Human Resources

Summary

The Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University seeks an experienced scholar and leader with a commitment to interdisciplinarity to serve as department chair at the rank of full professor or associate professor nearing promotion to full in line with Michigan Tech. The Chair will lead our collaborative, multidisciplinary department in implementing a shared vision for excellence in scholarship, creative work, and teaching. The Chair will be responsible for developing and supporting new departmental initiatives as well as ongoing efforts to foster innovative interdisciplinary research and advance graduate and undergraduate program success. The Chair will also facilitate the involvement of Humanities in the new Michigan Tech Forward 2.0 and 100 PhD’s initiatives currently underway.

Our department offers undergraduate degrees in Communication, Culture and Media; English; and Scientific and Technical Communication, as well as graduate degrees in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture. (For a complete list of our major and minor degree programs, please go to: https://www.mtu.edu/humanities/.) Our faculty specialize in communication, composition, creative writing, gender studies, literature, media studies, modern languages, philosophy, rhetoric, visual studies, technical communication, technology studies, and user experience, which are all integral to our university and broader community. The department houses the MTU First Year Writing Program, which prepares students for reading, writing, and information literacy at the university level and beyond. The department also stewards the Walker Labs for Arts & Humanities, WLAH, a unique media-production, computing, game studies, and language-resource center, a vital resource for students across campus. The Chair is supported by an Associate Chair, two administrative staff, a Director of Graduate Studies, Director of Composition, and Directors of the Undergraduate Degree Programs.

Michigan Tech’s campus hosts many research centers and institutes that support our vibrant campus research culture. Students participate in a range of activities and programs, from campus and community traditions such as the Parade of Nations, K-Day, and Winter Carnival to hands-on learning experiences in Michigan Tech’s Enterprise programs.

Michigan Tech is a hub for cultural activity in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, hosting the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, The McArdle Theatre, and an excellent Visual and Performing Arts department that produce events reflecting the uniqueness of the region, like New Music in the Mine, and also hosts the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra as well as choirs, jazz and concert bands, and other ensembles. The Humanities department also hosts the regionally acclaimed 41 North Film Festival and a Modern Languages Film Series.

Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan. We enjoy four seasons of outdoor beauty: you can pick wild blueberries and thimbleberries in the summer; enjoy vibrant colors of the mixed northern hardwoods in fall; ski, snowshoe, snowboard, or sled in our 250” of annual snowfall; visit rushing waterfalls in spring; and watch the northern lights from the shores of Lake Superior during much of the year. Our university forest includes 70 miles of single track trails for hiking and biking, as well as groomed cross country and skate ski trails accessible from campus. Michigan Tech’s alpine ski hill is only a five minute drive from the office. Reach out to us to learn more about how you can join our team of innovative educators and researchers.

Michigan Tech attracts world-class faculty and staff who enrich the educational experience of smart, motivated, and adventurous students. Applicants who are committed to promoting a learning environment based on respect for all and academic excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

Departmental Leadership
● Support departmental excellence in research/creative work, teaching, and service.
● Represent the department on the College of Sciences & Arts College Council and work collaboratively with the Dean, Associate Deans and other College Chairs.
● Promote interdisciplinary collaboration within and beyond the department.
● Advance the strategic plans of the Department, the College, and the University.
● Advocate for departmental goals with administrators, other units, and alumni.
● Supervise department faculty and staff: make recommendations on reappointment, tenure, and promotion cases; and conduct performance reviews of department faculty and staff.

Departmental Educational and Research Programs:
● Lead recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students to department programs.
● Support faculty teaching and scholarship development.
● Collaborate with the Dean and the University's Office of Advancement to identify key priorities for fundraising and effectively engage with alumni and others
● Collaborate with the Dean and University Marketing and Communications to assist in promoting the department and its programs to external stakeholders to enhance Michigan Tech's reputation and recruiting
● Oversee the review and assessment of academic programs within the Department to support quality, efficiency, enrollment growth, accreditation, workforce, and societal needs.
● Provide leadership for the continued promotion of exchange agreements and collaborative programs with domestic and international universities.


Departmental Operations:
● Manage a diverse teaching and learning community.
● Actively mentor faculty and staff.
● Foster shared governance and transparency.
● Manage the department's finances responsibly and strategically to achieve short- and long-term goals.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

● PhD or other terminal degree in a Humanities field.
● Qualifications commensurate with the rank of professor or associate professor nearing promotion to full professor at Michigan Tech.

Required Experience

● Experience in an academic leadership position (including but not limited to leadership within a department, program, or research center/institute).
● Record of successful research/creative activity.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

● A record of scholarship and teaching in a field represented in our department.
● Demonstrated advocacy for humanities programs in higher education and/or on a STEM facing campus.
● Proactive leadership with demonstrated excellence in promoting teamwork and effective organizational strategies.
● Experience working effectively within a structure of shared governance.
● Demonstrated leadership in interdisciplinary research and/or pedagogy.
● Demonstrated success in administering & developing successful undergraduate programs.
● Success in securing and leading externally funded research projects.
● Experience managing organizational budgets and/or donor relations.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

● Documented excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
● Demonstrated success in administering, developing, and supporting graduate programs.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

● Demonstrated success in working with people with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following four required pieces of training; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:
• Employee Safety Overview
• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Training
• Annual Data Security Training
• Annual Title IX Training

Background Check:
Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Other Conditions of Employment:
The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. This is not an E-Verified Position.

1

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

11 months

Shift

Pay Rate/Salary

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience

Title of Position Supervisor

College Dean

Posting Type

Dependent on Funding

Special Instructions to Applicants (if applicable)

The position will remain open until filled; review of applications will begin December 1, 2025. Please submit application materials to: http://www.employment.mtu.edu/cw/en-us/job/494059.

Applicants will need to upload the following documents:
● Curriculum Vitae
● Cover Letter
● Research Statement
● Statement of Administrative Philosophy

We strongly encourage applicants to address the required and desired qualifications in their cover letter along with an explanation of how they will contribute to the Vision and Mission of Michigan Tech.

Additional Information

Michigan Tech, ranked an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, attracts world-class faculty who enrich the educational experience of smart, motivated, and adventurous students. Applicants who are committed to promoting a learning environment for all are strongly encouraged to apply. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula adjacent to Lake Superior, the Houghton community offers a small-town environment with outstanding four-season recreational opportunities

For tenure track searches: Michigan Tech recognizes the importance of supporting faculty members’ partners; candidates selected for on-campus interviews will be invited to bring a guest. Additional details on our Partner Engagement Program can be found at https://www.mtu.edu/provost/programs/partner-engagement/.