Senior Director, Writing Programs (Department of English) (Associate/Full Professor, Tenured)

Tucson, AZ, United StatesExecutivePosted Oct 23, 2026

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Program Leadership, Planning, and Advocacy Vision and Strategic Planning : Advance a clear vision for the future of the WP and lead strategic planning for the program on a multi-year (ideally five-year) horizon, in alignment with English Department, SBS, and University priorities. Initiate and facilitate the collection of data that explains the impact of WP practices beyond assessment of student learning outcomes (for example, the effects of class size or Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) workload), and use that evidence to inform planning and decision-making. Policies and Governance: Create avenues for shared governance within the WP. Oversee the development and periodic revision of program policies and core documents, such as the Students’ Guide, course descriptions, and syllabus templates, and ensure they are disseminated clearly to instructors and students. Hiring : Lead hiring for the WP, including chairing search committees for career-track faculty and staff positions, in coordination with the Dean’s Office and English Department and in accordance with College and University hiring policies and processes. Evaluations, Reviews, and Workload : Ensure timely and fair evaluations and reviews in accordance with unit, College, University, and Arizona Board of Regents policies. This includes finalizing Annual Performance Review scores for WP faculty, reporting results to the College and Department, and meeting with first-year faculty and any others who wish to discuss their reviews; conducting administrative reviews of WP Assistant, Associate, and Full Directors; and conducting annual evaluations and Career Conversations with WP staff. Mentoring and Professional Development: Support the professional growth of WP faculty and staff. Coordinate career-track promotion committees and write letters of support for WP faculty seeking promotion. Advise faculty interested in Career-Track Faculty Professional Refresh, coordinate applications, and provide supporting letters. Advocacy, Culture, and Belonging : Foster a productive and supportive program community. Advocate for WP staff, instructors, and administrators at the department, College, and University levels on matters of salary, workload, working conditions, promotion, and equity, and promote equitable processes and opportunities for growth. Communication and Conflict Resolution: Keep WP faculty, staff, and GTAs informed, and communicate changes in WP positions, curriculum, administration, or awards to the English Department Head and Program Directors when they affect the broader department. Report to the SBS Dean and Provost on the WP as needed. Serve as the final point of resolution for student and faculty concerns that are not resolved by course directors or other directors. Reporting : Prepare the WP annual report and other reports and self-studies as needed (for example, Academic Program Review self-studies or reports on class size changes).
Educational Excellence Curriculum and Instruction : Oversee the WP curriculum, including changes, approvals, maintenance, articulation, and instructor training. Advocate for the conditions that best support teaching and learning, including classroom space, class size, appropriate curricular control and assessment practices, and connection to rhetoric and composition faculty in English. In collaboration with the English Director of Undergraduate Studies and Department Head, review new course proposals across campus for potential conflicts with English or WP offerings. Enrollment Management and Scheduling : Lead scheduling and enrollment management for the WP in collaboration with WP staff and Directors, coordinating with SBS Academic Affairs Student Success to align course offerings with student demand and College expectations. Assessment : Hold final responsibility to the Provost’s Office for the WP’s annual program-level outcomes assessment report, working with the WP’s designated assessment coordinator. Placement : Oversee placement for incoming students into Foundations Writing. Student Success and Academic Integrity: Promote student success in foundational writing courses. Review and approve or deny grade change requests for WP courses and respond to grade appeals referred by the Dean’s Office with a recommendation, handling all student matters within FERPA guidelines. Graduate Teaching Assistants: Support a strong GTA teaching experience in partnership with English graduate programs. Provide WP consultation on GTA extensions within available budget, refine that process in consultation with Program Directors and department staff, and share updated information on GTA positions with Graduate Program Directors. General Education: Serve as the General Education Foundations Writing representative or assign a replacement.
Research and Scholarship Modeling Success : Maintain an active research and scholarly profile consistent with the Director’s 20% research allocation. Supporting Scholarship: Encourage WP faculty and GTAs to pursue scholarly and professional opportunities, including research on writing and the scholarship of teaching and learning, and share relevant resources from SBSRI and other campus offices. Use program data and assessment results to contribute to knowledge about writing instruction.
Constituency Relationships Department: Represent the WP within the English Department by participating in Program Directors’ meetings and department events. Maintain regular dialogue with instructional constituencies, meeting with English Graduate Union representatives and attending lecturer meetings at least once per semester to respond to questions and concerns. College and University: Participate in SBS Heads and Directors meetings and campus Heads. Up meetings. Represent the WP in campus initiatives and University-wide efforts (for example, strategic planning and General Education discussions), ensuring the appropriate director is involved where relevant, particularly for online instruction, international students, and GTAs. Campus Writing Partnerships: Build and maintain relationships with other sites of writing on campus, including the Writing Center, Writing Across Curriculum initiatives, CATS athletics tutoring, and central student success initiatives. Participate in annual Articulation Task Force and campus transfer update meetings, together with the Assistant Director of Placement and Assessment, to support articulation and transfer pathways.
Fiscal Affairs and Resource Development Resource Oversight: Manage WP resources, including instructional staffing, GTA positions, and space, ethically, prudently, and transparently, in consultation with SBS Finance Administration staff. Ensure responsible use of instructional resources through effective enrollment management and staffing within available funds. Development : Identify opportunities to support the WP through external funding or charitable giving, in collaboration with the SBS Development Office as appropriate. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate across constituencies, support shared governance, and address conflicts constructively. Demonstrated commitment to student success and to fostering a supportive working and learning environment.

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Senior Director, Writing Programs (Department of English) (Associate/Full Professor, Tenured)

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