Executive Director of the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American ...
- Employer
- College of Charleston
- Location
- Charleston, SC
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- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
The College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is seeking an Executive Director to provide innovative and visionary leadership for this premier cultural institution. A historic site in Charleston, the Avery Research Center is home to archival collections of 4000 linear feet, research facilities, museum exhibitions, and a robust outreach program that tells the rich stories of the lives and contributions of Africans and African Americans in South Carolina with special emphasis on the Lowcountry. The Executive Director promotes and advances the archives, museum, and public programs, including lectures, symposia, and workshops, as well as digital collections and online outreach. The incoming Executive Director will embrace the Avery Research Center’s responsibility to document African diaspora history in the region and to foster an understanding of the connection between historical inequity and contemporary challenges to African-descended communities in the Lowcountry. As the principal curator for the Avery Research Center’s holdings, the Executive Director will work to ensure the archives serve as a public good, documenting issues related to justice, inclusion, and the ongoing struggle for equality.
The Executive Director is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Avery Research Center, including supervising staff and faculty, fundraising, grant writing, strategic planning, and executing outreach, exhibitions, and public programs. The Executive Director manages the Avery Research Center’s annual budget and several endowment accounts. In addition to working with the College of Charleston’s Friends of the Library Board and staff, the Executive Director works closely with the Avery Institute for Afro-American History and Culture Board of Directors, who spearheads a nonprofit organization to support the Avery Research Center’s programming, operations, and archival collections acquirement.
The incoming Executive Director at the Avery Research Center will enter with tenure at the College of Charleston and hold a courtesy appointment in the relevant academic department with teaching opportunities therein. The Executive Director will also hold the rank of Associate Dean in the College libraries. Additionally, the Executive Director will serve as the co-principal investigator for the College of Charleston’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, a collaborative effort led by the Avery Research Center, the Addlestone Library, the African American Studies Program, the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative, and multiple community partners to promote public awareness and dialogue about race and social justice issues in the Charleston area, the state of South Carolina, and beyond.
The incoming Executive Director will lead the public reopening of the Avery Research Center building after a multiyear renovation project. The incoming Executive Director will also lead two searches for an Associate Director and a staff position. In total, the Avery Research Center employs six full-time faculty and staff employees plus the Executive Director. The Executive Director will report directly to the Dean of Libraries.
The College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences university located in Charleston, South Carolina’s, historic downtown district. With nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College of Charleston offers a variety of majors, minors, and programs that directly relate to the Avery Research Center’s mission to collect, preserve, and promote the unique history and culture of the African diaspora, with an emphasis on Charleston, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and beyond. Some examples of departments and programs include African American Studies, African Studies, School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs, Arts Management, and the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program. Additionally, within the College of Charleston Libraries, there is Special Collections, the Lowcountry Digital Library, and the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative.
Minimum Qualifications. The incoming Executive Director must be in possession of a doctorate in an appropriate discipline. In addition, the successful candidate must have earned tenure or meet the requirements thereof for the College of Charleston Libraries. The successful candidate must also demonstrate archival and/or museum experience and fundraising capabilities.
Salary and Benefits: The incoming Executive Director will have a highly competitive salary. Benefits include retirement (401a) plans, deferred compensation plans (401k, 457, and Roth 401k), health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, dependent life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and long-term care insurance. The College of Charleston also offers 15 days per year of vacation leave and 9.38 hours of sick leave per month, and 13 paid holidays per year. Information on all of the benefits offered by the College of Charleston can be found at http://hr.cofc.edu/benefits/index.php. This is a twelve-month appointment.
Special Instructions to ApplicantsA professional dossier, including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose/philosophy, and the names and contact information for three academic references should be submitted to PeopleAdmin.
If you have questions regarding this job posting, you may contact search coordinator Savannah Frierson at averyadmin@cofc.edu or 843-953-7609. You may also visit https://jobs.cofc.edu/ or email the faculty recruitment team at Facultysearch@cofc.edu for questions about PeopleAdmin. The position will remain open until filled.
Posting Date05/31/2019Closing Date07/14/2019Open Until Filled?NoPosting NumberF2016167PEEO StatementThe College of Charleston is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or disability.
Quicklink for Postinghttp://jobs.cofc.edu/postings/8887Supplemental QuestionsRequired fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
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Organization
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences university. Since our founding in 1770, the College has maintained a strong liberal arts curriculum. The College is a state-supported, comprehensive institution and ranks among the nation’s top universities for quality of life, affordability, and exceptional education in the arts, sciences, education, and business. Our beautiful and historic campus, combined with contemporary facilities and cutting-edge programs, attracts exceptional students and faculty from across the U.S. and around the world.
Academics
Over 12,200 students select from more than 130 undergraduate majors and minors and 27 master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs. For example, we are the only college in America with an undergraduate program in Data Science. We have an entire school dedicated to Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs, and we offer 25 interdisciplinary minors in topics as diverse as environmental studies and crime, law and society.
The strength of a College of Charleston education is in its deeply rooted liberal arts and sciences tradition. Our goal is to prepare our students to be ethical, open-minded leaders and multidisciplinary problem solvers. Our success is largely due to our incredible faculty—accomplished teacher-scholars who are wholly invested in the intellectual growth and personal development of their students.
The College of Charleston is a mid-sized university organized around six academic schools:
- School of the Arts,
- School of Business,
- School of Education, Health, and Human Performance,
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences,
- School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs, and
- School of Sciences and Mathematics.
Additionally, academic programs are coordinated by the Graduate School, Honors College, Center for International Education, and the College of Charleston North Campus.
About the College
A superior quality undergraduate program is central to the mission of the College. The College provides a creative and intellectually stimulating environment where students are challenged by a committed faculty of more than 500 distinguished teacher-scholars, all in an incomparable setting. The city of Charleston—world-renowned for its history, architecture, culture and coastal environment—serves as a living and learning laboratory for experiences in business, science, technology, teaching, the humanities, languages, and the arts. In addition to offering a broad range of bachelor’s degree programs, the College also provides master’s degree programs that are compatible with the needs of the community and the state. As a prominent component of the state's higher education system, the College encourages and supports research. Our faculty members are important sources of knowledge and expertise for the community, the state, and the nation.
Our professors are Fulbright and Guggenheim fellows, National Science Foundation CAREER award recipients, world-renowned performers, and Oprah’s Book Club authors. These faculty accolades, while impressive on their own, are even more remarkable when you consider the level of engagement and attention these accomplished scholars and professionals devote to their students. They are committed mentors who make sure that every student has the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential. College of Charleston professors are partners in meaningful undergraduate research, thoughtful academic advisors, and in many cases, lifelong friends.
At the College of Charleston, you’ll meet students, faculty, and staff from different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, and sexual orientations. Students from 49 states and 62 countries choose the College for its small-college feel blended with the advantages and diversity of an urban, mid-sized university. Our students learn how to succeed and grow, both inside and outside the classroom. This comes from a rigorous exposure to the arts, sciences and humanities, and from a dedication to achievement in education, business and other professional careers. It comes from exceptional opportunities to pursue knowledge and conduct research at the undergraduate and graduate level beside some of the nation’s finest faculty. It comes from a vibrant and enriching campus life that provides meaningful opportunities to become engaged, to make a difference, and to become a leader.
While they live, work, and study in one of the greatest cities in the world, our students share many of the same hopes and dreams. They want to discover themselves, find out what they can achieve and create their own future. At the College of Charleston, we help students learn how to make that happen. In the great liberal arts tradition, a College of Charleston education focuses on discovery and personal growth, as well as preparing for life, work, and service in our society.
The College actively seeks to attract a diverse group of faculty who will help students excel academically and who will encourage individuals to thrive while engaging in original inquiry and creative expression in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom. Our classrooms provide students the opportunity to realize their intellectual and personal potential and to become responsible, productive members of society.
What makes the College of Charleston experience so exceptional?
Remarkable Students
College of Charleston students are phenomenally bright, creative, and independent. Last year, our students made contributions to society that had a tremendous impact on the Charleston community and the world at large. Graduating seniors won national awards, fellowships, and graduate scholarships to study subjects ranging from philosophy in New York, to international economics at Johns Hopkins, to Buddhism in China. They wrote award-winning papers, won conference championships, and developed professional networks that have led to remarkable careers.
Distinguished Faculty
Our accomplished faculty members share a commitment to their students and a research outlook that defines the term “teacher-scholar.” College of Charleston professors are here because they love what they do and because they are personally committed to the success of every one of their students. They acknowledge the talent of these students by engaging with them in meaningful, graduate-level research even as sophomores or juniors.
It’s an exciting time to be at the College of Charleston. After more than 240 years, we continue to evolve. Our reputation is spreading. More and more exceptional students make us their top choice, and we attract and retain the caliber of faculty that other colleges dream about. Consider a career at the College of Charleston. Apply online at jobs.cofc.edu.
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