Position Summary

Kalamazoo College, a premier liberal arts institution and one of the nation’s 100 oldest colleges and universities, is seeking an Academic Director for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. This benefits-eligible position will work closely with the Executive Director to build the next chapter of the ACSJL and help raise the visibility of Kalamazoo College as a leader and model for integrating academics and practicing social justice. The Arcus Center’s vision is to be at the forefront of leadership development for human rights and social justice.

The Academic Director will develop and implement innovative programs and curricula that further the mission of the Arcus Center. Working closely with the Arcus Center Executive Director, they will engage and forge partnerships with faculty and staff at the College and with scholars and practitioners nationally and internationally in order to develop compelling, innovative, and replicable programs. The successful candidate will promote research writing about and the practice of social justice and human rights. The ideal candidate for the Academic Director position will be a respected and effective academic leader with a distinguished record of scholarly research, teaching, and administrative achievement in social justice/human rights. The Academic Director must utilize a clear social justice or human rights framework in their scholarship and teaching.

Responsibilities and Priorities

Providing Strategic Leadership Initiatives

Working in collaboration with the Executive Director, the Academic Director will translate the Arcus Center’s mission and vision into clearly defined programmatic strategies, outcomes, timeframes, and assessment measures.

Developing Compelling Academic Initiatives

The Academic Director will collaborate with faculty, administrators, students, and community members to craft and deliver innovative, and interdisciplinary initiatives that clearly integrate academic research, inquiry, and social justice. Such initiatives might include curricular innovations, international engagement projects, and research and writing opportunities that will attract students, faculty, social justice scholars, and practitioners to the College. These initiatives will position the College as the destination for social justice leadership development and research as well as a space where people can share ideas about these issues virtually and in-person.

Building Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

The Academic Director will identify where related work is already being conducted at the college and foster mutually beneficial collaboration to enhance social justice and human rights initiatives. The Academic Director will also proactively reach out to faculty, staff, and students, as well as beyond campus to cultivate external interest and participation in the Arcus Center’s programs.

Creating Visibility

The Academic Director will identify, manage, and prioritize key public forums, publications, and other opportunities for the ACSJL to share its work and cultivate relationships with thought leaders to engage them in the Center’s work and increase its national and international impact and presence.

Expectations of the Academic Director include

• Identifying and recruiting full-time and part-time faculty at K College and beyond who will participate in ACSJL programs in conjunction with the faculty advisory board and other relevant committees
• Coordinate the Faculty Advisory Board and the Faculty Fellowship programs including the selection process and ongoing support for the duration of the fellowship period
• Lead two educational initiatives annually in the area of social justice or human rights  (can include formal courses and/or community seminars open to individuals beyond the campus)
• Serve as an academic mentor for students conducting research in the areas of social justice leadership; provide guidance on research and methods based on social justice values and principles to students receiving funding for academic projects from the Arcus Center
• Maintaining an active program of scholarly engagement and regularly offering training, discussions, and seminars to assist faculty in integrating social justice values and principles into teaching and curriculum
• Working with the Executive Director to continuously raise the profile of ACSJL and plan relevant and compelling programming
• Serving as a resource and/or mentor to faculty, students, and staff as they advance their own scholarship and teaching in the areas of social justice and human rights

Professional Experience and Personal Qualities

While no one person will possess all of the qualities enumerated below, the ideal candidates would have the following professional and personal characteristics:

• A doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in any recognized academic discipline, provided that their scholarship and teaching is focused on social justice/human rights
• A broad network of relationships with scholars and activists working in the area of human rights and social justice in this country and internationally
• Extensive experience in the field of social justice/human rights as a teacher and leader who can share real-world organizing and activist experience with faculty, staff, and students throughout Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo community
• Demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and mentoring undergraduates
• An ability to develop and articulate a vision for social justice initiatives and projects that bring diverse disciplines and stakeholders together
• An ability to build strong relationships and collaborative partnerships
• International experience is highly desirable
• Outstanding written, oral, and interpersonal skills
• Integrity, honesty, and a sense of humor

Application Instructions

Applicants are asked to upload a resume and cover letter as part of the application process. Questions may be directed to Emily Williams, Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, at emily.williams@kzoo.edu.

The target start date for the successful candidate is November 5, 2024.

Benefits

About Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College is a highly selective nationally regarded liberal arts college, offering an integrated undergraduate experience that weaves a traditional liberal arts curriculum into educational experiences in both domestic and international settings with the majority of our graduates participating in study abroad. Kalamazoo College is committed to the liberal arts and sciences, experiential education, freedom of individual conscience and celebration of diversity and inclusion. It is one of the nation’s 100 oldest colleges and universities and a thought leader and innovator in higher education.

The campus of Kalamazoo College is located midway between Chicago and Detroit in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a metropolitan community of 261,000, which supports multiple college and university campuses along with numerous civic arts and cultural associations and sports teams. Thirty-five miles from Lake Michigan, the area offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation, a walkable downtown, outstanding restaurants, and plenty of family-friendly activities.

Kalamazoo College encourages candidates who will contribute to the cultural diversity of the College to apply and to identify themselves if they wish. An equal opportunity employer, Kalamazoo College is committed to equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal protection under the law. Please be invited to review our full EEO statement by visiting https://www.kzoo.edu/about/nondiscrimination-policy/. Kalamazoo College is an E-Verify participating employer. Please select Notice and Rights for more information.