Position Detail

Director of the Transformative Speaking Program and Faculty Associate

Hampshire College, an independent, innovative liberal arts institution and member of the Five College consortium, is accepting applications for a half-time director of the Transformative Speaking Program and faculty associate. This is a four year position which begins July 1, 2015.

The director of the Transformative Speaking Program and faculty associate will provide the primary vision and leadership in growing a new, integrated program to make powerful speaking skills a hallmark of a Hampshire education. The individual will be responsible for integrating speaking instruction into the College curriculum, providing faculty development in classroom pedagogy, and educating students to provide peer mentorship in speaking to fellow undergraduates. As an innovative version of one of only a few such programs across the country, the program director will also provide leadership at the national level by traveling beyond the college to present its research and practices as a model for fellow institutions, contributing to Hampshire's reputation as a cutting-edge leader in higher education. 

Hampshire invites visionary and pragmatic candidates to apply for this exciting opportunity. The director of the Transformative Speaking Program and faculty associate will work closely with faculty and students, engaging a diverse set of stakeholders on and off campus. The director and faculty associate of the program will be charged with continuing to build a sustainable transformative speaking peer mentorship program and support of a premier institution that has a proven record of experimentation and innovation.

Specifically, the director of the Transformative Speaking Program and faculty associate and will be responsible for: (1) the successful leadership and continued development of a self-sustaining, interdisciplinary transformative speaking program; (2) designing an innovative curriculum based on contemporary research and best practices for courses and providing ongoing education and support to faculty teaching speaking-intensive courses; (3) teaching one course a year on peer-mentorship and overseeing a mentoring practicum for peer mentors to gain practical experience as speaking educators; (4) leading student engagement, mentoring and oversight of student peer mentors; (5) marketing and public relations; (6) fundraising, (7) providing national leadership; and (8) serving on a limited number of student's divisional exams.

A master’s degree is required; PhD preferred and a minimum of three years of experience directing a speaking or communications program is required. The ideal candidate will have an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of oral communications including mass communication, public speaking, group discussion, and interpersonal communication across a range of contexts and modes (public presentations, debate, dialogue, negotiation, interviewing, etc.);  in-depth knowledge of education theory, particularly as it applies to teaching speaking skills and peer-with-peer collaborative learning; strong ability to situate the work of the program within a sociopolitical context—developing theoretically informed practices for antiracist, antisexist, and other antioppressive speaking, teaching, and learning; outstanding teaching skills and an ability to teach other experienced educators; strong understanding of complex organizations and organization management (strategic planning, hiring practices, budgeting, assessment, event planning, delegating tasks, etc.); expertise in college speaking program administration; strong understanding of leadership philosophies as well as an outstanding leadership style and management practices;  outstanding interpersonal and communication skills (speaking and writing); ability to initiate relationships, collaborate across differences, and respond effectively to conflict; strong attention to detail and ability to excel under pressure; innovative visioning and creative problem-solving skills. Knowledge and appreciation of Hampshire's unique pedagogy and educational mission is preferred.

Hampshire is committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community and strongly encourages applications from women and candidates of color.

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefit program. Please submit cover letter, CV, sample course syllabi, the names and email addresses of three academic references via our website at https://jobs.hampshire.edu/  Review of applications will begin May 1, 2015 and will continue until the position is filled.

Hampshire College is an equal opportunity institution, committed to diversity and inclusion in education and employment.