Leadership Update

After more than a decade of thoughtful leadership and dedicated service, Professor Louann Reid is stepping down from Chair of the English department at Colorado State University.

Professor Louann Reid and Professor Dan Beachy-Quick.

We can’t thank Dr. Reid enough for everything she’s done to support our students, faculty, and staff throughout her 13-year tenure as Chair. A few of Dr. Reid’s notable accomplishments include leading the revitalization of Eddy Hall, working with donors to increase the department’s annual giving dollars by almost 2500%, and consistently advocating for equitable working conditions for non-tenure track faculty.

Additionally, Dr. Reid played a significant role in directing a strategic planning process to address undergraduate and graduate student recruitment through an ambitious redesign of the undergraduate curriculum. As a result, the department has increased attention to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Throughout her time as Chair, Dr. Reid’s voice has been instrumental in leading dynamic changes across the department, and we are grateful for her vision, guidance, and empathy.

As one chapter closes, another begins. Starting July 15, 2024, University Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor Dan Beachy-Quick will serve as Interim Chair through the end of the fall semester, while a robust search is conducted to hire the next Chair. Dr. Reid will mentor Beachy-Quick through July.

“Though a bit nervous, I’m also very excited, to serve a department I love for the fall semester,” said Beachy-Quick. “I will work hard to be open, clear, organized, and help us transition from a legendary Chair to a brand new one arriving this spring.”

 

Hiring the Next Chair

The search for the next Chair of the English department is now underway and being led by Dr. Marilee Long, Professor and Chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Communication. Below, you’ll find more information about the position.

 

Chair of the Department of English

The College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University is searching for a Chair of the Department of English who is ready to lead a large, innovative department into new opportunities. The successful candidate must be able to articulate a vision for a land-grant Department of English at an R1 university.

 

About CSU English

The English department at CSU is a vibrant and diverse community comprised of poets, linguists, literacy researchers, teacher educators, novelists, literary scholars, rhetoricians, and composition specialists. We are home to 35 tenure stream faculty, 48 contract, continuing, or adjunct faculty, 7 administrative personnel, approximately 325 undergraduate majors, and 75 graduate students. We share a passion for exploring the multiple and dynamic ways that the English language is used to promote thriving communities in the twenty-first century. Students, staff, and faculty are committed to inclusive excellence, intellectual growth, and the creation of a more just and sustainable world.

 

Position Summary

The Chair of the Department of English provides leadership in the largest department in the College of Liberal Arts, is responsible for the curriculum, administration of the budget, and hiring of faculty and staff; represents the department on the college’s Council of Chairs; is responsible for long-range planning and growth in line with the departmental vision; and is responsible for acquiring outside funding to help advance research and teaching within the department. We seek a colleague with the ability to articulate and implement a visionary leadership strategy; foster academic excellence and innovation; further strengthen flourishing graduate programs; encourage interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship; and promote collegiality and cooperation within the department. The successful candidate will be well-versed in social, cultural, and linguistic diversity and in approaches that emphasize the transformative power of literacy to promote equity and access and to enact social change.

This is a tenure-track faculty position. The Chair holds a 12-month appointment expected to start January 1, 2025, with an initial term of five years (available for renewal). Should the Chair position end, assuming satisfactory performance, the successful candidate would return to a 9-month tenured faculty appointment in the Department of English at a 9-month salary.

 

For full consideration apply by August 12, 2024

See the full job posting at https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/146580