James Madison University seeks nominations and applications for the role of Program Coordinator for the M.A. program in political science (with a concentration in European Union Policy Studies) offered by JMU in Florence, Italy. The person chosen for this role will begin work on 16-JUNE-2025. JMU in Florence offers both an undergraduate study-abroad program (SIF – Semester in Florence) and an M.A. program in political science (EUPS – European Union Policy Studies). As the participants enrolled in this graduate program are mostly students educated in the USA, significant knowledge of the U.S. higher education system is helpful to being successful in this role.
ROLE SUMMARY
The EUPS Program Coordinator is a faculty member who provides on-site leadership to the operations of JMU’s 10-month-long M.A. program in political science, that runs annually from either late August or early September through late June. The Program Coordinator reports to the U.S.-based Program Director, Charles Blake. The EUPS Program Coordinator facilitates the daily operations of this graduate program with a cohort capped at 20 students to maintain seminar-style instruction. The Program Coordinator is the on-site academic leader of daily operations and works in collaboration with the Administrative Coordinator, the Residence-life Assistant, the JMU Faculty Member in Residence [FMIR], the rest of the EUPS program faculty, students, graduate assistants, housekeeping and the occasional intern.
The EUPS Program Coordinator will be responsible for working a full-time schedule in the JMU in Florence facility from Monday through Friday. Beyond their administrative role, the Program Coordinator will teach three courses each year. The EUPS Coordinator also leads a week-long field trip to Brussels each fall and a week-long field trip to Rome each spring. Occasionally, the EUPS Program Coordinator will be asked to serve on-call in the event of emergencies occurring outside of normal business hours, in situations in which the scheduled on-call person is unable to perform their duties. They will also be expected to participate in program communications beyond normal work hours when student health or safety concerns occur that are time-sensitive.
Candidates for this role need to be highly proficient in both English and Italian. They need to have observable expertise in the political dynamics of Europe and of the EU, including research & teaching agendas relevant to that expertise. Teamwork, communication, and coordination with others are part of the daily work experience.
DUTIES
* Coordinates budget implementation for the EUPS program (subject to JMU policies).
* Coordinates on-site implementation of instruction and assessment in the EUPS program (in accord with program design & JMU policies).
* Coordinates on-site student support for the SIF program (in collaboration with the FMIR, the Administrative Coordinator and the RA).
* Enforces program policies related to students’ academic work and their behavior (under the leadership of the Program Director).
* Participates actively in the recruitment, hiring, training, & support of EUPS faculty under the leadership of the Program Director.
* Designs & implements co-curricular and extra-curricular programming (e.g. week-long field trips to Brussels & Rome, a Model EU Simulation at the end of each fall semester, and also professional development workshops & speakers held throughout the year).
* Teaches three courses each year. During the academic year, they will teach one semester-length course assigned in line with program needs and the coordinator’s expertise. Then, each summer session from late April or early May through late June, the coordinator will teach two courses. POSC 690 (Tutorial in Political Science) frames and supervises internship and research programs conducted from late April or early May through late June each summer. POSC 692 (Capstone Seminar) focuses on assisting students in refining their career development and job-seeking skills.
* Conducts and publishes research relevant to political science and/or public policy.
* Works with the Program Director in advancement activities related to alumni engagement, program visibility, and fundraising – including supervision of EUPS GAs producing social media communications.
* Will be trained in Italian workplace health & safety rules – and then will be periodically tasked with thinking about all employees & stakeholders with regard to those rules.
* Supports emergency response efforts if and as needed & directed (under the guidance of the Administrative Coordinator & the Program Director).
* Other duties as assigned by the Program Director.
QUALIFICATIONS and KEY SKILLS
* A doctoral degree in political science, public policy or related fields – or a master’s degree in those fields along with at least five years of relevant teaching and research experience.
* A demonstrated record of professional research examining European and EU politics.
* At least three years of work experience in a professional team setting in higher education in Italy and/or the United States.
* Ability to communicate effectively in English and Italian, written and oral.
* Good communication, organizational, teamwork, and relationship-building skills.
* Availability to be on call occasionally.
* Availability to participate in program communications beyond normal work hours when student health or safety concerns occur that are time-sensitive.
REQUIRED STATUS
Immigration status permitting work in the European Union.
STARTING DATE
The starting date for this role is Monday 16-JUNE-2025.
COMPENSATION
Compensation will be in accord with ANINSEI national contract and the candidate’s characteristics. The level of employment will be decided in accord with the candidate’s experience and demonstrated competencies. Frequency of payments will be monthly and will be broken into 13 separate units. Tax withholdings and benefit computations will be calculated by labor consultants and will be filed with the appropriate authorities in Italy.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants must submit (1) a letter of interest; (2) a curriculum vitae or resume; and (3) the names and contact information of two individuals prepared to provide professional references.
For inquiries, please write to Professor Charles Blake at: blakech@jmu.edu
Review of applications will begin on Monday 24-MARCH 2025 and will continue until the role is filled. Applications must be submitted to blakech@jmu.edu
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