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The Associate Director position is interdependent with posting 267015: LEO Adjunct Lecturer (Curriculum Support), which involves teaching ALA 380: Let's Talk Undergraduate Research: Communicating Scholarly Inquiry Within Academia and Beyond. You must apply to both job postings and be qualified for both positions in order to be considered as a candidate. (Please see Job Posting 267015, which describes the LEO Adjunct Lecturer position, for the specific application requirements of that position.) To apply for the Associate Director position, a cover letter should be attached as the first page of your resume or CV. Please address your specific interest in the position available and outline your skills and experience that is directly related to the description. Applications with no cover letter will not be considered. These materials must be submitted through the U-M Careers Website. 

Job Summary

The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) is one of the largest programs of its kind serving 1400 undergraduate students and has engaged undergraduate students in research, scholarly, and creative inquiry for 35 years. By providing opportunities for students to work on research and creative projects with University of Michigan researchers and community partners in all academic disciplines, UROP creates conditions for a supportive educational environment where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to add value. UROP encourages students towards a life-long appreciation for discovery and the social benefits of diversity, for building understanding across differences, and critically examining information in the world around them. This nationally recognized program has been acknowledged as one of the leading programs that engages diverse students in research.

The Associate Director of Research Mentor Engagement will be an integral part of the overall leadership team. They will work closely with the UROP Director and will serve as the lead in providing organizational and administrative leadership regarding research project recruitment and the main point of contact to research mentors as it relates to mentor's role in student success. They will serve as the lead of curriculum development and teaching for ALA 380 (Research Scholars), including working with UM colleagues on the University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Journal (UMURJ). The Associate Director of Research Mentor Engagement will oversee the professional research skill-building workshops and the recruitment of qualified instructors that will train UROP students on multiple research skills. They will work with the entire UROP team on the coordination of the Annual Spring Research Symposium. The successful applicant will be an experienced professional with expertise in conducting research, student academic affairs and demonstrated background in academic program development. The successful applicant should also have experience with diverse student populations and experience with transition issues facing undergraduate students. We are looking for an individual who has experience with research, curriculum and program development in higher education, as well as program evaluation and assessment.

This is a full-time, 12-month staff position with an interdependent part-time adjunct lecturer position with an 11.11% appointment in the fall and winter terms of the academic year. The effort associated with this staff position will decrease to allow for the instructional effort in the Lecturer appointment. The instructional appointment is structured to allow the Associate Director of UROP Research Mentor Engagement to serve as instructor-of-record for a variable-credit course about Undergraduate Research and Communicating Scholarly Inquiry Within Academia and Beyond.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

Generous time off, including vacation time, sick time, holiday and season daysA retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vestingMany choices for comprehensive health insuranceLife insuranceLong-term disability coverageFlexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

In addition, the college of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) offers:

Enhanced tuition support programs for LSA coursesStrong commitment to work/life balanceFlexible work arrangements with respect to campus stakeholder needs

Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care - that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.

Responsibilities*

Administrative Management of Research Mentor Recruitment and Program Communication (20%)

The position will lead responsibility in developing and implementing strategies for communication and recruitment of a diverse set of research mentors from all UM schools and colleges and work closely with the Assistant Director of Community Research and Engagement in expanding research opportunities in the community. The Associate Director recruits over 1,000 research mentors, or more, annually or roughly 1,200 research projects for UROP students. The Associate Director will plan and direct research project recruitment and develop a recruitment plan for ensuring continued program growth in all academic areas, ensuring equitable representation of all areas of academic study. The candidate is responsible for developing marketing, recruitment and informational materials for potential research mentors and developing and running orientation programs for mentors. They develop clear periodic communication with mentors throughout the year including program requirements, timelines, and processes; including working with mentors and UROP staff to resolve conflicts with students and performance issues. The Associate Director will work with IT staff on updating mentoring agreement needs and ensuring that students and mentors understand the process of project-student pairing.

The Associate Director of Research Mentor Engagement contributes to the long-range vision for the program. They will provide back-up for the UROP Director, along with the Associate Director of Curriculum & Retention in the unit, in the Director's absence and provide functional supervision for administrative and student services staff.

Lead Curriculum Development of Research Scholars Program (25%)

Direct UROP's Research Scholars Program for UROP students returning to research for a second year in a more advanced role. This includes student recruitment for Research Scholars, student selection, and program evaluation. Work with campus partners to create unique opportunities for Research Scholars to publish, present, or exhibit their research in different formats and through various media.

Lead of Research Skill-Building Workshops and Assist with Spring-Summer Research Symposium (5%)

UROP provides numerous research skill development workshops each year from GIS, MATLAB, RefWorks, SPSS, R Programming, Laboratory Research Safety, etc. These workshops contribute to the student's professional development and meet our goal in providing faculty with trained research assistants who can participate fully in the projects. The Associate Director of Research Mentor Engagement will develop collaborations with the University Library, OSEH, and qualified independent instructors across UM campus to run these research training sessions. The Associate Director will regularly check-in with research mentors on professional research topics that are recommended and/or required by research mentors and develop strategies for online training that students can easily access. The Associate Director also assists with the Annual Spring & Summer Research Symposium with the UROP staff. They communicate with research mentors to ensure that students have permission to present their research. They lead the recruitment efforts for poster judges and work with the Director of UROP on seeking nominations for mentor awards, selecting winners, and planning the faculty-mentor award ceremony.

Coordinator of Research Mentor Training and Development (15%)

UM faculty and researchers have long been committed to including undergraduate students on their research teams and to providing high-quality engagement to UROP students. Effective research mentoring relationships are critical to not only developing the next generation of faculty and researchers, but also, retaining UROP students by providing them with quality guidance and training. Working with the UROP Director who will lead the initiative, along with interested colleagues and campus partners, the Associate Director will work on scaling UROPs Research Mentor Training & Development series to improve the research mentoring relationships for mentees and mentors in all fields of study. The goal is to collectively train junior faculty and future faculty (post docs, grad students) and anyone mentoring diverse students in an undergraduate student research setting.

The Associate Director will work with the Director to develop a framework and assessment tools that UROP (and departments) will be able to use to measure undergraduate researchers' learning experiences and the nuance of the experience based on the field of study, culture of department, mentors background, and other variables to account for. This will provide useful information for improving the research experience for both undergraduate mentees and their mentors. Some of the goals would be: facilitate research mentor training for research mentors at all career stages; develop and study new approaches and resources for advancing mentoring relationships; promote cultural change that values excellence in research mentoring; and advance diversity in the research enterprise.

Assessment of Mentor-Mentee Research Partnerships (15%)

Assist in the assessment and evaluation of mentor-mentee research partnerships. Monitor UROP program effectiveness, along with the Associate Director of Retention and Curriculum, through the implementation of evaluation tools including surveys and the use of focus groups and develop additional evaluation and learning analytical tools. The Associate Director of Research Mentor Engagement will focus on evaluating the professional skills building workshops and mentor- mentee research partnerships. Make recommendations for workshops and mentor training based on evaluation findings. In consultation with the Director of UROP, develop measurable outcomes that will assist in determining the effectiveness of the mentor-mentee partnerships and use those outcomes to modify and enhance mentor training, specifically for new research mentors. Develop and implement systems for tracking/measuring outcomes in relation to faculty/research mentor interactions with students, student progress in research, and collaborate with the Director of UROP and the Associate Director of Retention and Curriculum on instruments and evaluation protocols.

Supervision (20%)

The Associate Director assists the training and functional supervision of UROP office staff and assists as needed in interpreting UM guidelines and policies and resolving problems related to student research and related issues. They supervise up to 10 UROP Research Peer Facilitators and directly supervise the Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Research.

Required Qualifications*Master's degree in Higher Education or related field 3-5 years supervising students and regular staff.3-5 years' experience working in an academic student setting.Experience in curriculum development for undergraduate studentsAbility to prioritize multiple competing demands and work in a fast-paced environmentExperience and commitment to working with a diverse, multicultural student population and superb interpersonal relationship skillsProfessional demeanor and excellent interpersonal skills, including written and oral communication skillsDemonstrated project management and organizational skills; strong attention to detailAbility to set priorities, work simultaneously on numerous tasks with multiple staff, and meet deadlinesExcellent analytical, problem solving and decision-making skillsPrior experience is required in student success services, such as academic advising, mentoring, learning support programs, and applied, experiential learning programs.Effectively supervise programs for academic, social and personal support services as enrichment for students.Classroom instruction or lesson-plan facilitation preferred.Deep understanding of college student development and its impact on the college learning experience and the retention of students.Desired Qualifications*Doctorate degree in Higher Education (or in a related field)Strong relational database management and strong information technology experienceAble to analyze both statistical and qualitative research related to mentorship and use interpretations of these data sets to creatively identify practical responses in programming or systems modification.Strong academic experience, with knowledge of academic resources on campusDemonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with broad sections of UM faculty and staff.Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.