Director of Faculty Development

Director of Faculty Development

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Development at George Mason University strives to provide an intentional and integrated approach to supporting faculty excellence. We do this by focusing on faculty needs at different career stages, across different faculty appointment types, and across different faculty contributions and roles. Contributing to an inclusive, thriving faculty community at Mason is central to our mission. As part of a set of institutional commitments to strengthening an enriching work environment and supporting faculty excellence, George Mason University’s Office of Faculty Affairs and Development invites applications for our position of Director of Faculty Development.

George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity. We are home to one of the country’s most diverse student populations—the most diverse in the Commonwealth of Virginia—and pride ourselves on being one of the few institutions that has equally high graduation rates for students of all backgrounds. Having a diverse faculty is an important strategic focus for Mason and we strongly encourage candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academically and culturally inclusive environment.

The Director of Faculty Development (Director) will be responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing a range of programs that support the professional development of individual faculty and academic leaders, as well as supporting the implementation of institution-wide initiatives and administrative policies related to faculty. This is a full-time (12-month) administrative faculty position with full benefits. The position will report to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development, who reports directly to the Provost.

The Director will collaborate with faculty and administrators on the creation and delivery of new programs and will have frequent opportunities to interact with colleagues across campus. The Director will serve as one of the primary sources of faculty support within the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development; thus, they must be adept at interacting with faculty across different fields of study/disciplines and knowledgeable about the challenges that they face.

Major Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and assess programs and support for faculty across career stages, for both term and tenured faculty, with a focus on continuous improvement;
• Work with academic units to enhance professional development opportunities (e.g., mentoring) for both full-time and adjunct faculty;
• Collaborate in the assessment of faculty and leadership development needs and oversee the design, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive programming (e.g., workshops, seminars, conferences, etc.);
• Collaborate with other faculty-focused units (Office of Human Resources, Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning) to address a range of faculty needs;
• Collaborate with Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development to organize orientation offerings for all new faculty, adjunct and full-time;
• Contribute to initiatives, such as our Mason COACHE Faculty Engagement Initiative, within Faculty Affairs and Development;
• Promote a culture of lifelong learning through leading efforts to build community and wellbeing for faculty members at Mason.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree;
• Demonstrated experience and success working with faculty on various initiatives related to professional development and wellbeing;
• Clearly articulated knowledge and ability to implement current professional approaches around the development, implementation, and assessment of programming for faculty across various career stages (e.g., early career, mid-career, and late career) and types of appointment (e.g., tenure-track, tenured, non-tenure track);
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to maintain collaborative and confidential relationships;
• Evidence of strategic approaches to leading initiatives that will promote faculty development across Mason;
• Exceptional organizational skills and demonstrated success with project management;
• A record of teaching, mentoring, and/or scholarly excellence as an instructional faculty member;
• Previous experience working as a member of a leadership team.

Preferred Qualifications:

We seek candidates who are flexible, well-organized, inquisitive, resourceful, detail-oriented, creative, ethical, and able to prioritize and juggle multiple tasks in order to thrive in our busy, diverse, and collaborative environment. Candidates with a strong commitment to and experience promoting faculty success and an openness to exploring new ideas for strengthening faculty members’ professional development and wellbeing will be particularly competitive.

Special Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, applicants must apply at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete the online application and attach a cover letter, current CV, statement of your professional development and leadership philosophy, and list of at least three professional references with contact information.

For Full Consideration, Apply by: 01/17/2020