Director of the Flannery O'Connor Institute of the Humanities

Director of the Flannery O'Connor Institute of the Humanities

Job ID: 299315
Location: Georgia College & State Univ
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

About Us

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) is the state's designated public liberal arts university, where students learn the essential skills to compete in a fast-paced and technology-driven global society. The university prepares students for successful careers, leadership in communities, problem solving and life-long learning through personalized attention in a residential setting with opportunities for a variety of transformational experiences through its award-winning, high-impact practices. One of only three selective universities within the University System of Georgia and a top 10 ranked public university in the Southeast, GCSU offers undergraduate degrees in more than 40 majors, more than 30 graduate programs, doctorates in education and nursing, professional certificates, and continuing education programs.

As a member of the prestigious Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), GCSU is committed to fostering a liberal arts environment that values academic preeminence, interdisciplinary inquiry and an inclusive learning community. GCSU enjoys a strong reputation for academic excellence and nationally ranked programs according to US News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Colleges of Distinction - among other ranking sources.

Georgia College & State University takes great pride in combining the educational experience of a private liberal arts college with the affordability of a public university. Faculty and staff are dedicated to student engagement and experiential learning through high-impact practices such as internships, service- and community-based learning, leadership development, study abroad opportunities, mentored undergraduate research and a capstone project that fosters intellectual curiosity, reasoned inquiry and critical thinking.

The university's beautiful and historic campus is located downtown in Milledgeville, Georgia, a charming college town of approximately 19,000 residents in Central Georgia, and only 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. Milledgeville is also the home of noted American author and alumna, Flannery O'Connor, '45, and the college community enjoys many exciting literary arts programs at O'Connor's former home, Andalusia, a National Historic Landmark owned by the university. Milledgeville is located on the banks of beautiful Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee, allowing faculty, staff and students to take full advantage of the environmental and recreational benefits of being part of a lake community. For cultural, educational and leisure opportunities beyond Milledgeville - Macon and Atlanta are located within easy driving distances.

Georgia College & State University is dedicated to protecting academic freedom in addition to supporting freedom of expression as outlined in the University System of Georgia's Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom policy and its Ethics Code of Conduct. For more information, visit us online at gcsu.edu.

Job Summary

The Director of the Flannery O'Connor Institute of the Humanities (FOIH) provides strategic leadership and vision to advance the humanities at GCSU and elevate Flannery O'Connor's scholarly legacy on campus and within the broader community. The Director ensures that the Institute serves as a dynamic center for interdisciplinary scholarship and public engagement.
This role oversees Institute operations, program development, cross-campus coordination, and community-facing initiatives. The Director serves as the primary advocate and representative of the FOIH, cultivating partnerships, securing external funding, stewarding donors, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Through strategic leadership, effective fundraising, and impactful programming, the Director advances the Institute's contribution to the university's mission and enhances its reputation as a center for excellence in the humanities.
Flannery O'Connor is central to the university's regional and national identity and reputation. Sustained leadership and visibility in O'Connor scholarship and humanities engagement are essential institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

Leadership, Strategy & Administration - 15%
- Provide overall leadership, management, and strategic direction for the FOIH.
- Develop and implement a forward-looking vision aligned with the university's mission and humanities priorities.
- Manage Institute operations, including strategic planning, program development and implementation, staffing, and fiscal oversight.
- Oversee and implement the FOIH budget, including approvals, financial stewardship, and securing external funding.
- Supervise the FOIH Administrative Assistant.
- Create, maintain, and actively engage a Flannery O'Connor Institute Advisory Board.
- Work closely with the Executive Director of Museums to ensure strong alignment and shared strategy in advancing O'Connor-related initiatives.

Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships - 15%
- Maintain and expand strategic relationships with local and statewide partners, including Visit Milledgeville, Allied Arts, and the Georgia Writers Museum.
- Form and strengthen alliances with arts and literary organizations, including Allied Arts, Georgia Writers Museum, Southern Literary Trail, and historic home museums affiliated with the Southern Literary Trail in Georgia.
- Develop and maintain partnership maps outlining institutional connections and personal relationships to ensure sustained visibility and statewide relevance.
- Position the FOIH as a visible and relevant humanities hub across Georgia.

Grant Compliance & Reporting - 10%
- Develop and maintain a 24-month master calendar for all federal and private funding reporting requirements.
- Ensure full compliance with grant reporting, financial management, and programmatic obligations.
- Oversee grant budgets and coordinate closely with institutional grants administration.

External Relations, Advancement & Fundraising - 15%
- Serve as a visible advocate for the humanities and O'Connor scholarship on campus, statewide, and nationally.
- Represent the FOIH at advancement, community, and campus events.
- Work closely with University Advancement and the GCSU Foundation to develop and maintain a robust donor pipeline.
- Cultivate relationships with the O'Connor Trust and key stakeholders.
- Identify, solicit, and steward donors and external funding sources.
- Identify and develop grant and funding sources to support Institute programming and operations.
- Maintain clear and direct communication with pre- and post-award contacts in the Grants Office.

Faculty & Student Engagement - 10%
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across humanities departments and related academic fields.
- Partner with academic units to enhance humanities teaching and research initiatives.
- Develop structured opportunities for faculty and student engagement, research participation, internships, and experiential learning connected to O'Connor and humanities programming.

Program Development & Scholarly Support - 15%
- Create, implement, and sustain lecture series, workshops, symposia, and other short- and long-term scholarly initiatives promoting interdisciplinary humanities scholarship.
- Facilitate and coordinate scholarly programming, including event planning and community outreach.
- Support faculty and student research in the humanities through grants, fellowships, and collaborative projects.
- Organize and promote community-facing programming that showcases O'Connor scholarship and the broader humanities.
- Leverage University System of Georgia (USG) support to provide a statewide forum and venue for the humanities in Georgia.
- Serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on grants as appropriate and provide content expertise for funded initiatives.

Campus Coordination & O'Connor-Focused Integration - 15%
- Provide coordination among campus units focused on O'Connor scholarship and legacy, including: Andalusia Farm, Special Collections, and The Flannery O'Connor Review.
- Create collaborative opportunities for students, scholars, and community members across these units.
- Ensure that O'Connor-focused efforts across campus are aligned, mutually reinforcing, and strategically positioned to elevate the university's reputation.
- Develop and maintain a structured transition and relationship briefing process to ensure institutional continuity.

Communication, Assessment & Reporting & Other duties as assigned - 5%
- Communicate regularly with internal and external stakeholders regarding Institute programming, strategic priorities, and accomplishments.
- Assess the impact of Institute programs and initiatives using measurable outcomes.
- Prepare annual reports detailing activities, financial stewardship, grant compliance, partnerships, and contributions to the university's mission and reputation.

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements
Ph.D. or terminal degree in a humanities discipline.

Other Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated administrative or leadership experience in higher education, museums, or cultural institutions.
- Proven record of program development and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and oversee complex initiatives.
- Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and donor stewardship.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.

Required Experience
- Record of scholarly achievement and teaching commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor (tenure-line or equivalent).

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Experience
- Experience serving as Principal Investigator on grants.
- Experience managing federal and private grant compliance requirements.
- Visionary leadership style that inspires innovation, collaboration, and public engagement.
- Demonstrated success in building community and statewide partnerships.

Proposed Salary

This position is a pay grade 10. The minimum salary is $60,868.00. Starting salary within this range is based on relevant years of experience.

For more information about GCSU compensation practices, click here: https://www.gcsu.edu/humanresources/pay-grade-structure.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES
- Ability to articulate a compelling vision for the humanities and inspire collaboration across academic, administrative, and community stakeholders.
- Ability to communicate effectively (both orally and in writing) with faculty, students, donors, community partners, and university leadership.
- Ability to represent the Institute with visibility and credibility on campus, statewide, and nationally.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and lead multiple initiatives simultaneously with sound judgment and attention to detail.
- Ability to build and sustain productive working relationships across campus units, including Andalusia Farm, Special Collections, The Flannery O'Connor Review, and the Office of University Advancement.
- Ability to assess program outcomes, prepare comprehensive annual reports, and communicate findings to stakeholders.
- Ability to navigate complex institutional environments and advance the university's mission through strategic alignment.

KNOWLEDGE
- In-depth knowledge of the humanities, with expertise in American literature and/or Flannery O'Connor scholarship.
- Knowledge of higher education administration, academic governance, and institutional policy.
- Knowledge of program assessment methodologies and ability to measure impact through measurable outcomes.
- Knowledge of federal and private grant regulations, compliance frameworks, and reporting requirements.
- Familiarity with the University System of Georgia structure and statewide higher education landscape.
- Knowledge of development and advancement principles, including donor relations and gift stewardship.
- Understanding of interdisciplinary humanities programming and community engagement strategies.

SKILLS
- Strategic leadership and organizational management skills to oversee complex, multi-faceted operations.
- Strong fundraising and advancement skills, including grant writing, donor cultivation, and solicitation.
- Grant compliance and reporting skills, including development and maintenance of multi-year reporting calendars.
- Budget development, fiscal oversight, and financial stewardship skills.
- Program development and implementation skills across scholarly, public-facing, and community initiatives.
- Partnership-building skills to establish, sustain, and expand relationships with local, statewide, and national organizations including Visit Milledgeville, Allied Arts, Georgia Writers Museum, Southern Literary Trail, and affiliated historic home museums.
- Event planning and coordination skills for lectures, symposia, workshops, and public programming.
- Supervisory and team leadership skills, including mentoring staff and managing administrative personnel.
- Proficiency in developing partnership maps and institutional relationship briefing materials to ensure continuity.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia (USG). The Board of Regents prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual's age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status ("protected status"). No individual shall be excluded from the participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any USG program or activity because of the individual's protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual's protected status, except that preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.

Other Information

This is a supervisory position.
This position has financial responsibilities.
This position will be required to drive.
This role is considered a position of trust.
This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).
This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time
This position does not require security clearance.

Background Check

• Criminal Background Check
• Education Verification
• Credit Report

To apply, visit https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psp/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=36000&JobOpeningId=299315&PostingSeq=1







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