Community Curator of Upper Midwestern Folklore

Job Summary:

The Sustaining Scandinavian Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest Project (SSFAUM) is sponsored by a non-federal grant aimed at supporting Scandinavian folklife traditions in the region through teaching, training emerging professionals in the field, research, outreach, building archival collections, creating public productions, and more. Based at the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures (CSUMC), this project involves active team members and partners across and beyond campus in a variety of activities aimed at supporting and providing resources for artists, scholars, community partners, and students in the field.

The person in this full-time, terminal position will work closely with the staff of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, as well as with colleagues in University Library and the Department of German, Nordic and Slavic+ (GNS+) to teach, create symposia, create and process archival collections, and develop research-based public programming and productions. The Community Curator will serve as an instructor of record as an affiliate of GNS+ and provide for-credit instruction in the classroom and/or online, including grading, associated with 1-2 courses per semester, assist with the design and execution of administrative functions associated with academic instruction and the development of pedagogy or assessment tools and resources to support quality student learning.

The Community Curator will maintain close relationships and work in cooperation with artists, musicians, and community partners. They will serve on a team to manage and administer the CSUMC Artists-in-Residence program. In addition, they will participate in regional, national, and international Upper Midwestern and Nordic folklore networks. Additional opportunities for professional development will be available to the Community Curator, such as support for delivering conference presentations and participation in a regional Community of Practice among professionals in the field of folklife and education.

We seek a candidate with a background in folklore, preferably public folklore, or Scandinavian Studies or related fields such as anthropology or museum studies; ethnographic interviewing skills; project management skills; experience designing and implementing public programs and productions; a documented history of collaboration with artists, musicians, non-profit organizations, and other cultural institutions; previous experience teaching at the university level in English; and a strong background in assessment, including data analysis and experience designing and conducting surveys. Candidates for this position should be active in the fields of Scandinavian Studies and Public Folklore and will be expected to contribute to the research, teaching, and service missions of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, a dynamic, multidisciplinary unit at UW-Madison.

Principal duties:
 10% - Designs curriculum and/or techniques for instruction in public folklore and Nordic American folklore and suggests new ways of effective instruction in courses within that discipline
 10% - Assesses learner performance and prepares reports recommending instructional improvements
 10% - Develops teaching techniques that enhance course effectiveness in alignment with desired outcomes and established strategy and trains faculty and other instructional staff in use of said instructional techniques and programs
 30% - Provides classroom, online and/or laboratory instruction, including grading
 10% - Develops grant proposals for instructional development and may serve as principal or co-principal investigator on grants to develop new teaching methods in the discipline
 10% - Identifies, promotes, and maintains internal and external partnerships to promote the outreach program
 10% - Schedules and secures logistics and resources in support of an outreach program
 10% - Identifies opportunities for program improvement or new outreach program development

Responsibilities:

Provides classroom, online, and/or laboratory instruction associated with more than one lecture or laboratory course, assists with the design and execution of administrative functions associated with academic instruction and the development of pedagogy/andragogy or assessment tools and resources to support quality student learning. Provides for-credit instruction in formats such as classroom, online and/or laboratory settings, including grading. Serves as an instructor of record.

• 10% Designs curriculum and/or techniques for instruction in a disciplinary area and suggests new ways of effective instruction in courses within that discipline
• 10% Assesses learner performance and prepares reports recommending instructional improvements
• 10% Develops teaching techniques that enhance course effectiveness in alignment with desired outcomes and