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Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Director

Director
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

Stephen C. Feinstein Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies
(endowed, tenured professorship)
College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Fall/Winter 2008/09

The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities invites applications for the position of Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The successful candidate also will hold the Stephen C. Feinstein Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, a newly created endowed chair (tenured professorship) at the University of Minnesota.

The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies was founded in 1997 and has a broad mission to engage the study of genocides, other crimes against humanity, and human rights norms, both historically and in the present. It has been a focal point of activity for faculty, students, and staff across the disciplines at the University of Minnesota and a larger regional and national community. The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies has developed a major array of programs that involve outreach to K-12 teachers and others in Minnesota and the region; teaching undergraduate and graduate students; sponsorship of lectures conferences, and public programs; and scholarly research. We expect the director to maintain the broad mission and interdisciplinary character of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Duties/Responsibilities

The director will hold an endowed, tenured professorship as well as fulfill academic administrative responsibilities as director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The primary duties of the director are expected to be 50% scholarly and academic and 50% administrative and programmatic,

The scholarly and academic duties of the endowed, tenured professorship will include:

  • Maintain an active scholarly profile in the field of Holocaust and genocide studies;
  • Conduct research and publish in his or her field of expertise;
  • Provide intellectual leadership in the field both within the University and in the international scholarly community;
  • Teach two courses per year, one of which may be a summer course for K-12 teachers;
  • Train graduate students in Holocaust and genocide studies.

The administrative and programmatic duties of the director will include:

  • Chart the future development of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies in collaboration with the faculty and the college;
  • Serve as the chief administrative officer of the center with responsibility for operations, budget, and personnel; including budget planning, program development, and management of staff;
  • Represent the center to the college and the larger community;
  • Engage in fund-raising efforts both to enhance the endowment and raise specific programmatic funds via grant-writing;
  • Work collaboratively on relevant projects with centers, departments, and programs in the College of Liberal of Arts and elsewhere at the University of Minnesota;
  • Engage in community outreach.

Required Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in the humanities or social sciences with a focus on the Holocaust and/or other genocides;
  • A distinguished record of scholarship/creative activity and teaching at the university level that meets the qualifications for a tenured endowed professorship at the rank of professor or associate professor in an academic department within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota appropriate to the individual's teaching and research interests;
  • Demonstrated effective leadership in a liberal arts college or large research university;
  • Evidence of success in teaching and advising graduate and undergraduate students. Demonstrated success in creating collaborative relationships;
  • Strong communication skills;
  • Commitment to creating and maintaining a strong, diverse community of faculty, students, and staff.

Strongly Preferred Qualifications

  • Administrative experience, including budgeting and program development and management;
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to work across diverse audiences;
  • Experience developing and implementing educational outreach programs;
  • Experience in fund-raising and in winning and managing grants.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the overall quality of their academic preparation and scholarly and/or creative work, evidence of their academic administrative leadership skills, evidence of their commitment to teaching and skills as a teacher, and the strength of recommendations.

Terms of Appointment

The position of Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Stephen C. Feinstein Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies will hold an endowed, tenured faculty appointment, as well as an administrative appointment.

The faculty appointment is a 100%-time appointment over the nine-month academic year at the rank of professor with tenure or associate professor with tenure, consistent with existing collegiate and University policy. Tenure will be held in the University of Minnesota; the director's tenure unit will be an appropriate academic department within the College of Liberal Arts, to be determined in consultation among the candidate, the department, and the college.

The administrative appointment is a 12-month appointment at the rank of director (with faculty rank); the initial term of the administrative appointment is three years, 2009/10 to 2011/12, with the possibility of renewal for an additional three-year term or terms.

The position will begin as early as 1 July 2009, but no later than 25 August 2009. Salary is competitive. A nine-month base salary is attached to the faculty appointment; an augmentation to the faculty base salary is attached to the administrative appointment.

Application Instructions

Application materials must be submitted electronically. The complete position announcement and application instructions may be found on the University of Minnesota's Employment website by following the link below.

  • Requisition 159145, Director, Associate Professor or Professor, Endowed Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies

Application materials which must be submitted electronically include a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, and three writing samples (e.g., book chapters, journal articles, recent conference papers, etc). The letter of application should refer specifically to this search and describe the candidate's academic training and professional background, current research and scholarship, teaching philosophy, and administrative experience.

In addition to the materials submitted electronically, qualified candidates are asked to arrange for three to five letters of recommendation from scholars qualified to evaluate the candidate's scholarship to be sent directly to the search committee. The letters of recommendation should be sent to:

Professor Gary Cohen
Chair, Holocaust and Genocide Studies Search Committee
Department of History
University of Minnesota
1110 Heller Hall
2671– 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Additional application materials may be requested by the search committee or hiring authority at a later date.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The search committee will begin reviewing applications on 27 February 2009.

For additional information or questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Department of History, at history@umn.edu or + 612-624-2800.

December 2008

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

College of Liberal Arts

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Michal Kobialka
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Associate Dean for Research & graduate Programs

Jo-Ida Hansen
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Associate Dean for Planning

Gary W. Oehlert
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Fax: 612-624-6839