KU-IIGE Director Position Description

Official Title: Director(.50FTE) / Associate, Full or Distinguished Professor (.50 FTE)

Working Title: Director, Institute for International and Global Engagement (IIGE)

Program Overview

In its inaugural term, the KU Institute for International and Global Engagement (KU-IIGE) is intended to connect KU’s deep international and global expertise and capacities (academic and administrative) with community needs. Areas of community include students, faculty, alumni, the Kansas and national workforce, industry, the higher education community, social service sector, local and state government, federal government, international partner institutions, foreign governments and foundations, NGOs, and multinational organizations.

The core theme of the IIGE focuses upon what it means to be human in a digital age – understanding how our disciplines inform how we address arising international and global challenges, as well as directly addressing the impact of societal dynamics on how we understand those challenges, the solutions available to us, and how we can mobilize our efforts to lift each other and advance society. In the pursuit of this theme, the Institute will facilitate alignment of institutional efforts and capacities in four areas to bolster KU’s international and global engagement strategy:

Curriculum: Enhance the curricular mapping of our regional and interdisciplinary expertise at KU to education abroad opportunity development (study, research, service learning, internships abroad), institutional outreach and service, and the innovative development of new student engagement opportunities through other forms of experiential learning related to international and global themes.
Research & Creative Work: Identify and leverage institutional seed funding toward establishing critical mass in broad themes like the human experience in the digital age toward enhancing KU researchers’ and creative practitioners’ competitiveness as they seek external funding. This institute will also seek to bring increased visibility to KU’s work by creating a foundation for hosting national conferences and symposia.
International Operations: The director will work in a liaising capacity to facilitate the strategic alignment of KU’s deep international operational capacity in the areas of education abroad, international student recruitment and retention, short-term programming and professional development, faculty research support, strategic partnership establishment, outreach and event planning, as well as external communications, with KU’s academic operations through outreach and facilitated collaboration.
Engagement: Establish a coordinated effort to support local businesses, foundations, social service agencies, and the public service sector as they manage in today’s global and international context.

The University of Kansas is committed to aligning its academic and administrative capacities toward becoming a national leader with regard to international and global engagement. IIGE has strong support from KU’s leadership and reports into the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. The Institute’s director has the primary responsibility for creating and implementing a vision to direct the Institute’s future while keeping the University’s international and global engagement goals and four related priority areas (above) in mind.

KU has five area centers that align with the work of the IIGE, each with a 0.5 FTE faculty director with regional and disciplinary expertise: the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; the Kansas African Studies Center; the Center for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies; the East Asian Studies Center; and the Center for Global and International Studies. All but the Center for Global and International Studies receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education through its Title VI National Resource Center grants. The five area center faculty directors will report into the Director of the IIGE.

In addition, KU’s division of International Affairs, which also reports into the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, will closely partner with the institute to ensure strong synergistic collaboration with the offices of Study Abroad and Global Engagement, International Support Services, International Short Programs, the Applied English Center and the central International Affairs administrative office. The IIGE and its Director will serve in a liaising capacity, identifying opportunities to partner with external constituencies, while bringing KU’s academic and operational capacities together to address the needs of those constituencies.

The Director position is expected to perform duties throughout the calendar year. Appointments are generally based on an academic year (9-month), with an administrative supplement and summer salary commitment. The remaining 0.5 FTE of the position serves as a tenured faculty member within the assigned unit. The initial appointment for the Director is for a four-year period, which may be renewed based upon mutual agreement, performance, and the satisfactory conclusion of a comprehensive review of the IIGE conducted in the third year of the four-year cycle. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to create innovative programming and provide evidence of strong administrative and management skills, experience in fund-raising, and the capacity to work with and expand the Center’s broad internal and external constituencies. The Director serves at the pleasure of the University of Kansas Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies.

As a premier international research university, The University of Kansas is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that nurtures the growth and development of all. KU holds steadfast in the belief that a variety of values, interests, experiences, and intellectual and cultural viewpoints enrich learning and our workplace. The Institute for International and Global Engagement actively seeks applications from members of groups underrepresented in higher education.

Duties and Responsibilities

IIGE Director (0.5 FTE)

Institute Management – 30%

Serves as chief administrative officer of IIGE. Responsible for the daily operations, budget management, supervision, recruitment/retention, professional development and evaluation of staff.
Serves as a liaison between the faculty and the Office of Research, the Division of International Affairs, other university administrative offices, and community stakeholders.
Ensures compliance with federal, state and university policies, procedures and legal requirements.
Fosters and supports a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture of safety, ethical practices, and compliance among IIGE affiliated faculty and staff.

Strategic Leadership – 15%

Sets, directs and implements the vision, mission, and goals of the IIGE. Leads the strategic direction for staff, develops metrics to measure and assess outcomes and determine future initiatives.
Fosters collaborative partnerships across KU faculty, administrators, and staff. Supports community engagement and aligns initiatives to meet the needs and objectives of stakeholders.
Facilitates the broad development of curricula, sponsored research, and community engagement activities related to international and global engagement specifically focusing upon “what it means to be human in a digital age.”
Engages with executive leadership on initiatives that move the Institute to become a valued partner in global and international spaces within higher education.

Scholarship - 5%

Remains engaged in related Kansas, national and international discussions pertaining to the role of higher education in today’s international and global context. Engages in personal research and is actively engaged with professional and academic organizations and associations.

Full Professor Faculty Duties (0.5 FTE)

Faculty duties will be discipline-specific. Traditional percentages of time including the following, but may be subject to negotiation with the departmental chair or dean.

20% Research
20% Teaching
10% Service

Required Qualifications:

PhD or terminal degree with a tenured faculty appointment at the University Lawrence/Edwards Campus.
National recognition and leadership in an academic field as demonstrated by a record of refereed publications, professional service, and success in securing external sponsored project funding.
Supervisory experience.
A minimum of three years of higher education administrative or leadership experience and experience managing grant-related activities.
Direct working experience working with Title VI-related grants and projects.
Record of research, teaching and service involving international collaboration and engagement.
Record of successful outcomes stemming from engagement/collaboration with external stakeholders, such as businesses, communities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills as demonstrated through application materials, interview, and references.
Experience working with multidisciplinary constituencies.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as articulated in the candidate's cover letter, resume and interview.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in recruitment, development, utilization, and retention of staff as demonstrated through application materials and interviews.
Experience developing and implementing long-term research/funding strategies for an organization.
Demonstrated success securing federal research funding.
Demonstrated administrative experience including financial management and development of personnel and programs in a university or research-oriented organization.
Ability to facilitate and stimulate cooperative funded research by others while also actively pursuing personal research activities.
Experience in securing internal and external funding, as well as experience in supporting others in developing programmatic lines of inquiry.
Experience with fundraising.