[Sigia-l] Job posting - Director, Usability and Accessibility Center, Michigan State University

[Ranti Junus]

[If you apply for the position,  please send it to Diane Zimmerman, listed in 
the note below, not to me.  Thanks. -- ranti.]


Position Posting
Director, Usability and Accessibility Center
Michigan State University


Michigan State University is seeking candidates for the position of Director 
of the Usability and Accessibility Center.  The position is full time, annual 
year, fixed-term starting in March 2004 or as soon as possible thereafter. 
Salary is commensurate with experience, in a range of $75,000-$100,000, with 
an excellent benefits package.

The University: Michigan State University (www.msu.edu), with 44,500 students, 
is one of the largest public land grant universities and has the distinction 
of belonging to the Association of American Universities (AAU).  MSU’s 
mission of teaching, research, and outreach is supported by the university’s 
diverse employment base of approximately 12,000, including 4,000 faculty and 
academic staff and 8,000 support staff.  MSU is composed of 14 colleges, 
including three medical schools. It houses the National Food Safety and 
Toxicology Center and the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The 
campus is situated on 5,200 acres in a park-like setting. 

The Usability and Accessibility Center: This newly created, cross-campus unit 
is designed to provide leadership in evaluating the degree to which new 
interface technologies are useful, usable, accessible, and appealing to a 
broad cross-section of people. The overarching goal is to understand how the 
needs and aspirations of people can be reflected in a variety of 
communication technologies. The Center supports and advocates for the 
development of accessible interface technologies for people with 
disabilities. In collaboration with other campus units, the Center conducts 
research and usability testing; provides training, formal education, and 
consulting services; and participates broadly in local, regional, national, 
and international usability/accessibility communities of practice. It serves 
faculty, students, and organizations at Michigan State as well as external 
clients through consulting, collaborative research, educational programming, 
publications, and the sponsorship of open houses, workshops, and symposia. 
The Center makes its state-of-the-art testing facility available as a 
resource to support undergraduate and graduate credit courses and curricular 
programs.

Qualifications: The Director will be responsible for building the Center into 
a self-sustaining unit that serves internal as well as external 
constituencies and must therefore have the ability to prioritize and balance 
revenue-generating activities, such as grant-seeking and product marketing, 
with administration, teaching, and research. The successful candidate will 
have spent at least five years in upper level administrative positions in the 
human/computer interface industry or academic setting and must have 
demonstrated expertise in using different usability evaluation techniques and 
tools, managing a usability laboratory, planning tests and analyzing test 
data, presenting and prioritizing tests results, and conducting and 
presenting qualitative and quantitative user research. The candidate must 
display familiarity with accessibility and human use issues and a strong 
understanding of user interface design practices and principles. The Director 
will be able to communicate effectively across various corporate, education, 
and government organizations. Michigan State seeks a Director who has an 
appreciation for diversity, is a good mentor to colleagues and students, and 
is committed to advocating for greater attention to usability and 
accessibility in the interface between humans and technology.
Candidates must possess an undergraduate degree, with preference for a 
terminal degree or equivalent education in fields such as computer science, 
information engineering, cognitive science, rhetoric, or related fields. 

To apply, please send a letter describing your interest and pertinent 
qualifications, resume, and the names and contact information of four 
professional references. The review of applications will begin on January 30, 
2004, but applications will be accepted until suitable candidates are 
identified and the position is filled. 

E-mail: Diane Zimmerman (zimmerdl at msu.edu), Director, University Outreach & 
Engagement Advancement and Administration

Mail: Usability and Accessibility Center Search Committee, Michigan State 
University, 55 Kellogg Center, East Lansing, MI 48824; 

Fax: 517/432-9541. 



MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity institution. Women, 
minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Persons 
with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable 
accommodation. 


--
Ranti Junus, Systems Office
 Michigan State University Libraries
 100 Main Library, W441
 East Lansing, MI 48824-1048
 +1.517.432.6123 x.231 (ph)
 +1.517.431.8734 (fax)