Director, WORD Studio (writing and communication center)

St. Lawrence University seeks a Director for the Munn Center for Rhetoric and Communication. Known on campus as the WORD Studio (an acronym for Writing, Oral communication, Reading, & Design), the WORD Studio provides peer tutoring services to undergraduate students seeking to improve their written, oral, and visual communication skills. This is a 10-month academic support position with competitive benefits and professional development funding at a vibrant liberal arts institution. We welcome colleagues committed to concerns of social justice, civic engagement, and systems of power, privilege, and oppression. The WORD Studio enjoys esteem from across the university, resources to operate effectively, an excellent caliber of undergraduate students, and a large and beautiful physical space at the center of campus. The position begins August 15, 2022.

The Director will manage all operations of the WORD Studio, providing leadership, strategic vision, and innovation in design and delivery of undergraduate peer writing and speaking consultation. The three primary duties of the Director are: 1) teaching two courses per academic year, at least one of which is the tutor training course, 2) hiring, supervising, and mentoring the twenty undergraduate tutors on staff and 3) providing 2-3 faculty development workshops in writing pedagogy per semester. Other duties include individual consultations with faculty on writing pedagogy, payroll, tutor scheduling, marketing/promotion, and serving on various university committees. This position is at once strategic and visionary and administrative and hands-on. Collaborations across the university are key to this position, especially with Academic Advising, International Student Academic Support, Student Accommodation Services, and our flagship living-learning First Year Program.

Additional related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Required qualifications include experience working in/supervising a writing/communication center and experience training tutors. Master’s degree in rhetoric/composition studies, writing center administration, or related field is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred qualifications include experience planning and implementing faculty development workshops in writing pedagogy; experience with linguistic diversity and social justice initiatives in a writing center context; and experience with WCOnline. PhD (or ABD at time of appointment) in rhetoric/composition studies; writing center administration; or related field is strongly preferred

For inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Dr. Allie Rowland, Maurer Associate Professor of Performance & Communication Arts, arowland@stlawu.edu.

Interested applicants must apply online at http://employment.stlawu.edu uploading all required materials which are defined in the “special instructions to applicant” section. Complete applications submitted by February 20, 2022, will be given full consideration. Applications submitted after this date will be reviewed as needed.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the finalist successfully passing a background (including criminal records) check.