Executive Director of the Writing Program (Faculty)

The Department of English at Rutgers University seeks to appoint an Executive Director of its Writing Program at the rank of Associate or Full Teaching Professor. This is a new position and offers an opportunity for administrative leadership across a range of coordinated programs. The Executive Director will report to the Chair of the English Department and will share responsibility for the supervision of the program with the Director of the Writing Program, who is a tenured faculty member in English. This is a five-year renewable term effective July 1, 2020 or earlier. Candidates will possess a record of collaborative leadership experience, as well as a strong record of professional engagement and teaching in writing studies, rhetoric, digital and multimodal composition, English and education, or a related field.

The Executive Director will hold an administrative position on a calendar-year appointment. With staff support from four administrative assistants, the Executive Director will have responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Writing Program, while the Director will focus on university partnerships, curriculum development, and faculty mentoring. The Executive Director and the Director work with five seasoned Associate Directors in overseeing more than 80 full-time faculty (non-tenure-track) and six staff members; and in supervising a teaching staff that includes more than a hundred TAs and an equal number of Part Time Lecturers. The day-to-day operations of the Writing Program include faculty training, student placement, class scheduling, hiring and assessment, and promotion. Associate Directors manage the Writing Program’s several writing centers; the scheduling and instruction of introductory compositions courses, business and technical writing courses, courses on research in the disciplines, courses for resident and international multilingual students, and summer and outreach programs. There is also an Associate Director of Diversity and Equity, who is leading new initiatives within the program. The Writing Program has an in-house Business Manager.

The Department’s Writing Program currently serves 18,000 students each year and is expected to grow. This growth reflects Rutgers University’s longstanding commitment to writing as a central component of higher education and its confidence in the Program, which has responsibility for students from all Rutgers-New Brunswick units, not only the School of Arts and Sciences but also the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the School of Engineering, the Mason Gross School of the Arts, and the School of Business. The Program’s largest course, Expository Writing, is the only universal graduation requirement at Rutgers. In addition, the Program offers developmental, intermediate, and advanced courses in areas that include multi-media writing, research writing, Writing for the Professions and the Sciences, and writing for English Language Learners. The Program also includes three writing centers which offer individualized tutoring, and it oversees several outreach programs hosted over the summer. A new Graduate Writing Program offers instruction to MA and Ph.D. candidates in all units.

Applicants should submit a detailed letter describing their qualifications for and interest in the position, a curriculum vitae (including names and addresses of three references), a statement of teaching and leadership philosophy, and a statement on commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

PhD required, in literature, writing studies, rhetoric, or a related discipline. Candidates should possess significant administrative experience at the college or university level with evidence of innovative and collaborative leadership; a demonstrable engagement with current trends in writing pedagogy and writing program administration; and a strong record of teaching in writing studies, literary studies, multi-media composition, rhetoric, or related fields. Candidates should also demonstrate the ability to relate effectively to a wide range of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures; a proven commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; a record of advocacy for non-tenure track faculty; and experience with budgeting, research design, and faculty mentoring. Salary range: $120,000-$130,000.

Pre-employment Screenings

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings.

Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement