Associate Professor and Director of the Middlebury C.V. Starr School in Cameroon

Description

Anticipated Start Date- May 1st 2023

Primary Purpose: Administer, implement, and develop Middlebury's academic program in Cameroon at the Université Catholique d'Afrique Centrale—(UCAC). The Director will work closely with the Office of International Programs & Off-Campus Study (IPOCS) in consultation with the appropriate Middlebury faculty, programs and departments, and the School in Cameroon Faculty Advisory Board.

Responsibilities will include:

Academic Programs:

• Administers/develops courses, together with the Dean of International Programs and IPOCS, as well as appropriate Middlebury faculty, programs and departments.


• Works with UCAC faculty to properly place students in appropriate mainstream content courses at UCAC.


• Designs and implements, in cooperation with UCAC colleagues, co-curricular activities to support academic goals.


• Reports recommendations concerning curricula to IPOCS, in consultation with the appropriate Middlebury faculty, programs and departments, the Faculty Advisory Board, and the Dean of International Programs.


• Oversees and is ultimately responsible for on-site course selection and registration, maintaining academic records, collecting study course and program evaluations. Provides Middlebury with on-site registration information (including course numbers, course titles, academic discipline) for each student by the end of the registration period; provides timely submission of final course grades from all instructors and institutions.


• Implements testing system to evaluate linguistic and cultural progress, including pre and post testing for assessment purposes.


• Monitors class attendance and grading standards.


• Works closely with UCAC faculty, monitoring teaching effectiveness and encouraging mediation, as necessary.


• Visits classes regularly and consults with UCAC faculty on student progress, assessment, and placement.


• Reports recommendations concerning curricula to IPOCS.


• Consults with partner university faculty on student progress, assessment, and placement.

• Develops and manages, with the Dean of International Programs and the appropriate Middlebury College faculty, programs, and departments, programs of faculty and student interchange between Cameroonian institutions and Middlebury College.


• Helps develop and oversee credit and non-credit internship opportunities in consultation.

Student Affairs:

• Oversees and is ultimately responsible for: student discipline; student advising/counseling (academic, personal, medical, career etc.); facilitating student housing arrangements (apartments, home stays, dorms); designing and implementing on-site student orientations that cover all academic, social, safety, and health issues; student excursions; encouraging individual extra-curricular activities; advising on and keeping itineraries and contact information for independent, overnight, student travel; and all security, safety, health, discrimination, and harassment issues.


• Coordinates efforts with UCAC colleagues at all levels to ensure that all parts of the program are in place and working effectively.


• Provides regular updates to IPOCS staff, as well as end-of-semester and end-of-year reports


• Visits Middlebury as necessary to meet with IPOCS staff, and director of the School of French, as well as the Department of French and area studies faculty to review the academic program at the host institution and, when appropriate, to plan curricular and programmatic adjustments. During such visits, depending on timing, Director will participate in pre-departure student orientations or other information sessions.


• Attends twice-a-year meetings for the directors of the Middlebury-C.V. Starr Schools Abroad.


• Coordinates all on-site arrangements (housing, local transportation, meetings) for visiting delegations, whether by Middlebury personnel or personnel from other institutions whose students attend (or plan to attend) the School Abroad.


• Works with marketing staff at Middlebury to recruit students to the program. This may include travel to other U.S. colleges and universities to meet with faculty and study abroad administrators.


• Has frequent communication and collaboration with the relevant Assistant Director in IPOCS.


• Builds trust and works collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners to balance the multiple, varying interests of diverse stakeholders

Administrative Responsibilities:

Teaching and Scholarship:

• Depending on the qualifications of the director and the needs of the UCAC, the director may be asked to teach a course at the UCAC as part of his/her regular duties.


• At the discretion of the Director of the Middlebury School of French, the Director may be invited to teach in the summer program in Vermont. Such teaching will be remunerated independently of the Director's salary for directing the School in Cameroon.

Management and Personnel:

• In conjunction with the Dean of International Programs, makes and implements short and long-range financial, staff and programmatic plans for the School in Cameroon.


• If additional staffing is approved, interviews, hires and manages the on-site staff.


• Acts as liaison between Middlebury and the UCAC.


• Oversees rental/purchase/maintenance of all premises, as necessary, in conjunction with Dean of International Programs.


• Assures that the School Abroad is in full compliance with all local legal, banking, insurance and other requirements incumbent on a representative office of a foreign, non-profit institution.


• Oversees timely purchase and maintenance of all necessary office furniture and equipment, including internet equipment and contracts.


• Provides information for updates of IPOCS and Language Schools publications.

External relations:

• Serves as primary liaison with academic institutions, ministries of education, U.S. embassies, NGOs, local visa/residence permit issuing agencies and similar bodies, local police and all other institutions/agencies.


• Administers and updates agreements with the UCAC.


• Promotes and markets Middlebury opportunities to relevant local communities.

Budget and financial:

• Oversees annual budgets and proposes new budget for the subsequent academic year, in conjunction with IPOCS.


• Pays all bills, salaries, social benefits and taxes etc., in a timely fashion, with assistance of local accountant.


• Prepares detailed monthly expense report for accounting office in Vermont.


• Secures and reviews university bills prior to submitting to IPOCS for payment each semester.

Decision-making authority:

• Full authority on local issues


• On substantive program content and administrative issues that have a long-term significance: coordinates and consults with the Dean of International Programs. Ultimate decision-making responsibility lies with Dean of International Programs.

Other responsibilities:

As assigned.

Requirements

Education/training:

• Ph.D. in a relevant field strongly preferred


• Demonstrated teaching excellence


• Teacher-training experience


• Administrative & managerial experience


• Familiarity with US-managed study abroad programs and the Cameroonian university system


• Excellent people skills & an ability to cooperate, in both American and Cameroonian settings


• Excellent communication skills in French and English


• Crisis management skills

Experience:

Experience studying, teaching, and/or administering in both the U.S. and Cameroon preferred. Some prior contact with a Middlebury School Abroad or summer Language School also desirable but not a pre-requisite.

Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge of U.S. and Cameroonian system of higher education

Other requirements:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills


• Computer literacy


• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment


• Director should be both firm and diplomatic, as well as kind and compassionate, as the circumstances require.

Other:

Offer is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check.

Benefits

Localized payroll and benefits.

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