faculty drawn from academic departments across campus; manages planning, annual reports, and assessment; oversees state, foundation, and grant-based accounts; and supervises an administrative staff member. The Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies has opportunities to teach lower and upper level undergraduate and graduate courses, and serves in various outreach capacities representing the Center on-campus and off-campus in community, regional, and international programs. The Director cooperates with the editor of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review and the librarian of the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Belk Library and Information Commons.

Duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the following:

• Initiate, promote, and coordinate public programs, community collaboration, civic engagement, and scholarship in the Appalachian region.
• Engage in consistent development and grant-writing efforts to support the Center’s activities.
• Manage state, foundation, and grant-based financial accounts.
• Supervise and evaluate an administrative staff member.
• Collaborate with the contributing faculty members of the Appalachian Studies academic programs.
• Teach lower and/or upper-level courses to meet curricular demands.
• Maintain Graduate Faculty status.
• Submit an annual report, assessment goals and results, and related accountability requirements.
• Coordinate with the editor of the Appalachian Journal and librarian for the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in the Belk Library and Information Commons to provide research support for faculty and student projects related to the Appalachian region, and direct faculty to relevant research materials (e.g. databases, bibliographic sources, archival sites).
• Recruit faculty from all academic units to collaborate as affiliate members of the Center, which affords opportunities to contribute to discussions about the Center’s programs and external engagement strategies.
• Serve as a project consultant and co-principal investigator for external grant proposals for faculty research focused on the Appalachian region.
• Serve as a liaison to meet faculty networking needs in the Appalachian region, nationally, and internationally.
• Collaborate with on-campus stakeholders, including academic departments across the university; the Appalachian and Community Together ( ACT ) Office; the Appalachian Heritage Council; Belk Library and Information Commons; the Office of International Education and Development; the Office of Sustainability; and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.
• Provide content and advice campus units about regional programming and add content to programs and events related to the Appalachian region.
• Interact regularly with public and private organizations in the region to discuss current issues for programming and research.
• Provide research, programming, and networking support for non-profit organizations that share in the mission of the Center.
• Act upon requests for collaboration and support from external organizations.
• Initiate and contribute to international programming consistent with the Center’s mission, such as comparative Mountain Studies initiatives.

Suggested Salary Range $64,000 - $67,000 Physical Demands of Position

Typical physical demands of a professional position within a university.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please attach the required documents:

• Cover Letter;
• Resume;
• List of three References with Contact Information;
• A statement that expresses your vision for the Center for Appalachian Studies; and
• A statement that expresses your teaching experience, and notable experiences working with, and reaching out to diverse communities.

AA/EEO Statement

Appalachian State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation.

Diversity and Inclusion at Appalachian

We at Appalachian State University are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence both locally and globally.

We understand that the successful implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence is the responsibility of the entire university community, including alumni and official university governing bodies. A diverse campus community supports an influx of broad and distinct ideas that increase learning opportunities and strengthen the impact of our community as we work collectively to achieve a just experience for all.

We actively encourage, support, and promote a global mindset and an equitable environment where all will know that they belong and are safe to express their culture, identity, values, ideas, opinions, and creativity. We are committed to creating a culture of equity opportunity for all, one that has an expectation of fairness, justice, and equity-minded practice at all levels of the university community.

Quick Link https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/28143