Director, Center for Jewish Studies (EXPIRED)

General Summary 

Eastern Michigan University seeks a visionary and inspiring leader to direct our Center for Jewish Studies.  While rank is open, we anticipate the successful candidate will have a record warranting a tenured appointment in one of the academic departments of the university.  The teaching load for this position is 1/1, which includes contributing courses to our existing minor in Jewish Studies. The Director works together with academic leaders in both the Provost's Office and College of Arts and Sciences.  Owing to the Center's interdisciplinary and community-linked mission, it is currently a part of the Provost's Office.  The academic minor is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Center opened ten years ago and has grown rapidly. It is particularly noteworthy for the close relationships it has established with the Jewish community in the local area and with a number of national Jewish organizations. The EMU CJS hosts numerous public lectures/performances each semester, runs on-campus and travel courses for students, and advocates across the university for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, including Jewish students.  The Center for Jewish Studies operates in the context of a very diverse campus that is committed to inclusive approaches to all aspects of its public mission.  The Center has forged linkages and relationships across campus, including those with other marginalized and culturally underrepresented groups.  The Center has no faculty lines, but works closely with faculty from departments across campus.  It funds programming as well as faculty and student research. 

The Center for Jewish Studies offers a Minor in Jewish Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, which the Director oversees and in which they advise students.  A critical part of this includes working with EMU faculty, staff, and community partners to build and expand the interdisciplinary curriculum. The minor is offered on campus, in the local area (for instance, Modern Hebrew courses are offered at a synagogue in the region), and in travel courses throughout the world (e.g., United States, Israel, Europe).  The CJS is also a founding partner in the Michigan Consortium for Israel Studies, a group of universities within the state that offers classes and supports a study-abroad program at Tel Aviv University.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a doctorate or terminal degree in a relevant field, as well as experience teaching and researching in Jewish Studies.  They should demonstrate a willingness to engage in the kinds of tasks, mentioned in this ad, that are essential to succeeding in the job.

The ideal director will be a coalition-builder on campus, and in the surrounding community (for example, through frequent interaction with other Jewish organizations in the region). 

They should have experience with and interest in grant-writing and fundraising, including donor relations and engagement.  We are looking for a director who has an active research agenda located at least partially within the broad field of Jewish Studies. They should have a willingness to engage in public scholarship on these matters in the local community and beyond, and to advocate for the Center on and off campus.  The Director also chairs the Jewish Studies Community Advisory Board, which provides much intellectual guidance and support for the Center’s activities.

Supplemental Information

A complete application should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and samples of scholarship and course syllabi within the realm of Jewish Studies. Applicants should also include a statement of what they envision themselves being able to contribute to the Jewish Studies program at Eastern Michigan University.  

Review of applications will begin on February 15, 2022, and the position will remain open until filled.  For more information, contact the search committee chair, Professor Jeffrey Bernstein, at (734) 487-2530, or by email at [email protected].

Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  Its close proximity to Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing provides rich cultural, social and recreational opportunities.  EMU was founded in 1849 and is a comprehensive university with an enrollment of over 13,000 students. 

EMU is a R2 university that supports and promotes rigorous scholarly activity.  EMU is an equal opportunity employer, and is recognized regularly by U.S. News and World Report for its diverse campus environment and promotion of student social mobility.