Assistant Director for Training Programs

Institute's work is organized around five interrelated program areas, including the Beacon Program for Deliberation & Free Expression , for which the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) and the recently launched Deliberative Citizenship Network (DCN) are flagship programs.

The DCI creates opportunities for Davidson students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the wider community to productively engage with one another on difficult and contentious issues facing our community and society. It hosts a student Fellows Program, a Deliberative Pedagogy Program, Deliberative Facilitator Training Workshops, Deliberative Forums, Speaker Series, and small group discussions called D Teams. The DCI also leads the Deliberative Citizenship Network (DCN), a new multi-year national initiative that will support 100 colleges and universities across the country in developing programs that foster civil discourse and constructive engagement across differences.

The Assistant Director for Training Programs plays a central role in advancing Davidson's national leadership in deliberative pedagogy and civil discourse training. The primary responsibility of the Assistant Director for Training Programs is leading the design, coordination, and delivery of training experiences that equip faculty, staff, and students with the skills needed to facilitate constructive dialogue and deliberation. Working closely with partner institutions, the Assistant Director helps develop sustainable institutional capacity for civil discourse in classrooms and across campus life. Most of the training programs developed by this position will be open to both in-person participation from members of the Davidson community and virtual participation from members of the Deliberative Citizenship Network and the broader public.

The position reports to the Program Director of the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and Deliberative Citizenship Network and works in close collaboration with other team members. The DCI and DCN are led by the DCI Faculty Director, who serves as the Project Director and Principal Investigator of the Department of Education Grant supporting the DCN's creation. The Faculty Director provides day-to-day direction and programmatic leadership for the DCI and DCN and guides the work of the Program Director in advancing the program's priorities.

Collaborative, highly organized professionals motivated to strengthen civil discourse in higher education are encouraged to apply to join our team that values intellectual openness, innovation, and partnership.

Davidson College is located a short drive from Charlotte, NC, the state's largest city. As an employer, Davidson offers numerous benefits, including:

• 4 weeks of vacation in the first year of employment, plus college holidays
• Health insurance
• A 403(b) retirement plan to which the College contributes 9.5% of salary after one year of employment
• Tuition assistance for employees after one year of employment

This is a four-year, fixed term appointment primarily supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. There may be opportunities for longer-term employment contingent upon additional funding.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Faculty Development and Deliberative Pedagogy

Lead the Deliberative Pedagogy Collaborative, a year-long learning community supporting faculty across partner institutions in designing courses that incorporate structured dialogue and deliberation. Facilitate panels and workshops on deliberative pedagogy and classroom deliberations, provide individualized consultation to faculty developing deliberation-embedded courses, and review syllabi and instructional materials to support alignment with DCN frameworks.

Training Programs for Students and Staff

Design and deliver training workshops that prepare students, staff, and faculty to facilitate productive conversations on challenging issues. These include deliberation facilitator training, deliberation host workshops, and related training experiences that build facilitation skills and support constructive engagement across differences.

Partner Institution Support

Provide technical assistance and coaching to partner institutions implementing training programs and deliberative pedagogy initiatives. Support onboarding of new institutions into the DCN training sequence and collaborate with campus leads to help them adapt training models to their institutional contexts.

Training Resource Development

Develop and maintain training curricula, instructional guides, and facilitation materials that support the delivery of DCN training programs. Contribute to the creation of toolkits and operational resources that partner institutions can use to implement training programs on their own campuses.

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Collaborate with DCI staff and the external evaluator to support assessment of training programs and learning outcomes. Use evaluation findings and participant feedback to improve training design and strengthen program effectiveness across the DCN network.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will be an experienced educator or program leader capable of designing and facilitating high-quality learning experiences while working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and institutional partners.

Required qualifications include:

• Master's degree in communication studies, education, political science, public policy, rhetoric, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating educational programs, workshops, or professional development experiences
• Strong facilitation, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience working collaboratively with faculty, students, and staff in educational or civic contexts
• Commitment to and experience with advancing civil discourse, deliberative dialogue, and constructive engagement across differences
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines

Preferred qualifications include:

• PhD in communication studies, education, philosophy, political science, public policy, rhetoric, or a related field
• Experience teaching and working in higher education settings
• Experience organizing dialogue or deliberation programs
• Familiarity with deliberative pedagogy and civil discourse initiatives

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position includes periodic travel to partner institutions and training events. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for workshops and program activities.