The University of Chicago Hiring for Senior Instructional Professor, Academic Director – Program for Public Thinking and Discourse – 153620-3800 at Chicago, Illinois Full Time

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https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/12373994 Description

The Humanities Collegiate Division and the Program for Public Thinking
at the University of Chicago are accepting applications for the position
of a Senior Instructional Professor (open rank) and Academic Director.
The Academic Director will play an instrumental role in the development
and management of the newly-established Program for Public Thinking and
teach up to four courses per year, depending on other duties. This is a
full-time, benefits-eligible position with a three-year or five-year
renewable term, depending on rank, to start 1 September 2025.

Rooted in the university’s commitment to open-ended inquiry, rigorous
argument, and intellectual pluralism, the Program for Public Thinking is
focused on fostering critical thinking about both the philosophy and
practice of public intellectual life. The Academic Director will
implement the Program’s dual mission: on the one hand, advancing
scholarly inquiry into long-running debates about what it means to
“think in public”; and on the other, modeling and encouraging
thoughtful participation in today’s public conversation. At the heart
of the program will be a curriculum developed by the Academic Director
in consultation with the Faculty Director, Program Implementation
Coordinator, and the Faculty Advisory Board. The curriculum will combine
rigorous study of intellectual history with an inquiry into the
present-day challenges of communicating about ideas in a rapidly
evolving public sphere. Integrated into the College’s distinctive
undergraduate curriculum, the courses will reflect the conviction that
humanistic education and a familiarity with a diversity of intellectual,
religious, and political traditions are centerpieces of addressing the
challenges faced by public thinkers today.

Pedagogy is a mainstay of this position, and therefore we seek
candidates who are able to design and teach impactful courses on the
history, philosophy, and practice of public thinking. The Academic
Director will be responsible for planning, staffing, and coordinating
all courses in the Program, including the supervision and evaluation of
unionized lecturers. In addition, the Academic Director is expected to
contribute to the Program’s co-curricular programming, outreach
efforts, grant writing, foundation reporting, and fundraising. The
course assignments and other duties will be determined annually by the
Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse.
Reporting to the Faculty Director, the Academic Director will work with
the Implementation Coordinator and other stakeholders to develop all
aspects of the Program’s academic curriculum, including advising and
mentoring students, developing co-curricular programming, and
integrating the Program for Public Thinking into the life of the College
and the University.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in the humanities or social sciences is
  required.
• A doctoral or a terminal master’s degree is preferred.
• Experience teaching at the college level is required.
• Experience editing and / or writing longform reviews, criticism, or
  essays for non-academic publications about art, culture, politics,
  or intellectual life is required.
• Research or writing about public discourse and issues related to
  free expression may be helpful but is not required.
• Demonstrable administrative skill, entrepreneurial drive, and
  experience managing people is a plus.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit through the University of Chicago’s Interfolio
website apply.interfolio.com/159702 and upload the following materials:

• A current CV.
• Cover letter discussing interest in and qualifications for the
  position
• Teaching materials that demonstrat pedagogical experience and
  effectiveness, such as sample syllabi, assignments, course
  evaluations, and a teaching statement.
• Copies of or links to public-facing writing about art, politics,
  culture, or intellectual life.
• Names and contact information of three references whose letters of
  recommendation may be solicited.

Review of applications will begin on January 6, 2025 and continue until
the position is filled. Only complete applications will be considered.
The position is contingent upon budgetary approval.

Questions about the position may be directed to Christopher Wild
([email protected]), Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for
Public Discourse, or Germaine Kindred ([email protected]), Program
Administrator.