Director of Debate and Forensics

Director of Debate and Forensics
Whitman College

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla, Whitman's vibrant and beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually diverse, dynamic, welcoming and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty serving approximately 1,500 students from the local region and across the globe. With exceptional students, accomplished faculty and staff, and a fiercely loyal and growing number of engaged alumni, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Whitman College is cultivating a community built on inclusion and belonging. We recognize the value of those who can offer historically underrepresented perspectives and encourage applications from those whose background, knowledge, and insights from lived experience can add to the college's working and learning environment. Whitman College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer (EEO) .

DEBATE PROGRAM RECENT HISTORY

In the past four years, the Whitman Debate team brought home a Novice National Championship at the 2020 National Parliamentary Debate Association national tournament, Championship Sweepstakes in the Northwest Forensics Conference, and countless awards throughout their regular season competitions. In 2021-2022 debate season, the team won 3rd place tournament sweepstakes and broke three of four teams to outrounds at the National Parliamentary Debate Association national tournament two teams qualified for the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence in which they placed 4th and 11th - an accomplishment that hasn't happened at Whitman in nearly a decade. Beyond competition the program has built strong relationships within the debate community, co-hosting the largest full-service college tournament in the United States with Lewis & Clark College as well as hosting the 2020-2021 National Round Robin. The team has also made great strides in connecting with campus and the surrounding community by hosting numerous public debates most notably moderating the recent state and local elections. The 2022-2023 season promises to be another great year, as the team returns all but one graduating senior.

POSITION PURPOSE

Whitman College seeks a Director of Debate to lead its nationally-recognized Debate program within the context of a rigorous liberal arts experience. The program has been characterized historically by talented debaters, debate scholarships, seasoned coaches with significant debating experience, and strong institutional and alumni support. As a member of the College staff, the Director will report to the Senior Associate Dean of Students, and will manage all aspects of the Debate program.

We are dedicated to creating, promoting, and nurturing a safe and inclusive work environment and we expect the same from each of our team members. We value diverse talents and welcome individuals with unique backgrounds, working styles, and skill sets.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Directing, coaching, and preparing a nationally competitive debate team.
• Teaching research skills for the ethical and robust development of debate materials; advising on argumentation and case preparation, as well as speech preparation.
• Conducting weekly practices both with individuals and a team of about 10-15 people.
• Booking tournament travel arrangements, including transportation, lodging, and meals.
• Traveling with teams to tournaments and related events. Judging at evening and weekend tournaments.
• Recruiting and developing debaters with potential for competitive success and community engagement from high school and the general population of Whitman College.
• Recruiting and supervising an Assistant Director of Debate and, when needed, managing independently contracted assistant coaches.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Individuals must be able to explain and/or demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Strong commitment to developing and mentoring college students in the debate setting.
• Ability to develop and lead a nationally competitive and ranked team with cohesion and focus on teamwork and team building.
• Excellent interpersonal, public speaking, oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to effectively manage debate program staff and to work successfully with diverse constituencies, including alumni, faculty, staff, students, and volunteers, individually and in group settings.
• Ability to advance the college's core values of diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism.
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to lead program in a professional and fiscally responsible manner.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree
• Direct coaching, instructional, and management experience in national level college debate

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience as a college debater in either Policy, Parliamentary, or Lincoln Douglas

BENEFITS

Whitman offers competitive employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision and life insurances, a generous 10% matching contribution to the Whitman College 403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan, and paid time off including 13 paid holidays for full-time staff vacation and sick leave. Learn more about benefits eligibility here.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

At Whitman College, we take seriously the safety of our community. Whitman is a fully vaccinated campus, requiring all employees and students to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations or have an approved exemption. More information can be found here.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR JOB CANDIDATES

Contact Human Resources regarding requests for disability accommodation in the employment application process.

APPLICATION REVIEW

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through June 1 and will continue until the position is filled.

START DATE

August 1, 2022


For full application instructions and position description, visit https://whitman.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=203


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