Mastering the Hidden Curriculum, Academic Director

Georgetown University comprises two unique campuses in the nation’s capital. With the Hilltop Campus located in the heart of the historic Georgetown neighborhood, and the Capitol Campus, just minutes from the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court, Georgetown University offers rigorous academic programs, a global perspective, and unparalleled opportunities to engage with Washington, D.C. Our community is a close-knit group of remarkable individuals driven by intellectual inquiry, a commitment to social justice, and a shared dedication to making a difference in the world.

Requirements

Job Overview

The Mastering the Hidden Curriculum Academic Director, Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP), is a part-time role that manages Mastering the Hidden Curriculum, GSP’s seminal academic course. The MHC Academic Director works with current undergraduate students, course faculty, university staff, and course alumni to deliver an immersive academic program that centers the FGLI student experience through experiential learning opportunities, faculty and peer mentorship, and student-centered programming. The MHC Academic Director is an essential member of the GSP team.

Mastering the Hidden Curriculum (MHC) is a three-credit academic course that introduces and equips incoming first generation and low-income (FGLI) college students with the skills and cultural capital to navigate Georgetown’s academic community and collegiate environment. The course combines a multidisciplinary approach to examine the research and theory on FGLI students and complicates the discourse on identity. By the end of the course, students gain knowledge of available Georgetown support systems, tools for academic empowerment, and a greater recognition of their strengths as scholars from first generation and/or low-income backgrounds. The course is a joint project between the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) and the Designing the Future(s) Initiative.

Core duties include:

• Providing day-to-day management for four MHC course sections and overseeing eight faculty members and eight undergraduate student course assistants.
• Implementing MHC’s successful transition from a two-credit to three-credit undergraduate course and the adoption as an approved Pathways to Social Justice overlay course, effective AY25-26.
• Partnering with academic and student support resource centers to coordinate course registration, resource navigation, and students of concern referrals.
• Evaluating the efficacy of course learning goals and pedagogical approaches in alignment with evolving student needs.
• Recruiting, hiring, and training eight faculty members and eight undergraduate Course Assistants (CAs) in the fall and spring semesters.

Work Interactions

GSP is the preeminent program - of its type and scale - in the country supporting first generation and low-income college students. Mastering the Hidden Curriculum builds on this legacy by delivering an academic course that complements and extends GSP’s FGLI wraparound support model in the academy. Enrolled MHC students participate in a discussion-based seminar under the guidance of dynamic faculty members. The course underscores that FGLI students—and discourses about their multifaceted experiences—belong in the academy. Now in its eighth year, the course continues to grow with recent approval from the university’s curriculum committee to become a three-credit course.

The MHC Academic Director will report to the Executive Director of the Georgetown Scholars Program. The person in this role will work closely with the course’s eight faculty members and eight course assistants to deliver the course every fall and spring semester. Effective course management requires the MHC Academic Director to oversee every aspect of the seminar from course marketing and registration to weekly lesson planning and co-curricular activities. The person in this role will collaborate with GSP’s student advisors and Associate Director of Operations to understand evolving student needs, triage student of concern referrals, and align course and programmatic initiatives.

The MHC Academic Director will also work on annual course registration planning with the Designing the Future(s) Initiative, which serves as the course’s academic department. In addition, the position will interact with colleagues from across the Division of Student Affairs and co-curricular units to coordinate resource center course visits, integrate campus resources into lesson plans, and support students via the university’s safety net. 

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; graduate degree or equivalent experience preferred

• 5-6 years of related work experience at a college/university working directly with first gene