Assistant Director for Graduate Engagement (86078)

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere at the University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences invites applications for a full-time, twelve-month, non-tenure-accruing position at the rank of Lecturer, beginning May 16, 2022, for the position of Assistant Director for Graduate Engagement. The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, includes a full benefits package, and a relocation package.

As a key part of the Center’s intellectual life, the Assistant Director (AD) for Graduate Engagement would develop and oversee a suite of programs, workshops, and events that expands graduate training in the humanities to broadly envision the work of the humanities in classrooms, careers, and public life. The AD would collaborate with the Center Director and Associate Director to carry out a range of practices, from creatively visioning and designing the substance of events and partnerships, to carrying out financial, logistical, and evaluative tasks.

Duties will include:

--Designing and administering workshops, writing groups, or courses for graduate students in public humanities, grant-writing, alternative academic careers, and relevant professional skills (e.g., mentoring for minority students, quantitative and digital literacy, scholarly and public-facing writing), as well as in connecting academic skills to other careers; possibly develop and institute a summer graduate institute or equivalent;

--Collaborating with other relevant units (such as the Career Connections Center, the Graduate School, and the UF Smathers Libraries) to develop and coordinate an internship and/or externship program;

--Develop an alumni network based on existing data and continue alumni tracking and outreach, departmental placement metrics on career paths), continue and update a Humanities Careers website with support materials and alumni profiles;

--Staying abreast of national recommendations for humanities training, create a systematic support structure for humanities graduate student professional development-oriented at academic and broader career paths.

Founded in 2005, the University of Florida Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere supports a diverse field of scholars across Florida’s oldest, land-grant, and most comprehensive research university with an array of funding opportunities, public programs, working groups, and grant-writing services. The Center has three interrelated purposes: (1) to facilitate and promote the research programs of humanities scholars at UF, (2) to provide an intellectual and physical space for critical and collaborative discussions of the humanities beyond individual disciplines, and (3) to provide a place for outreach to our community. The Center benefits from its central location in North Florida and the close proximity of numerous cultural institutions and nature parks.

UF is ranked the 5th best public university in the United States by US News and World Report 2022, with exceptional research, teaching, and a university-wide commitment to diversity.

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere particularly welcomes applicants who can contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. The university and greater Gainesville communities enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities. For further information about the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, see: www.humanities.ufl.edu .

Required qualifications are a Ph.D. (preferably in a humanities field, completed by May 15, 2022), strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively (virtually and on-site).

Preferred qualifications include the Ph.D. with one to three years of experience (e.g., in non-profit organizations, professional development workshops, public-facing writing, or diversity initiatives), advanced coursework in the digital and/or public humanities, familiarity with creating equitable partnerships between higher education and non-academic entities, and knowledge about recent initiatives of professional humanities organizations to diversify the Ph.D. The committee is looking for experience with conceptualizing and implementing a vision and experiential learning, such as internships and alumni networks.

For full consideration, applications must be submitted online at http://apply.interfolio.com/98007 . A complete application includes (1) a letter of application summarizing the applicant's qualifications, interests, and suitability for the position, (2) a complete curriculum vitae, (3) a vision statement on graduate education in the humanities (max. 1 page), (4) one example of a humanities graduate student experiential learning experience or workshop (e.g., #alt-ac, fellowship- or grant-proposal writing, public humanities, or dissertation writing), and (5) names and contact information for three people familiar with the work of the applicant willing to submit a confidential letter of recommendation. After initial review, applicants who are chosen to receive further consideration will be asked to request confidential letters of recommendation from the references to be sent on their behalf to their Interfolio submission packet. The application deadline is December 23, 2021.

For questions regarding the position, please email Chair of the search committee Dr. Jennifer Rea at jrea@ufl.edu .

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ .

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff.

The University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

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