Chair, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

Type of Position: Full-Time

Education Requirement: PhD

Tenure Status: Tenured

Rank: Associate or Full Professor

Position Number: 087371

Department: Interdisciplinary Studies

Minimum Qualifications:

This is a tenured 9-month position with 12-month duties to begin July 1, 2022. Applicants must have a PhD in a discipline that is suitable for tenure in the Department and currently hold tenured Associate or Full Professor rank. Areas of research specialization are open. Qualified candidates should have administrative and teaching experience in an interdisciplinary context; a demonstrated commitment to non-hierarchical leadership and shared governance; a capacity for innovation and collaboration, especially among different academic disciplines; an active record of interdisciplinary and creative scholarship; and a proven dedication to promoting and enhancing diversity and inclusion. 

Description of the Department:  

The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies is located in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Department has 19 faculty and 130 undergraduate majors, 20 graduate students in degree and certificate programs, 200 residential college students, and 200 minors, with 3 BA degrees in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, Global Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies; 1 BS degree, in Interdisciplinary Studies; 1 MA degree, in Appalachian Studies; and Watauga Residential College, a living-learning community for first- and second-year undergraduate students. 

The Department houses 13 undergraduate minors: Africana Studies; Appalachian Music: Roots and Influences; Appalachian Studies; Creative Engagement and Social Change; Documentary Studies; Experiential, Integrative Learning; Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies; Girls’ Studies; Global Studies; Labor Studies; LGBT Studies; New Media and Digital Cultures; and Non-Profit Organizations. The Department offers 2 graduate minors, in Appalachian Studies and in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies; and 3 graduate certificates: Appalachian Studies (on-campus, non-degree; and online, non-degree) and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies. Further details can be found at https://interdisciplinary.appstate.edu/welcome. Interdisciplinary Studies faculty excel in scholarship and teaching, carrying, every semester, a 12-hour load with 3 hours of reassigned time for those with an active research agenda, and considerable service commitments within and beyond the institution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provide a future-oriented vision that includes:

     

    • Supporting all faculty within the Department.
    • Recognizing all 4 Department programs: Appalachian Studies; Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; Global Studies; and Interdisciplinary Studies—and the Department’s living-learning community: Watauga Residential College.
    • Advocating for the Department at all levels of the campus community.
    • Recruiting undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Teach one course each semester.
  • Participate in the development of University policies and be responsible for their communication and implementation at the Department level.
  • Communicate the needs of the Department—personnel, space, fiscal—to the appropriate administrative units.
  • Represent the Department in the University, community, appropriate external agencies, and meetings of learned and professional societies.
  • Provide leadership in the recruitment, appointment, and retention of faculty members.
  • Arrange effective and equitable distribution of faculty responsibilities, including teaching duties and committee assignments.
  • Evaluate and counsel faculty members concerning the performance of their duties.
  • Encourage and mentor teaching, scholarly activity, and professional development.
  • Initiate, in consultation with the appropriate faculty committee recommendations, appointment, reappointment, promotion, tenure, and dismissal in accordance with University and College policy.
  • Endeavor to maintain faculty morale by reducing, resolving, or preventing conflicts.
  • Make salary recommendations in accordance with University and College guidelines.
  • Organize and coordinate the departmental faculty and staff in developing, implementing, and evaluating short- and long-range departmental goals, objectives, standards, and programs.
  • Manage departmental resources, including the budget, in accordance with College and University guidelines.
  • Supervise the departmental support staff.

Please also see 2.8 of the Appalachian State Faculty Handbook (http://facultyhandbook.appstate.edu/)

Number Of Months Per Year: 9 months faculty and 12 month Administrative duties

Physical Demands of Position: Typical physical demands of classroom and educational environments in a professional position at a university.

Description of University: 

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Posting Date: 10/26/2021

Open Until Filled: Yes

Evaluation of Applications Begins: 12/15/2021

Proposed Date of Hire: 07/01/2022

Suggested Salary Range: Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Disability Accommodation Information: Individuals with disabilities may request accommodations in the application process by contacting Maranda Maxey, ADA/504 Coordinator, at 828-262-3056 or maxeymr@appstate.edu.

AA/EEO Statement:  

Appalachian State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation.

 | 
 Director of Human Resources/EEO Officer
 Office of Human Resources
 330 University Hall Dr.
 Boone, NC  28608
 (828) 262-3187
 | 
 Director of Title IX Compliance/Title IX Coordinator
 Office of Title IX Compliance
 123 I.G. Greer Hall
 Boone, NC  28608
 (828) 262-2144
 | 
 ADA/504 Coordinator & Office of Disability Resources Director
 Office of Disability Resources
 224 Joyce Lawrence Lane/Suite 112 Anne Belk Hall
 Boone, NC  28608
 (828) 262-3056

Diversity and Inclusion at Appalachian:  

We at Appalachian State University are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence both locally and globally.We understand that the successful implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence is the responsibility of the entire university community, including alumni and official university governing bodies. A diverse campus community supports an influx of broad and distinct ideas that increase learning opportunities and strengthen the impact of our community as we work collectively to achieve a just experience for all.We actively encourage, support, and promote a global mindset and an equitable environment where all will know that they belong and are safe to express their culture, identity, values, ideas, opinions, and creativity. We are committed to creating a culture of equity opportunity for all, one that has an expectation of fairness, justice, and equity-minded practice at all levels of the university community.

Background Check Statement: Any offer of employment to a successful candidate will be conditioned upon the University’s receipt of a satisfactory criminal background report. 

Eligibility for Employment: Proper documentation of identity and eligibility for employment will be required before the hiring process can be completed.

Search Chair Name: Jeanne Dubino and Katherine Ledford

Search Chair Email: dubinoja@appstate.edu, ledfordke@appstate.edu

Quick Link: https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/30590

 

How to Apply / Contact

For a complete application, please apply and submit all below-required documents electronically through Appalachian State University’s Job Board accessible via https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/30590:

  1. Letter of Application that includes: a. Leadership experience and philosophy; b. Teaching and scholarship experience relevant to the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
  2. CV with names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references
  3. Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

For questions, please contact Jeanne Dubino (dubinoja@appstate.edu) and Katherine Ledford (ledfordke@appstate.edu), Search Committee Co-Chairs.


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