Executive Director – The University Writing Program

The University Writing Program at The George Washington University seeks applications for an Associate Professor or Professor to serve as Executive Director to the First-Year Writing, WID, and Writing Center branches of the Program. We seek a recognized scholar in writing who can develop assessment tools to drive program improvement and strengthen student writing, and an experienced, dynamic leader who can help integrate the WID, Writing Center, and First-Year Writing components of the Program. Appointment will be at the level of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure.

The George Washington University has made a significant commitment to this independent writing program. The UWP includes a 4-credit writing class (UW20) for all 2400 first-year students, Writing in the Discipline (WID) courses, and a Writing Center. Staffing includes directors and deputy directors of both First-Year Writing and WID, a Writing Center director, and support staff. Theme-based UW20 courses are taught by a largely full-time, multidisciplinary faculty and are guided by a template with five goals: (a) critical reading and analytic thinking; (b) use of information resources, (c) rhetorical principles including genre and audience; (d) analysis, synthesis, and coherence of argument; and (e) habit and discipline of careful writing. Faculty members in the First-Year Writing Program are partnered with librarians. Annual assessment projects have focused on programmatic issues and student outcomes.

Basic Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition or in a closely related field, as well as at least two years experience in administration of a college or university writing program or a writing center. Applicants also must have a record of productive scholarship in rhetoric and composition.

Preferred Qualifications:  Preference will be given to applicants with experience working with multidisciplinary, full-time faculty, and with experience in a WID or WAC program. Preference will also be given to candidates who have a history of success in winning external funding in support of scholarship in the field.

To apply, applicants should submit a letter of application, resume, and contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin January 12, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled. Only complete applications will be considered. For more information, please see http://www.gwu.edu/~uwp/ and http://www.gwu.edu/~ccas/

Applications and nominations may be sent electronically to sfuller@gwu.edu or as a hard copy to: Chair of UWP Executive Director Search Committee, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, 212 Phillips Hall, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052. The George Washington University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity employer.