Artistic Director of the West Chester University Poetry Conference

The Artistic Director of the West Chester University Poetry Conference will be responsible to direct the artistic activities of the 2016 Conference by securing commitments from members of the poetry community to provide readings, panels, and workshops. The Director will establish a program that can be implemented within the confines of the budget provided by the CAS Dean and the CAS Programs Manager. The Director will provide assistance to the university in the selection of the Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award winners and scholarship recipients for the conference.

The Director will work collaboratively with the WCU Poetry Center Faculty Advisory Committee to enable engagement of WCU faculty and students in the WCU Poetry Conference as appropriate and as defined by its mission. The Director will work with the WCU Poetry Center’s Advisory Board as a member of the team that will engage in strategic planning for the Center. The Director may be asked to engage in marketing and fundraising activities for the Conference as directed and supported by the WCU College of Arts & Sciences Dean and the WCU Foundation.

The qualifications of the Artistic Director are as follows:

Demonstrated commitment to the goals of the WCU Poetry Conference and Center as described in the mission statement
Demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity and an environment of inclusive excellence
Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills
Demonstrated skills in understanding budgets and grants management
Experience working in a university context
Experience working with community, regional, and national arts organizations
Familiarity with the community of poets and artists that have interest and passion for the Center’s mission

It is expected that the director will visit the WCU campus as follows:

One-week stay during week of conference

Two 3-day visits to participate in Poetry Salon and Advisory Board Meeting

One 3-day visit, coinciding if possible with WCU Poet-in-Residence

Additional travel may be assigned and compensated upon mutual agreement of the Dean and the Director.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed according to WCU policy.

Review of nominations and applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Application materials should include a brief description of how the nominee/applicant meets the qualifications articulated above. Please apply by sending requested materials to the West Chester University Foundation at [email protected].

West Chester University Poetry Center

Mission Statement

The West Chester University Poetry Center was created in 2000 to further the study and appreciation of poetry. The goals of the Poetry Center are:

to provide the nation's finest instruction in the diverse traditional techniques of poetry;
to provide an international forum for the discussion of poetic form and prosody;
to train teachers in the art of teaching poetry and poetic form;
to foster the necessary dialogue between practicing poets and critics in a culture that too often separates them;
to recognize poetic achievement through the Iris N. Spencer Awards;

Programs

The Center offers a variety of programs and activities that help expand its mission of bringing poetry to an ever-widening audience. These activities include:

The West Chester University Poetry Conference. The WCU Poetry Conference is the nation's largest annual poetry conference. The Conference is unique because it offers workshops in traditional poetic craft, and provides a national forum to discuss major trends in contemporary poetry. As critic Carlin Romano has noted, it is "the nation's most intellectually rigorous conference for poets." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Iris N. Spencer Poetry Awards. The Spencer Awards, including the Donald Justice Poetry Award, the Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award, the Myong Cha Son Haiku Award, and the Rhina Espaillat Poetry Prize are provided competitively in recognition of excellence in poetry.

Poet-in-Residence. The Poet-in-Residence engages with WCU students and faculty on the art and craft of poetry.

Poetry Reading Series. The Poetry Reading Series provides a venue for the reading and discussion of poetry that is made available to WCU students and faculty as well as to the general public.

Job Submission Requirements:

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