Director, School of Peace and Conflict Studies

The School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University invites applications for the position of School Director to begin in August, 2018.

The School of Peace and Conflict Studies is an important part of Kent State’s institutional responses to the shootings of May 4, 1970, when Ohio National Guardsmen killed four and wounded nine Kent State students during a demonstration against the US wars in Vietnam and Cambodia. The School’s predecessor, the Center for Peaceful Change, was founded in 1971 as Kent State’s original living memorial to the killed students. As such, the School of Peace and Conflict Studies is dedicated to the peaceful resolution of deep-rooted social conflicts and the creation of a more just society. We seek a dynamic director who shares our deep commitment to these values.

The creation of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies in August, 2017 denotes a strong Kent State commitment to growth in the area of peace and conflict studies. The Director is expected to advance the School’s research profile, foster collaborative relationships both at Kent State and externally, facilitate the development of the School’s academic programs, and cultivate external support for the School’s mission. Responsibilities include: fiscal management and budgeting; course scheduling; faculty mentoring, workload, and performance management; supervising staff; and representing the School internally and externally.

Applicants must have a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies or a closely cognate field. The successful candidate will be a senior research scholar and practitioner of peace and conflict studies with a high profile in the field, a robust research and publication record, a strong record of extramural funding and the requisite administrative experience to build SPCS into a world-class institution.

Kent State University, located 30 minutes from the Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, enrolls more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students on the Kent campus. Kent is a Carnegie Research II university and is ranked among the top 100 national public universities in U.S. SPCS has a robust undergraduate degree enrolling over 1,000 students per year. School faculty also teach in the Conflict Analysis and Management Track in the Political Science PhD degree and for the College of Arts and Sciences Master of Liberal Studies degree.

All applications for this position should be submitted to: http://jobslist.kent.edu/cw/en-us/job/495054/director-school-of-peace-and-conflict-studies

Applications should include a cover letter addressing administrative experience, personal scholarly profile, research and practice agenda, and your perspective on the state of the field of Peace and Conflict Studies.  Also include curriculum vitae and names and contact information of three references.  Review of applications will begin on January 17, 2018 and continue until position is filled. Questions regarding the position can be directed to the Chair of the Search Committee, Dr. Landon Hancock, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at lhancoc2@kent.edu