Director of Academic Excellence at Duquesne Kline

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University invites applications for the position of Director of Academic Excellence and Assistant Professor of Legal Skills to begin July 1, 2023. The successful candidate will be appointed to a 12-month, renewable, 405(c), non-tenure-track position.

The Director of Academic Excellence is responsible for designing, implementing, and administering a program of academic support benefiting all law students, especially those students in their first and second year of study, enabling them to succeed throughout law school. As a full-time faculty member, the Director will teach courses designed to introduce, reinforce, and develop skills to enable students to be successful in law school and beyond. The Director of Academic Excellence will also work with students one-on-one to provide individualized instruction and coaching. The Director of Academic Excellence works closely with the Bar Studies Faculty and the Legal Research and Writing Faculty to provide a comprehensive instruction. 

 The Director will administer the JD Jumpstart program for incoming students and facilitate workshops in the fall semester for 1L students. The Director will also teach the Advanced Legal Skills course for 1L students and teach the Advanced Legal Reasoning course for 2L students, and may also have other duties consistent with their role and the overall goals of the Law School, including, but not limited to, advising students, serving on law school committees, teaching other courses focused on professional skills or other courses supporting the law school curriculum

As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.

New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact hrservices@duq.edu. Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.

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Qualifications

Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school.

Superior academic credentials.
 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience in a law school academic support or bar studies program.

Law school teaching experience in academic support, clinical education, bar preparation, legal writing, or some other capacity that required an emphasis on analyzing and applying the law or teaching professional skills.

Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.

Strong organizational skills and an ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders.

Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.  This includes commitment to the University’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University’s Mission.  Additionally, applicants must have demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.

Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University.  The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.
 

Application Instructions

Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references here.

Duquesne University is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse faculty that reflects contemporary society, serves our academic mission and enriches our campus community. As a charter member of the Ohio, Western PA and West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), we encourage applicants from members of underrepresented groups, and support dual-career couples.

Founded in 1878 by its sponsoring religious community, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne University is Catholic in mission and ecumenical in spirit. Its Mission Statement commits the University to “serving God by serving students through commitment to excellence in liberal and professional education, through a profound concern for moral and spiritual values, through the maintenance of an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity, and through service to the Church, the community, the nation and the world. Applicants for this position should describe how they might support and contribute to the mission.

Motivated by its Catholic and Spiritan identity, Duquesne values equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.

Applicants with questions about the position may contact the chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee, Professor Bruce Ledewitz, at 412-396-5011 or ledewitz@duq.edu.