Missouri State University

2412 Director, Writing Center

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Director, Writing Center

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 2412

GRADE 43

CLASSIFICATION Exempt
 
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Assistant Provost
 
MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Vice President for Academic Affairs
 
GENERAL FUNCTION
 
The primary duty of the Director of the Writing Center is to provide students with the skills to write effectively while enrolled at the University and following graduation. The Director of the Writing Center oversees the operation of the Writing Center to maintain a professional writing environment, selects, trains, schedules, and supervises student tutors and student clerical staff, plans and implements training and professional development opportunities for student staff, seeks input from users of Writing Center services and evaluates Center effectiveness, promotes and informs the campus community about the writing support available at the Center, and maintains effective communication with academic administrators and faculty about Writing Center programs. The Director may teach up to 6 hours over the course of the academic year in his/her field of expertise. The Director reviews and selects tutoring materials and accepts committee assignments.
 
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
 
Education: A Master's degree in English, composition or a closely related field is required.
 
Experience: Two years of successful experience teaching writing or study skills at the college level are required. Experience in the development and/or maintenance of web sites is preferred.
 
Skills: Excellent oral and written communication skills are required. Proven leadership and managerial skills are required. The ability to expand writing skills assistance through online methods is preferred.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 
1. Provides students the opportunity to improve their writing skills by overseeing the development and delivery of effective tutoring programs, increasing the awareness of the Center and its services, evaluating the effectiveness of the Center’s efforts, and improving writing outcomes of students served by the Center.
 
2. Assists students directly by teaching courses in one’s field of expertise, maintaining a professional writing environment, and maintaining office hours designated for meeting with students.
 
3. Assures effective writing support for students by selecting, training, scheduling, and supervising student tutors and student clerical staff, planning and implementing training and professional development opportunities for student tutors, reviewing and selecting tutoring materials, expanding the selection of writing resources available online to students, maintaining equipment in good condition, and maintaining supplies for the Center.
 
4. Increases the reach of the Writing Center by preparing informational materials about Center services for distribution on campus and communicating regularly with academic administrators and faculty about the Writing Center’s services.
 
5. Assures the most effective use of Writing Center resources by preparing, utilizing, and monitoring the Center’s budget.
 
6. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses required by the Dean of the College.
 
7. Contributes to the success of the University by performing all other duties as assigned.
 
SUPERVISION
 
The Director of the Writing Center is supervised by the Assistant Provost and supervises student tutors and student clerical staff.
 
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
MAY 2007

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 3 - 1500 Points: Entry-level knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, and methods of an administrative, managerial, technical, or professional specialty. Knowledge permits employee to carry out basic recurring tasks and routine portions of assignments or to carry out less demanding professional elements of assignments in professional or technical areas including accounting or auditing, financial management, business administration, human resources, law, engineering, science, or medicine, while gaining familiarity with the University's policies and goals, business practices, and/or accounting systems. This level of knowledge permits the employee to schedule and carry out the steps of a limited operation or project, or to complete stages of a multi-phase project. Alternatively, knowledge at this level might also permit the employee to carry out recurring tasks and routine assignments requiring moderate experience in specific areas within higher education. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in a specific technical or professional specialty. Knowledge requirements may also include a limited amount of related work experience. Alternatively, equivalent knowledge requirements at this level include a non-technical or general Bachelor's degree requirement with a moderate level of additional related work experience or a non-specific Master's degree requirement with some related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 2 - 130 Points: Regular, but limited, supervision, training, or directing the work assignments of (a) small numbers of student, part-time or temporary workers, or (b) one or more permanent, full-time employees. The nature of supervision is largely confined to scheduling work and assigning tasks. Supervision at this level typically does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities, and supervisory duties typically do not consume a large portion of the work day.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 3 - 250 Points: The purpose of interactions is to advise or counsel others to solve recurring and structured problems, and/or to plan or coordinate work efforts with other employees who are working toward common goals in situations where relationships are generally cooperative. Interactions are moderately structured and routine and may involve employees in different functions, students, and/or the general public. These types of interactions require normal interpersonal skills.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 3 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.