"Department Head, German Studies (T)"

Position Highlights

The Department of German Studies, within the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SILLC), at the University of Arizona seeks an established scholar with strong administrative experience to provide energetic and visionary leadership as head of one of the leading departments of its kind in the country.

This is an in-person position.

In addition to representing the Department, the Head will report to the Dean of the College of Humanities and will work collaboratively with the Dean, SILLC director and staff, college administrators, and other college heads and directors to help shape the "humanities" in the 21st century.

The Department of German Studies is widely recognized as a vibrant and innovative research and teaching unit. Located in the Southwest borderlands but with a global scope, the Department is committed to cultural engagement, transparent governance, and making meaningful and transformative contributions to the communities we serve.

The Department of German Studies offers a variety of academic programs, including a BA and several MA in German Studies, and a dual PhD/DPhil in Transcultural German Studies with partner universities in Leipzig and Cologne. It is also a leader in community outreach and study abroad, and has a graduate student body population with a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

Review of applications will begin on November 21, 2025.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities and inspire on campus and throughout the world a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Plans, oversees, and actively participates in the recruitment and retention of undergraduate students (including majors and minors), graduate students, and faculty in the Department.
• Oversees teaching and curriculum development, as well as assessment plans, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, including the language program, and chairing dissertation committees and mentoring/advising doctoral and master candidates.
• Supports faculty of all ranks and status, graduate students, and staff professional development.
• Plans, oversees, and administers academic budgets, and secures internal and external funding for students, staff, and faculty.
• Sets and advances long and short-term academic strategy for the Department in line with the College and University strategic plans and directions.
• Plans and oversees fundraising and alumni relations for the Department in collaboration with the Dean and Director of Development.
• Fosters a culture of sponsored research and innovation in the Department.

Leadership and Management Style

The successful candidate will constantly promote recruitment and retention of undergraduate majors and graduate students, and will have a record of accomplishments in many of the following areas:

• Cultivating, modeling, and maintaining a positive and respectful environment and supporting the professional activities, goals, and achievements of students, faculty, and staff, regardless of rank and status.
• Identifying and promoting opportunities for departmental growth.
• Demonstrating commitment to transparency and fairness in decision-making processes.
• Maintaining a collaborative and accountable governance style.
• Communicating and meaningfully engaging with various populations at the department, college, and university levels, as well as in the community at large.
• Supporting, rewarding, and promoting visibility of scholarship and innovative pedagogical practices among faculty and graduate students, regardless of rank and status.
• Participating in Departmental and College-wide activities such as Meet Your Major Fair, Study Abroad Fair, Language Fair, Convocation, Welcome Back receptions, Homecoming, Study Abroad Programs, Commencement and the Tucson Humanities Festival.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills (oral and written) in both English and German.
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills with goal-setting and results-oriented disposition.
• Collaborative decision-making and management style.
• A resourceful mindset to develop innovative, interdisciplinary, and/or collaborative programs on and off campus.

Minimum Qualifications

• An earned doctorate in German Studies or related field (open specialization) with scholarly credentials commensurate with appointment at the rank of tenured Associate Professor (advanced) or Full Professor at a Carnegie Research Intensive Institution.
• Demonstrated record of actively recruiting and retaining undergraduate majors and minors, and graduate students.
• Documented record of excellence in and commitment to teaching and curriculum development at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, including German language classes.
• Demonstrated record and experience in effectiveness with planning, budgeting, and personnel management at a program level requiring high-level abilities and organization/prioritization.
• Proven effectiveness and experience in planning, overseeing, and administering academic budgets, and in securing internal and external funding for students, staff, and faculty.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in leadership in a Ph.D. granting program with a student body population with a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
• Productive and forward-thinking research profile.
• Proven record of and experience collaborating with and supporting the welfare and professional development of faculty, graduate students, and staff/administrative members.
• Documented record of excellence in chairing dissertation committees and mentoring/advising doctoral and master candidates.
• Effectiveness and experience in developing and sustaining appropriate and transparent structures for management, consultation, decision-making, and communication with staff, faculty, and students.
• Experience fundraising and generating revenue through community outreach venues, donors, and alumni.

Rank

Full

Tenure

Tenured

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Academic

Job Category

Faculty

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

DOE

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required

Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to title or department)

Number of Vacancies

1

Contact Information for Candidates

Cynthia O'Rourke
Executive Assistant, College of Humanities
cynthiaorourke@arizona.edu

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Four Additional Documents

Special Instructions to Applicant

Please submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Vision & Leadership Statement (combined into one attachment); upload it to one of the Additional Documents slots
• One page philosophy and successful strategies on recruiting undergraduate German Studies majors (combined into one attachment) Upload it to one of the Additional Documents slots
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness, such as teaching evaluations, syllabi, etc. Upload it to one of the Additional Documents slots
• Writing sample (e.g., journal article or book chapter) Upload it to one of the Additional Document slots

Within a few business days after submitting your application, you will receive an email asking you to provide contact information for three professional references within the HR system (do NOT click the "Submit" button until you have added all 3 references using the plus "+" sign button). The three professional references that you list will receive an email that will ask them to provide a letter of recommendation for you. The recommendation letters must be uploaded in the HR system.