Director of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Associate/Full Professor

University of Kansas; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kansas in Lawrence invites applications for a Director of LA&S degree programs and a tenured professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The role centers on the BGS program and linking the College Dean's Office with LA&S students.

The position blends program leadership with teaching, research, and service duties, requiring a strong record of leadership, curricular development, and student mentoring.

Qualifications

• Tenured faculty member expected in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
• Terminal degree in a liberal arts & sciences field from an accredited university.
• University teaching experience and commitment to teaching excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and to manage interpersonal relations.

Responsibilities

• Teach courses in field of specialty.
• Advise students, including mentoring and directed readings.
• Supervise graduate teaching assistants, as assigned.
• Participate on committees that supervise and evaluate student progress.
• Provide general service to the home unit, College, University and profession.

Skills

Teaching experience

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Terminal degree in liberal arts & sciences

Job description

Position Overview

Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S) offers a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS), a minor in Digital Cultures and Methods, and two graduate degree programs in Leadership Studies. It serves over 200 students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) at KU. This position serves as the Director of the LA&S degree programs and a tenured professor in the College, with a particular focus on the BGS program. The position fills a critical link between the College Dean's Office and the students that the LA&S degree programs serve. This administrative position is limited term through June 30, 2032.

Faculty Union

Please note that this position is not covered by any union agreement nor represented by United Academics of KU, AAUP, or AFT.

Job Description

Program Director (50%)

• Provides oversight and leadership for all LA&S activities.
• Administers program planning, including:
  • Course scheduling
  • Course staffing
  • Coordination of courses with other units on campus (departments and schools, Career Center, Academic Programs and Experiential Learning, etc.)
  • Developing a two or three-year course rotation plan
• Provides leadership for curricular development of the LA&S degree programs to ensure that the curricula serve student needs and are appropriately structured to reflect broad-based training in liberal arts and sciences.
• In collaboration with Jayhawk Academic Advising, provides advising and mentoring for students in LA&S on educational and career choices.
• Maintains regular communication to majors, including the "welcome to the major" letter, scholarship and job opportunities, events on campus, a Spring graduation event for LA&S students, etc.
• Supervises and reviews instructors and staff in LA&S.
• Oversees assessment effort in LA&S, including academic program reviews and annual KU degree-level program assessment.
• Executes College and University policies in LA&S effectively.
• Represents LA&S and reports to CLAS; represents LA&S to other University entities.

Faculty Member (50%)

The other 50% of the position is allocated among the regular faculty-member obligations of teaching, research, and service. The allocation is 20% Teaching/Advising, 20% Research, 10% Service for tenured faculty.

Teaching/Advising

• Teaches courses in field of specialty.
• Advises students, including student mentoring and providing directed readings.
• Supervises graduate teaching assistants, as assigned.
• Serves on committees that supervise and evaluate student progress.

Research

• Engages in scholarly research, including publishing appropriate peer-reviewed books and articles and presenting papers at professional conferences on a regular basis.

Service

• Provides general service to one's home unit, the College, the University, the state, and the profession.

Required Qualifications

Evaluation of the following requirements will be made through (1) descriptions of work experience and educational experiences in a letter of application; (2) record of accomplishments and productivity addressed in CV; (3) previous teaching evaluations or other evidence of teaching excellence; (4) information provided from three professional references:

• Tenured faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Terminal degree in a liberal arts & sciences field from an accredited university
• University teaching experience and commitment to teaching excellence
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and to manage interpersonal relations, maintaining civility and respect among faculty, staff, and students

Additional Candidate Instructions

This position is open to KU Faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences only. The administrative position of the Director will be tied to the current rank of faculty member selected after interviews.

Evaluation of the following requirements will be made through (1) descriptions of work experience and educational experiences in a letter of application; (2) record of accomplishments and productivity addressed in CV; (3) previous teaching evaluations or other evidence of teaching excellence; (4) information provided from three professional references.

Contact Information to Applicants

Jill Mignacca
[e-mail]

Advertised Salary Range

Current faculty appointment salary + $6k admin supplement & 4 weeks summer pay

Application Review Begins

Monday December 7, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

Wednesday July 1, 2026