Director
Plateau Center for American Indian Studies
Office of the Provost
Search# 5271

The Office of the Provost at Washington State University invites applications for the position of Director of the Plateau Center for American Indian Studies. The Director position is a 12 month appointment in the Plateau Center at Washington State University with a Director stipend. This is an administrative position with responsibilities in curriculum development, teaching, research, and service. The successful candidate will have a tenure or tenure track appointment in the academic department appropriate to the candidate’s scholastic background. The Director position is a four year term eligible for renewal, but evaluated on an annual basis. The Director reports to the Provost. Appointment begins July 1, 2010.

GENERAL INFORMATION
In 1997, Washington State University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with tribes in the region, forming a Native American Advisory Board to the President that is committed to working to increase educational opportunities for Native Americans. Today, nine tribes are signatory to the MOU with tribal chairpersons or their delegates serving on the advisory board. The concept for the creation of the Plateau Center originated within this advisory board and has been embraced by the President and Provost of Washington State University.

The Plateau Center for American Indian Studies will increase research, teaching, and service as related to American Indian tribes and communities in general, with an emphasis on tribes in the Pacific Northwest, and specifically, within the Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest. The Center will engage faculty from across disciplines to infuse Native perspectives into the curriculum and to develop courses with a Native focus. Through curriculum and course development, Native and non-Native students will be prepared as U.S. and international citizens informed of the history and contemporary status of American Indian tribes as sovereign Nations within a Nation. The curriculum will facilitate service learning and internship opportunities, as well as emphasize undergraduate and graduate research in Native American topics. Native and non-Native students and faculty will be prepared to work, conduct research, interact with, and better understand tribal governments, Native communities, and historic and contemporary Native issues.

The successful candidate will possess an in-depth knowledge of Native peoples’ sovereignty, government, cultures, traditions, and protocols, and will provide leadership to achieve the above objectives through vision, partnership, and collaboration with tribes of the region, university administration, colleges, departments, faculty, and Native programs.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director is responsible for:
1. Oversight of all aspects of the Plateau Center operations and related administrative functions;
2. Strategic planning for the Plateau Center in collaboration with the WSU Native American Advisory Board to the President, WSU Native American Advisory Council to the Provost, American Indian tribes in the region, and university departments and programs;
3. Program development, implementation, and evaluation, specifically in the areas of curriculum and research related to Native topics;
4. Procuring external funding through grant writing, contracts, and development activities;
5. Teaching an American Indian Studies course;
6. Serving as a member of the WSU Native American Advisory Council to the Provost.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
· PhD, M.D., Ed. D, JD, or a terminal masters, such as MFA;
· Evidence of research/scholarly activities with an American Indian focus;
· Eligible for tenure or tenure track appointment;
· Demonstrated knowledge of tribal sovereignty, tribal governments, tribal programs, tribal federal and state relations, histories, traditions, cultures, and contemporary concerns of American Indian tribes and communities;
· Demonstrated knowledge and experience developing American Indian curriculum/ coursework;
· Evidence of effective oral and written communication skills;
· Evidence of ability to collaborate.
Preferred:
· Demonstrated knowledge of tribal sovereignty, tribal governments, tribal programs, tribal federal and state relations, history, traditions, cultures, and contemporary concerns of American Indian tribes and communities in the Pacific Northwest;
· Personal experience with American Indians, tribes, and communities in the Plateau region;
· Demonstrated experience working on collaborative projects between tribal and non-tribal organizations;
· Potential for hire with tenure;
· Demonstrated understanding of American Indian research, education, and service as related to higher education;
· Experience with strategic planning, program development and evaluation in an academic setting;
· Experience with administration of budgets and personnel in an academic setting;
· Evidence of external funding procurement;
· Demonstrated success mentoring faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students;
· Demonstrated experience planning and coordinating conferences, conventions, symposia, and/or workshops

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Application review will begin February 15, 2010. To be considered for this position, please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and a statement of vision for the WSU Plateau Center for American Indian Studies. In addition to the above, please request official college transcripts for post secondary degrees and six letters of reference (three of which must be tribal references and three of which must be academic references) sent directly to the Search Committee Chair. An applicant’s application materials will not be reviewed until all requested materials have been received including transcripts and letters of reference. Address for application materials:

Barbara Aston, Search Committee Chair
Tribal Liaison Office/Office of the Provost
Washington State University
P.O. Box 641046
Pullman, WA 99164-1046

Questions only, e-mail: aston@wsu.edu

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATOR AND EMPLOYER. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.
WSU is committed to excellence through diversity, has faculty friendly policies including a partner accommodation program, and a NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant (see http://www.excelinse.wsu.edu/).
WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Washington State University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521(v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.