Interim Director, Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at InsideHigherEd

Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Statement                                    

In addition to its commitment to a harassment-free educational and working environment, the College is an equal employment opportunity employer. The College is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable state and federal laws on the matter. The College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition or medical leave, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. The College also prohibits the harassment of any employee on any of these bases.

Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

Interim Director, Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Job Details and Requirement:

Claremont McKenna College (CMC), a premier liberal arts college and member of the prestigious Claremont Colleges, seeks an energetic and innovative leader to serve as the next Interim Director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, known as the Ath. A unique program in American higher education, the core of the Ath is the Ath Speaker Series, which brings distinguished scholars, public figures, thought leaders, artists, and innovators to engage with the CMC community. The Interim Director is a crucial leader in CMC’s project to promote intellectual growth, artistic and cultural appreciation, and College-wide, Open Academy commitments to free expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue. CMC seeks a deeply engaged thought leader and skilled program administrator with wide-ranging interests, superior social and communication capabilities, and a commitment to promoting civil discourse. This is an unparalleled opportunity to improve civil discourse through undergraduate education.

CMC leads its peers in providing the education needed to address the urgent issues of our time. The College’s mission is to prepare its students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions, and to support faculty and student scholarship that contribute to intellectual vitality and the understanding of public policy issues. Uniquely positioned in higher education, CMC aims to develop the world’s most influential and entrepreneurial leaders and has the capacity to attract the very best students due to a clarity of mission, its top ranking for return on investment, and its commitment to supporting a diverse student body. CMC currently enrolls approximately 1400 students and is a member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions.

Established in 1970, the Ath is a fixture in the academic and co-curricular life of CMC. Its Interim Director is a senior campus leader, reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty (VPAA/DOF), collaborating regularly with the President and leading alumni, parents, and members of the Board of Trustees, and engaging daily with faculty, staff, and students from a wide span of viewpoints and backgrounds. Many students see the Ath as a second home on campus and informal mentor. By building deep connections with the campus community, the Ath Interim Director will understand the intellectual and cultural tenor of campus and create compelling programs that advance the campus conversation in service of developing students ready for responsible leadership in a range of industries and fields.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Interim Director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum will lead and oversee all aspects of the Ath and will enhance its status as CMC’s co-curricular center for intellectual, culture, and civil discourse. The most important role of the Ath Interim Director is to attract and curate a world-class group of experts from nearly every domain of thought and action leadership to create the Ath’s signature Speaker Series. In support of the Ath and CMC’s overall goals, the Interim Director of the Ath will be responsible for creating a conducive environment for the social exchange and engagement of students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, parents, and prospective students of Claremont McKenna College. In doing so, the Ath Interim Director will help prepare students to be responsible leaders with the crucial skills of speaking across difference, engaging in constructive dialogue, and combatting polarization and misinformation in support of a robust and healthy democracy. Given the Ath’s unique blend programming and deep integration with campus life, there is a significant opportunity to establish it as a national exemplar of undergraduate civic education.

The Interim Director is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing the Ath Speaker Series four nights a week as well as occasional weekday lunches during the academic semester. Responsibilities extend to planning and supervising additional special events, workshops, and conferences, as well as daily community “Ath Teas.” The Interim Director is also responsible for coordinating and managing smaller lunch engagements and various dinner for class programming, student organizations, and other groups.

Reporting to the VPAA/DOF, the Interim Director will supervise, evaluate, and mentor the Athenaeum Manager, who is responsible for the operations of the Ath; the Athenaeum Coordinator, who is responsible for managing the logistics for guest speakers and performers; and the Athenaeum Chef, who leads the culinary staff in preparing meals for Ath events. The Interim Director assists in the selection and training of up to three or four Student Fellows each year, in partnership with the Athenaeum Advisory Committee. The Interim Director also manages the Ath’s budget, made up of endowed programming and College operational budgets.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

In addition, the Director of the Ath will be responsible for and evaluated on performing the following essential functions:

• Invite and schedule distinguished guests to speak/perform at the Athenaeum, in each instance cognizant of maintaining the intellectual integrity of the institution. The Interim Director is responsible for maintaining the calendar for all events open to the public. The Interim Director is responsible for gathering information for all events to be published online. This includes biographical information with photo, description, and title of each presentation.
• Work closely with CMC’s research institutes and the Director of the Open Academy on partnerships for speaker programming.
• Coordinate named lectures with CMC’s Advancement Office.
• Attend most evening programs at the Athenaeum, until approximately 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, when the academic calendar is in session.
• Meet with the Athenaeum Advisory Committee at least twice per semester, to discuss possible themes for speaker series, ideas for specific speakers, and to evaluate overall operations of the Athenaeum.
• Maintain open communication with faculty, students, and staff about campus life, and remain receptive to suggestions from all members of the community.
• Maintain good working relationships with representatives of speaker agencies and bureaus.
• Assist the President and commencement committee with the selection, invitation, and confirmation of a Graduation Ceremony speaker.
• Represent CMC on the Claremont Colleges’ planning committees for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Cesar Chavez Day programs.
• Write an annual report on activities.
• Meet with the VPAA/DOF or their Designee to review programs, campus life, and administrative issues.
• Attend CMC programs and events unrelated to the Athenaeum to fully understand the experience of students, faculty, and staff.
• Keep up-to-date with political, social, technological, and global issues (among others) that are important to the intellectual development of CMC community members in a dynamic world.
• Serve on campus-wide leadership committees, such as the Senior Leadership Council.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS & SKILLS:

EDUCATION: A Master’s degree from an accredited institution, or the equivalent in combination of education and experience, is required. An earned terminal degree is a plus.

EXPERIENCE: A minimum of three years’ experience in leading academic programming within a higher education setting and supervising staff. The ideal candidate will have experience working within a liberal arts educational setting.

LICENSES: A valid driver’s license or equivalent alternate form of transportation to off-site meetings and events is required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES: Individual must possess knowledge, skills, and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge skills and abilities.

• A high level of proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook and other Microsoft Office software and ability to maintain a website page or willingness to learn webpage management skills.
• Requires excellent organizational skills, with an ability to work independently with minimal direction. Must be detail-oriented.
• Requires excellent goal-oriented management skills. Must have ability to work collaboratively and professionally with student employees and volunteers.
• Flexibility and ability to juggle competing priorities and support numerous initiatives.
• Requires strong interpersonal skills and a high level of social energy, with the ability to interface professionally with students, alumni, parents, administration, faculty, and community members.
• Must have ability to work effectively with volunteers, with the donor community, with the academic community, and with colleagues.
• Ability to effectively communicate clearly in writing and verbal communication. Ability to listen for content and emotion.
• Ability to manage budget operations, with the ability to monitor and track budgetary expenditures.
• Skilled in presenting various information as needed while filtering good ideas and ability to filter ineffective strategies or ideas with tact.
• Requires exceptional professional writing, editing, and analytical skills. Must possess strong verbal skills.
• Skilled in managing various scheduling deadlines and academic programming.
• Collaborative spirit and service-oriented attitude.
• Ability to foster an intellectual environment with enthusiasm and an overall commitment to the CMC community and committed to Open Academy commitments.
• Skilled in fostering shared values; CMC community-wide values of open inquiry, inclusion, social warmth, and community building.

OTHER:

HOURS: The regular hours for this position are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Holiday, weekend, and evening work hours will be required. Travel may be required. Regular hours will vary due to needs of the College or division.

CLASSIFICATION AND STATUS: This is a full-time, interim, 12-month, exempt, benefits-eligible position.

APPROXIMATE SALARY RANGE: The anticipated salary range is $125,000 - $150,000 per year. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Yes

REPORTS TO: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty

GROOMING AND APPEARANCE: The Claremont Colleges seek to maintain a neat and professional image at all times. Professional attire is expected.

BACKGROUND CHECK: The successful candidate will be required to undergo a full consumer background check. Employment is contingent on the satisfactory results of the aforementioned, in addition to compliance with requirements cited in this job description.

ADA/OSHA: This job description defines the essential or fundamental job duties of this position. It is assumed that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

DISCLAIMER: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position. Duties and responsibilities can change and develop over time; accordingly the College reviews job descriptions on a periodic basis and may make changes of business necessity.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT: Employment with the College is “at-will” meaning that the terms of employment may be changed with or without notice, with or without cause, including, but not limited to termination, demotion, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, duties, and location of work. There is no agreement express or implied between the College and you for continuing or long-term employment. While the College has every hope that employment relationships will be mutually beneficial and rewarding, employees and the College retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at will, at any time, with or without cause. The President is the only person who can modify or alter the at-will employment relationship.

Claremont McKenna College hires and promotes individuals on the basis of their qualifications, consistent with applicable state and federal laws, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.  Inquiries may be directed to the Director for Human Resources, 528 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-4015, (909) 621-8490.  All applicants must complete and submit an online application to be considered for an open position.

Employment is contingent upon new employee providing documents verifying U.S. citizenship or, for aliens, documents verifying legal permission to work in the United States, applicant's acceptability for positions requiring use of a college vehicle is contingent upon a driving record acceptable to the College's automobile liability insurance. Promotion from within is encouraged whenever qualified employees of Claremont McKenna College are available. Interested employees of the College are urged to contact the Office of Human Resources if qualified for any open position. Please do not contact departments directly.

Disability Accommodations                                                                                    

In compliance with applicable laws ensuring equal opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, CMC will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual (applicant or employee) with a disability if the disability affects the performance of essential job functions, unless the accommodation results in an undue hardship for the College. Employment decisions are based on the merit and not an individual’s disability.               

An applicant or employee who requires an accommodation should contact the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Office. If multiple accommodations are identified that do not pose an undue hardship for the College, the selection of an accommodation will be at CMC’s discretion. To request disability accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (909) 621-8490 or [email protected] for assistance.