Director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Claremont McKenna College (CMC), a premier liberal arts college and member of the prestigious Claremont Colleges, seeks an energetic and innovative leader to serve as the next Director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, known as the Ath. A unique program in American higher education, the core of the Ath is the Ath Speaker Series, which brings distinguished scholars, public figures, thought leaders, artists, and innovators to engage with the CMC community. The Director is a crucial leader in CMC’s project to promote intellectual growth, artistic and cultural appreciation, and College-wide, Open Academy commitments to free expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue. CMC seeks a deeply engaged thought leader and skilled program administrator with wide-ranging interests, superior social and communication capabilities, and a commitment to promoting civil discourse. This is an unparalleled opportunity to improve civil discourse through undergraduate education.

CMC leads its peers in providing the education needed to address the urgent issues of our time. The College’s mission is to prepare its students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions, and to support faculty and student scholarship that contribute to intellectual vitality and the understanding of public policy issues. Uniquely positioned in higher education, CMC aims to develop the world’s most influential and entrepreneurial leaders and has the capacity to attract the very best students due to a clarity of mission, its top ranking for return on investment, and its commitment to supporting a diverse student body. CMC currently enrolls approximately 1400 students and is a member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions.

Established in 1970, the Ath is a fixture in the academic and co-curricular life of CMC. Its Director is a senior campus leader, reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty (VPAA/DOF), collaborating regularly with the President and leading alumni, parents, and members of the Board of Trustees, and engaging daily with faculty, staff, and students from a wide span of viewpoints and backgrounds. Many students see the Ath as a second home on campus, and the Director serves as a formal and informal mentor. By building deep connections with the campus community, the Ath Director will understand the intellectual and cultural tenor of campus and create compelling programs that advance the campus conversation in service of developing students ready for responsible leadership in a range of industries and fields.

CMC seeks a collaborative and energetic leader with a minimum of three years’ experience in leading academic or intellectual programming. The ideal candidate will have familiarity with a liberal arts educational setting. A master’s degree, or the equivalent combination of education and experience, is required and a terminal degree is preferred. In addition, the ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently with minimal direction
• Goal-oriented management skills with the ability to work collaboratively and professionally with student employees and volunteers
• Strong interpersonal skills and a high level of social energy, with the ability to interface professionally with students, alumni, parents, administration, faculty, and community members
• Excellent communication skills in a variety of media and the ability to listen both for content and emotion
• Ability to manage budget operations, including monitoring and tracking budgetary expenditures
• Ability to filter good ideas and to filter ineffective strategies and ideas with tact
• A collaborative spirit and service-oriented attitude
• Skill in fostering shared values, especially the CMC community-wide values of open inquiry, inclusion, social warmth, and community building

While the actual salary will depend on the chosen candidate’s level of skills and experience, the current budgeted salary for the role is between $120,000 and $145,000.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be submitted below. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

David Bellshaw is leading this search with Hayden Lizotte, Aku Ammah-Tagoe, and Christina Errico. 

In addition to its commitment to a harassment-free educational and working environment, Claremont McKenna College is an equal employment opportunity employer. The College is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable state and federal laws on the matter. The College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition or medical leave, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. The College also prohibits the harassment of any employee on any of these bases.