Administrative Director - Writing Program

Salary Grade

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary range available for this position at the time of its posting. The salary range is between $56,395 and $71,340, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

Job Description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Administrative Director is an essential member of the Writing Program leadership team that partners with the faculty director to lead the development and delivery of the curriculum, faculty and student support services, and strategic initiatives. The administrative director oversees writing program operations, budgeting, and communications, and serves as a key liaison to internal and external stakeholders across Case Western Reserve University and the broader community.

The Writing Program is an interdisciplinary unit within the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences that supports writing instruction and communication development at Case Western Reserve. The program supports more than 350 courses annually, delivering all undergraduate first-year writing seminars, and a significant share of communication-intensive courses to satisfy the Written, Oral, and Multimodal Communication component of the Unified General Education Requirements. Through the Writing Resource Center, the program provides writing consultation (approximately 200 hours per week) to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff, along with on-demand workshops offered throughout the academic year. The program also provides pedagogical leadership in advancing effective writing instruction, including innovation in teaching writing within the context of generative artificial intelligence.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develop and advance strategic goals for the writing program by collaborating with faculty to collect and analyze data, using the findings to evaluate current initiatives that guide strategic planning and implementation. Track undergraduate enrollment, website and Canvas usage statistics, Writing Resource Center consultations and workshop attendance, and provide analysis of data in written and graphic report form to the director. Conduct annual/semi-annual benchmarking of other national writing programs (e.g., at Emory, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, and Wash U) and collect data that aligns with the best practices in the teaching of writing. Keep track of research publications on the teaching of writing, and assess how other writing programs are addressing plagiarism, Generative AI, and multimodal writing. Perform literature reviews on how Generative AI is used in classrooms and prepare a summary report for the director. (15%)
• Establish communication tools and materials that elevate the writing programs visibility on campus and beyond, using effective marketing and communication strategies. Write content for the Daily, the colleges newsletter, and annual impact reports for donors. Oversee the programs webpage and social media ensuring compliance with branding and university standards in cooperation with the college and University Marketing and Communications. (15%)
• Manage academic-year course schedules for all writing program offerings to ensure alignment with student needs as well as faculty expertise and availability. Collect and analyze enrollment and Student Information System (SIS) data to assess course offerings and make recommendations to better meet the universitys strategic goals. Oversee the administrative processes, rostering of courses in SIS, setting and monitoring permissions, and tracking enrollments executed by the programs department assistant. (15%)
• Lead the development and execution of strategic initiatives that advance the Writing Programs mission and align with departmental and institutional priorities. Evaluate program effectiveness through data-informed analysis of student outcomes, course performance, and stakeholder feedback, and recommend program enhancements. Identify emerging needs in student writing and curricular delivery and design responsive initiatives to address gaps. Guide decision-making related to resource allocation, course offerings, and program policies, ensuring consistency, equity, and academic rigor. Collaborate with department leadership and campus partners to anticipate challenges, set priorities, and sustain continuous program improvement. (10%)
• Provide ongoing non-faculty support for undergraduate students in 350-400 writing program courses per academic year, including all Academic English, Academic Inquiry, and Writing and Rhetoric courses. Monitor and respond to enrollment questions, permissions requests, and other student concerns. (10%)
• Cultivate and strengthen engagement with offices in the Division of Student Affairs through strategic and timely communication to ensure writing program courses align with student needs; and to connect students/faculty with appropriate resources when necessary. Serve as a key liaison among writing program faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and departments across the university. This includes guiding approximately 1,550 incoming first-year students through the writing seminar selection process, collaborating with faculty and staff to assess student writing needs, and effectively communicating new writing program initiatives to campus stakeholders. (10%)
• Establish and sustain curricular partnerships with local and regional cultural institutions whose support is essential to the pedagogy of the writing programs first year seminars. Foster positive relationships with University Circle Institutions Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland History Center, Severance Music Center, Cozad Bates Interpretative Center and many regional institutions including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Theater, Playhouse Square, and One Art One Community. (10%)
• Provide financial management for all writing program events and activities. Develop and manage long-range financial planning for the writing program, including 3-year budget projections, analysis of tuition revenue in relation to operating expenses, and annual forecasting to support strategic decision-making. Supervise the Department Assistant 3, and oversee day-to-day bookkeeping, purchasing, requisitions, and related transactional processes. Conduct budget benchmarking with peer and national institutions, monitor year-over-year spending allocations and programmatic expenditures. Prepare reports and recommendations to support the writing program directors budget configurations and requests for additional funding. Manage all activities for the student writing awards, and faculty teaching awards. Schedule, advertise, develop, and communicate deadlines, oversee submissions processes, arrange faculty review committees, award announcements, and prize processing. (6%)
• Develop strategies and archival practices for maintaining the security of writing program files, budgeting documents, course schedules, syllabi, faculty, and student worker appointment files, etc. (6%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversee deliveries and distributions to various writing program and writing resource center locations across campus, in person. (2%)
• Perform other duties as assigned. (1%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with the writing program and English department staff and faculty to facilitate program activities, communicate program priorities, and facilitate smooth operations of the program. Receive direction from and communicate with the Director of the writing program.

University: Frequent contact with faculty, staff, and administrators across all of the schools in the university, including Undergraduate Advising Support, Registrar, Dean of Students, Student Conduct and Community Standards, to request and provide information about the writing programs operations, resolve conflicts and concerns, and promote collegial and productive relationships.

External: Regular contact with individuals outside of the university to request and collect information, coordinate curricular collaborations, and ensure productive relationships and consistent programming.

Students: Frequent contact with undergraduate student employees, graduate students working as teaching assistants in the program, and undergraduate students enrolled in the program to answer questions, resolve conflicts, and collect/distribute information.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct supervisory responsibility for the writing programs department assistant 3, provide mentoring and professional development support, and complete annual performance reviews.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: 3 to 5 or more years of relevant work experience, preferably in academic administration, instruction, and/or management. Previous experience in a university setting strongly preferred.

Education: Bachelors degree required; major in humanities, writing and/or communication strongly preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Ability to show initiative, creativity, and vision while exercising sound judgment and collaborating successfully with others.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to keep workflow moving efficiently while maintaining a collegial and respectful working environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to seek and use feedback to produce effective documents that represent the writing program positively to others and that are appropriate for the varied audiences the writing program serves.
• Strong organizational skills: attention to detail, critical thinking, strategic planning, and follow-through abilities.
• Ability to support communication across modalities, including writing, oral presentations, and visual communication.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, particularly in managing a dynamic, student-facing program.
• Ability to manage day-to-day program operations and ensure consistency and quality across services.
• Ability to incorporate feedback and adjust approaches across different audiences and contexts.
• Ability to learn and effectively use appropriate workplace technologies and programs (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) including social media and web applications.
• Willingness to learn and work with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies.
• Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
• Ability to interact positively with colleagues, supervisors, faculty, and students face to face and virtually.
• Ability to meet consistent attendance.

WORKING CONDITIONS

General office environment and movement to various campus locations. This position is eligible for the staff hybrid work program but must be flexible to ensure the writing program office is consistently staffed. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be necessary to support programming and events. Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and deliver materials in person.

Hybrid Eligibility

This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement up to two remote days per week at the discretion of the department. New employees may begin a hybrid schedule upon approval from the supervisor, successful completion of an orientation period and signing the remote work checklist certification form.

EEO Statement

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodations

Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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