Senior Instructional Professor, Academic Director - Program for Public Thinking and Discourse

The Humanities Collegiate Division and the Program for Public Thinking at the University of Chicago are accepting applications for the position of a Senior Instructional Professor (open rank) and Academic Director. The Academic Director will play an instrumental role in the development and management of the newly-established Program for Public Thinking and teach up to four courses per year, depending on other duties. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with a three-year or five-year renewable term, depending on rank, to start 1 September 2025. Rooted in the university’s commitment to open-ended inquiry, rigorous argument, and intellectual pluralism, the Program for Public Thinking is focused on fostering critical thinking about both the philosophy and practice of public intellectual life.  

The Academic Director will implement the Program’s dual mission: on the one hand, advancing scholarly inquiry into long-running debates about what it means to “think in public”; and on the other, modeling and encouraging thoughtful participation in today’s public conversation. At the heart of the program will be a curriculum developed by the Academic Director in consultation with the Faculty Director, Program Implementation Coordinator, and the Faculty Advisory Board. The curriculum will combine rigorous study of intellectual history with an inquiry into the present-day challenges of communicating about ideas in a rapidly evolving public sphere. Integrated into the College’s distinctive undergraduate curriculum, the courses will reflect the conviction that humanistic education and a familiarity with a diversity of intellectual, religious, and political traditions are centerpieces of addressing the challenges faced by public thinkers today. Pedagogy is a mainstay of this position, and therefore we seek candidates who are able to design and teach impactful courses on the history, philosophy, and practice of public thinking.  

The Academic Director will be responsible for planning, staffing, and coordinating all courses in the Program, including the supervision and evaluation of unionized lecturers. In addition, the Academic Director is expected to contribute to the Program’s co-curricular programming, outreach efforts, grant writing, foundation reporting, and fundraising. The course assignments and other duties will be determined annually by the Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse. Reporting to the Faculty Director, the Academic Director will work with the Implementation Coordinator and other stakeholders to develop all aspects of the Program’s academic curriculum, including advising and mentoring students, developing co-curricular programming, and integrating the Program for Public Thinking into the life of the College and the University.  

Qualifications   • A bachelor’s degree in the humanities or social sciences is required. • A doctoral or a terminal master’s degree is preferred. • Experience teaching at the college level is required. • Experience editing and / or writing longform reviews, criticism, or essays for non-academic publications about art, culture, politics, or intellectual life is required. • Research or writing about public discourse and issues related to free expression may be helpful but is not required. • Demonstrable administrative skill, entrepreneurial drive, and experience managing people is a plus.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit through the University of Chicago’s Interfolio website apply.interfolio.com/159702 and upload the following materials:
• A current CV.
• Cover letter discussing interest in and qualifications for the position
• Teaching materials that demonstrate pedagogical experience and effectiveness, such as sample syllabi, assignments, course evaluations, and a teaching statement.
• Copies of or links to public-facing writing about art, politics, culture, or intellectual life.
• Names and contact information of three references whose letters of recommendation may be solicited.