Call for Applications: Doc+ Program Director, Center for Documentary Studies

Deadline: October 23, 2024 

The Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) seeks applications from current Duke faculty to become the Doc+ program director. The ideal candidate will have a record of community-engaged artistic practice and/or scholarship, teaching, the capacity to collaborate with peers and with staff and faculty across the university, and experience with academic service and/or community-building that demonstrates excellent potential for leadership. We are looking for an energetic person who will help lead ongoing efforts to adapt the past and current successes of CDS to the shifting landscapes of higher education and the world.

Background

Doc+ is a new six-week, full-time co-curricular summer learning opportunity for Duke students, and will be one of the +Programs at Duke. The ideal candidate will have documentary studies content knowledge to help guide the formation of projects and design the training provided to students. Effort is approximately 10% during the academic year (focused on project curation/selection) and 50–70% during the summer period.

Job Description

The Doc+ program director will work closely with the director of CDS and a program coordinator on all aspects of the design and implementation of the Doc+ program, from strategic and financial planning to the successful fielding of summer programs.

Responsibilities include:

  • Planning and development: Design the overall structure and content of the program, including setting overarching learning objectives/goals for professional development and research skill development for student participants.
  • Financial management: Engage in fundraising for the program, set and manage the program’s budget (including allocating core expense for student stipends, staff support, programming, food, etc.).
  • Promotion and project recruitment: Promote the program widely to internal and external partners; participate in reviewing project proposals and selecting projects for funding. Build an application platform, setting and promoting opening/closing application dates, handling the application materials — distributing to readers or team leaders, prompting decisions or reviewing applications/making matches in-house, contacting references, fielding student questions, posting decisions and choosing alternates.
  • Design and “curriculum” development: Conceptualize plan for core cohort programming (e.g., workshops, seminars, guest speakers, day trips, team building activities) to enhance students’ research and professional skills and build community among participants.
  • Space needs: In addition to CDS, book other spaces on and off campus as needed.
  • Day-to-day program support: Work with the Office of Global Health and Safety for risk assessments/program agreements, planning and executing orientation with the students, coordinating their housing, payments and transportation, and supporting them otherwise during the program including managing absences and interpersonal challenges. 
  • Final presentations: Plan and promote events.
  • Evaluation: Develop assessment tools to collect feedback from students and project leaders to measure the effectiveness of the program and satisfaction of all parties; share data/reports.
  • Documentation and storytelling for internal and external purposes.

The Doc+ program director will report to the director of CDS and work closely with other staff/graduate assistants who help in the day-to-day operations of the program. In addition to the above duties, expectations are that the Doc+ program director will oversee one of the Doc+ projects each summer and, if faculty with teaching responsibilities, will continue to teach in a way that models possibilities for making connections between Doc+ programs and the wider curriculum.

How to Apply

To apply, candidates should send a letter of interest, a brief statement discussing their philosophy of community engagement, a CV and the names of three references to Erika Kramer (erika.kramer@duke.edu). The deadline for applications is October 23, 2024. The goal is to have a director in place by January 1, 2025.

Contact for Questions

Send queries to Chris Sims (csims@duke.edu).