Director of the Writing and Speaking Center

Colgate University invites applications for the position of Director of the Writing and Speaking Center  (WSC) at the rank of Senior Lecturer to begin July 1, 2024. The Director will oversee and administer all operations of Colgate’s Writing and Speaking Center and teach two courses per year (one each semester) for the Department of Writing and Rhetoric or other appropriate curricular program. This is a 10-month position with annualized salary and year-round benefits.

Colgate is a vibrant liberal arts university of 3,200 students situated in central New York state. Colgate faculty are committed to excellence in both teaching and scholarship. The Writing and Speaking Center is a thriving academic resource supporting students at a college that places high value on effective writing and speaking across the disciplines. In the center’s collaborative environment, the Director of the Writing and Speaking Center works closely with the Director of University Writing and the Associate Director: Multilingual Coordinator alongside the peer tutors to offer one-on-one appointments and programming. The center’s mission is to help all students develop and succeed as clear, effective communicators; its ethos is centered in its commitment to linguistic diversity, anti-racism, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Further information about Colgate’s Writing and Speaking Center can be found here.

Colgate strives to be a community supportive of diverse perspectives and identities, as outlined in the key goals of the university’s DEI Plan.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Associate Director to recruit, select, supervise, schedule, and foster the professionalization of undergraduate peer tutors, providing them with ongoing training in writing/speaking pedagogy and effective practices of peer-to-peer education.

• Teach two courses per year (one each semester) in writing or public speaking.

• Maintain and improve existing programs and outreach of the WSC.

• Manage the WSC’s budget.

• Determine and enforce policies for student appointments in the WSC.

• Maintain the WSC’s online scheduling and data collection system. 

• Oversee creation and maintenance of reference materials for tutors and students.

• Ensure support for writing and speaking that is accessible to all students.

• Oversee WSC publicity and outreach, including the center’s Web presence. 

• Conduct ongoing assessment of the WSC and write WSC Annual Reports.

• Oversee development and facilitation of campus-wide writing/speaking programs and events for students hosted or co-hosted by the WSC.

• Act as consultant or guest presenter for student groups, orientations, and workshops.

• Represent Colgate in the national community of writing/communication centers.

• Remain conversant with current best practices in peer-to-peer education and writing/communication center pedagogy and administration.

• Carry out other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Director of University Writing or Dean of Academic and Curricular Affairs.

Required Qualifications           

• Master’s degree in composition, rhetoric, or closely related field.

• At least two years experience in a college writing-, speaking-, or communications center, including work with students in a variety of disciplines and from a variety of linguistic and educational backgrounds.

• Classroom experience teaching college-level writing as the primary instructor.

• Graduate-level coursework or professional training in writing pedagogy.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Commitment to linguistic diversity, anti-racism, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications               

• PhD in composition, rhetoric, or closely related field.

• Graduate-level coursework or professional training in writing center theory, history, administration, and pedagogy.

• Experience training and supervising tutors in a college writing center.

• Experience in writing-, speaking-, or communications center administration.

• Experience teaching a college-level public speaking course or training and supervising tutors in public speaking.

• Experience with assessment or program evaluation.

• Scholarship in writing center or communication center theory, history, administration, or pedagogy.

• Demonstrated commitment to professional development.

Application Instructions

Application materials should be submitted through Interfolio at the following link: Interfolio WSC Director. Please submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae containing the names, titles, institutions, and contact information of at least two professional references (these references should also be listed in the appropriate section of Interfolio). In your cover letter, please foreground your qualifications for the administrative and pedagogical training work of a writing and speaking center staffed primarily by undergraduate peer tutors. As well, address your commitment to linguistic diversity, anti-racism, and equity and accessibility, as well as your approaches to support students across a wide range of identities and backgrounds. Your CV should list college courses you have taught, clearly indicating whether you were a primary instructor or a teaching assistant in each course.

Review of applications will begin on Dec. 15, 2023, and continue until the position is filled.

Applicants with dual-career considerations can find postings of other employment opportunities at Colgate and at other institutions of higher education in upstate New York at this website.

Campus Crime Reporting and Statistics

The Department of Campus Safety at Colgate University will provide upon request a copy of Colgate’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education for the previous three years concerning reported: 1. crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Colgate University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus and 2. fires that occurred in student housing facilities. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and fire safety, such as policies concerning sexual assault, life safety systems, and other related matters. You may access the report from the Clery Compliance web page here. Printed copies of this report may be obtained upon request from the Department of Campus Safety via e-mail at cusafety@colgate.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement

It is the policy of Colgate University not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, disability, protected Veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, being or having been victims of domestic violence or stalking, familial status, or any other categories covered by law. Colgate is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.