The Concordian

Throughout the semester, candidates have been interviewing for a new position in the Spanish department. A professor must be hired before Concord can implement a new Spanish degree program.

Dr. Brichford, Chair of the Division of Languages and Literature, expects the Spanish program to have two aspects: a BS Ed with certification in Spanish and a BA with a major or minor in Spanish. For Concord to implement the program, the Higher Education Policy Commission must approve both the BS Ed and the major, and the West Virginia Department of Education must authorize the BS Ed. So far, Concord has received the HEPC’s approval for the BS Ed program, and the Division expects to receive WVDE agreement at their next meeting at the end of April.

However, the university is already offering upper-level Spanish classes, such as SPAN 301, that will count toward the certification or the major. When hired, the new professor will teach all levels of language classes, some culture classes, the literature classes, and the teaching methods class.

According to Dr. Brichford, the candidates must undergo two levels of interviews. First, the university’s search committee conducts phone interviews. Then, those who most impress the committee with their responses are invited to campus.

The candidates’ day on campus consists of teaching a Spanish class while being observed by several Division faculty members. The candidates must also give a presentation on a portion of their academic interests. This presentation is open to the public—faculty, staff, and upper-level Spanish students are encouraged to attend.

During the remainder of their day at Concord, the candidates get to experience a student-led tour of the campus, in addition to meeting with President Aloia, the Academic Dean, and the Division of Languages and Literature faculty. The candidates are also available to converse with students and faculty during lunch and are later taken to dinner by the faculty.

Dr. Brichford shares, “We are eager to fill this position and we will hire someone as soon as we find a candidate whom we believe to be a good fit for the position, and who thinks that Concord will be a good fit for him or her.”

“One of the key aspects of the interview process is that it gives the candidates a chance to get a feel for Concord and to decide if this is the kind of professional situation that they want.”

Although Concord currently does not want to publicly disclose the names and locations of the candidates, more information will be available once a candidate is hired. Dr. Brichford adds, “I encourage anyone with questions about the program to come see me in my office in A305.”

Article Tools