Director of the MFA - Converse University

The Low Residency MFA Director holds an MFA in Creative Writing and possesses a strong record of publication, including publication in journals and magazines, plus a record of multiple book publications with reputable university, trade, and/or independent presses. The MFA Director has experience teaching in a graduate writing program, proven organizational and administrative skills in creating and sustaining a collegial academic and artistic community, and experience in budget development for an academic program. The MFA Director serves as the liaison between the program faculty and the college administration and supervises one half-time support position (the MFA Administrative Assistant). The MFA Director serves on the Graduate Admissions Committee, chairs the MFA Admissions Committee and produces all admissions letters and letters of acceptance/rejection, leads any necessary MFA faculty searches, serves as academic advisor for all students in the MFA program, leads the applicant recruitment and admissions evaluation of students, and oversees all aspects of the MFA Program. In addition, the MFA director is a faculty member in the Low Residency MFA Program.

The MFA Director determines teaching assignments for all residency and mentoring creative writing classes and craft seminars. The director develops additional residency session panel discussions and conferences for students with outside editors, literary agents, and visiting writers; leads thesis defense sessions, and conducts informational meetings with each student cohort. In addition to hiring core faculty mentors for each residency and mentoring semester, the MFA Director hires additional visiting writers, editors and agents for the residency sessions as needed. The MFA Director takes the lead in developing the contracts for all core and visiting faculty and works closely with the Office of the President, the Provost's Office, the Dean of the School of Arts, and the Human Resources Office in the hiring and payroll process. The MFA Director also oversees all aspects of distance learning during mentoring semesters and all aspects of the winter and summer residency sessions, including new faculty training, oversight of faculty teaching, and response to student, faculty, and administrative concerns, as needed, plus design and organization of the entire residency schedule, organization and planning of room and board for faculty, students, and visiting faculty (with the assistance of MFA Administrative Assistant), and liaison to campus and community vendors to the program (with the assistance of MFA Administrative Assistant). The MFA director also serves on all MFA theses committees and leads the MFA oral defense sessions. The MFA Director, with the assistance of the administrative assistant, coordinates, develops, and reports all assessment activity in the program.

Specific Duties

• Oversees student recruitment, admissions, and retention strategies, and supervises administrative assistant in recruiting and admissions roles
• Recruits new students by phone, email, video conferencing, national and regional conferences, special MFA Admission events on campus and online, and coordinates all external and internal communications with prospective students, enrolled students, and faculty.
• Recruits and mentors MFA faculty and program staff
• Oversees the MFA in Creative Writing curriculum in accordance to college policy
• Oversees all assessment for the MFA Program
• Plans, proposes and administers the MFA in Creative Writing budget
• Oversees any revisions to the MFA Handbook and MFA section of graduate catalogue
• Plans and supervises an annual advertising strategy in national print and online markets
• Develops MFA course schedules
• Develops MFA Academic Calendar
• Maintains an active publication record and stays active as a writer of new literature
• Serves as academic advisor for all students in the MFA Program
• Chairs the MFA Faculty Committee in proposing any revisions for MFA policies and in proposing new faculty hires for the MFA Program
• Oversees all aspects of the winter and summer residency sessions, including the lead in development of the 10-day schedule, the hiring of faculty and visiting faculty, the coordination of Graduating student presentations.
• Acts as consultant and Advisory Editor for the MFA program's online literary journal, South 85 Journal
• Works with the Converse Undergraduate Director of Creative to coordinate the MFA Alumni Book Prize through Clemson University Press every other year.
• May teach MFA residency workshop course, and mentor students in writing and craft topics mentoring courses as needed by the program, also teaches the CRW 600 and the CRW 660 courses each semester
• Coordinates MFA student work scholarship application review.

DISCLAIMER: The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

We believe that a diverse faculty and staff are essential to achieving academic excellence; thus, we strongly encourage applications from candidates from all racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.