Assistant Director, Structured Liberal Education (SLE)

Heralded as a hub of undergraduate innovation, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) creates and sustains meaningful interactions between students and faculty both within and outside the classroom. As a collaborative team member of VPUE, you have a unique opportunity to advance and support programs that touch and enhance the lives of every undergraduate student at Stanford. ( https://undergrad.stanford.edu/ )

Stanford Introductory Studies (SIS), located in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE), is seeking an Assistant Director for the Program in Structured Liberal Education (SLE). ( https://sis.stanford.edu/structured-liberal-education-sle ) Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost and Director for SIS, this position has teaching and administrative duties related to the the pedagogical delivery of SLE’s curriculum, support for the fixed-term SLE lecturers, and oversight of SLE co-curricular events. Candidates for this position should have significant experience both teaching in, and providing programmatic support for, residential programs like SLE.

Founded in 1973, SLE is a residence-based humanities program that encourages students to live a life of ideas in an atmosphere that emphasizes critical thinking and interpretation. Focusing on great works of philosophy, religion, literature, painting, and film drawn largely, but not exclusively, from the Western tradition, the SLE curriculum places particular emphasis on artists and intellectuals who brought new ways of thinking and new ways of creating into the world, often overthrowing prior traditions in the process.

Qualifications

This position involves teaching two weekly seminars (with the same group of fifteen frosh), attending the thrice weekly lectures (usually delivered by Stanford faculty members), working with students on writing (through individual tutorials), and engaging with the residential life of the SLE dormitory environment. In addition to these teaching responsibilities, the Assistant Director will work closely with the Faculty Director and the Associate Director in providing programmatic support for the program. Core responsibilities include:

·         Participating in regular curricular planning meetings with SLE leadership;

·         Collaborating in the planning of weekly teaching meetings with the SLE teaching team;

·         Collaborating in the construction of the year-long syllabus;

·         Hiring and coordinating student peer writing tutors (SLE CC);

·         Communicating regularly with the current student cohort;

·         Coordinating with the administrative team for purchasing and event planning;

·         Assisting with SLE leadership on choosing new fellows for teaching fellowship

Candidates should have a Ph.D. (filed no later than June 30, 2024), a strong record of humanities scholarship, and evidence of teaching excellence.  Candidates should have significant experience working and teaching in residential humanities programs like SLE.

The initial appointment will be made for a term of two years, with a start date of September 1, 2025.  The appointment may be renewable, contingent on satisfactory performance and programmatic need.  Starting salary will be at least $87,800 annually.  At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

Application Instructions

Please apply through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/158917.  Please include the following in your application:

1. A letter of application that addresses: (a) your experience with teaching in a residential humanities program and providing leadership and programmatic support for such a program; (b) your preparation for helping diverse undergraduates draw connections between ancient texts and contemporary concerns; (c) your experience with writing instruction; (d) experience working in a collaborative teaching environment.

2. A Teaching Statement that describes your teaching philosophy; this should include experience with and approaches to leading small group seminars as well as team teaching.

3. Student, peer, and/or other teaching evaluations.

4. Curriculum vitae.

5. Three letters of reference.

Submit all application materials by Monday, December 2, at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time.