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James Thrall
Knight Distinguished Professor for the Study of Religion & Culture
2 East South Street
Galesburg, IL 61401-4999
Knox College seeks applications for the inaugural Daniel J. Logan Professor of Peace and Justice to begin Fall 2021. The Logan Professor will serve as director of the newly established Peace and Justice Program and provide leadership in an area of longstanding significance to the institution.
Founded in 1837, Knox College is a four-year, independent, national college of liberal arts and sciences located in Galesburg, Illinois. The College is recognized as one of the 50 most diverse campuses in America and prides itself on a long standing commitment to increase access to all qualified students of varied backgrounds, races and conditions, regardless of financial means. Knox was one of the first colleges in the United States open to all students. The campus community has more than 1,200 students from nearly every state and 51 countries, including a wide array of races, ethnicities, ages, cultures, backgrounds, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, and beliefs. The College continues to expand both the historic mission and the tradition of active liberal arts learning, producing graduates who can think independently, solve problems, communicate clearly, and live with purpose.
The College offers more than 60 courses of study, including 41 majors and 55 minors in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. In addition, the college offers nine pre-professional and cooperative programs, including business, engineering, and law. Knox provides an environment where students and faculty work closely together and where teaching is characterized by inviting and expecting students to pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments. A Knox education isn't something to sit and watch. It is something to go out and do. Students put their education into practice through the pursuit of research and creative work, including a senior Honors research program; participation in scores of study abroad and off-campus study programs or one of Knox's immersion terms; access to internships across the country and around the world; and opportunities to help the local community through service projects
The campus is located in the heart of the midwest in the city of Galesburg. The campus consists of an 82-acre main campus and an additional 700 acres on the Green Oaks Biological Field Station. The city has a population of more than 32,000 and is 45 miles northwest of Peoria, IL and 55 miles southeast of Davenport, IA. Galesburg was home to the first anti-slavery society in Illinois, founded in 1837, and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The city was the site of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate , on a temporary speaker's platform attached to Knox College's Old Main building on October 7, 1858. Knox College continues to maintain and use Old Main to this day.
C. Andrew “Andy” McGadney is the 20th president of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He joined the College in July 2021.
A native of Connecticut, Andy McGadney earned his BA at Wesleyan University, majoring in Sociology and African American Studies. He later earned a Master of Public Administration and Policy from Columbia University and an EdD in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his appointment at Knox College, he served as Vice President and Dean of Student Advancement at Colby College, following three years as Colby’s Vice President and Secretary of the College, a role that made him the principal liaison to the Board of Trustees. Prior to Colby he was Vice President for University Advancement at Clark University in Worcester, MA. In that role, McGadney led fundraising efforts and instituted new infrastructure to plan, launch, and execute a $125 million comprehensive campaign. He also led efforts to improve student and alumni affinity at Clark.
Since arriving at Knox McGadney has led the effort to develop a bold and ambitious framework for growth that culminated in a strategic planning framework endorsed by the Knox College Board of Trustees in the fall of 2022. McGadney has moved several major strategic initiatives forward in his first two years including securing an anonymous lead gift to begin the planning, design, and construction of a new year-round facility at the College’s Green Oaks Biological Field Station that greatly enhances the offerings at Green Oaks and the accessibility for a broader range of faculty, students, and members of the Knox community. He also led the College through its first ever credit rating, a major debt refinance, and the return to a primarily residential and in-person educational program following closure and changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McGadney continues to work to prepare Knox for its first comprehensive fundraising campaign in over 20 years, build and strengthen relationships with the Galesburg and local communities, and grow enrollment.
President McGadney has served on several non-profit and community boards, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and as an alumni trustee at his alma mater, Wesleyan University. He currently serves on the boards of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development.
McGadney and his wife Camille reside in Galesburg and have three children.
Excellence in teaching is at the core of a Knox education. The academic strength and distinction of Knox rests above all on a faculty of exceptionally dedicated teacher-scholars. Knox has approximately 120 full-time faculty, 97 percent of whom have a Ph.D. or terminal degree. Knox faculty members typically teach a total of six courses a year, spread over three trimesters. The average class size is 17, offering an interactive environment for students to test their ideas and engage in the exchange of intellectual perspectives. Knox students have significant opportunities to interact with peers from diverse backgrounds in the classroom and develop close mentoring relationships with faculty.
Faculty are deeply committed to the intellectual growth of their students. In Fall 2019, Knox was named one of the top 34 national liberal arts colleges for its “contribution to the public good,” according to Washington Monthly. Faculty invest themselves in an unusually rich program of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work and independent study. Select students also participate in the College Honors Program, cited by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education as a national model. Fully 85 percent of Knox students complete a faculty-supervised independent research, scholarly, or creative project by the time they graduate.
Intensive teaching of this sort is rooted in the faculty’s own scholarly engagement. In the last three academic years, Knox’s 97 tenure-line faculty have published five books and more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, presented more than 100 exhibits or public performances, and served as proposal reviewers for the NSF, NIH, NEH, ACLS, and the Fulbright Commission. There have been several notable accomplishments: over the past three years, Knox has been awarded National Science Foundation grants of over $500,000 for computer science education, environmental policy study, and major instrument. Elsewhere on campus, faculty have recently received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts for a local jazz festival, the Illinois Humanities Council to stage a world premiere play, and a Mellon Foundation planning grant to explore the digital humanities. College operating and endowed funds support faculty across the campus in research, creative work, and student projects.
The Knox Board of Trustees has protected the College’s 12:1 student/faculty ratio throughout its financial challenges, a key decision that enabled the College to maintain the quality of its academic program during trying times. The size of the faculty has grown in keeping with the increase in student population, making possible additional curricular enhancements and innovations. Faculty compensation has suffered during periods of financial constraint, and still lags behind other colleges within Knox’s peer group.
Knox enrolls about 1250 undergraduate students. More than 97 percent of students live on or near the campus. Knox’s student body is diverse and approximately 57 percent are women, 29 percent are first generation college students, 30 percent are Pell-eligible students, 40 percent are U.S. students of color, and 19 percent are international students. Consistent with Knox’s commitment to first generation and low income students, more than 80 percent of U.S. first-year students receive some form of need-based financial aid. The average aid package in 2018-19 amounted to $36,488 from all sources.
Knox’s commitment to access and fairness drove the College to become test optional in 2005, no longer requiring students to submit ACT or SAT scores. The College’s goal was to lower barriers facing talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Today about 85 percent of students submit scores, and they compare favorably with those of earlier years when scores were required. Roughly 33 percent of entering students are in the top tenth of their high school class.
The Peace and Justice Studies Program is new to Knox, but it is deeply connected to a tradition of wrestling with the issues that are at the core of the program—equity and equality; empowerment and agency; intellectual, financial and social freedom. We've been activists since the beginning. Knox has historic involvement in peace and social justice: abolitionism, the muckrakers, and our commitment to educating students of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds. Our nationally lauded Peace Corps Preparatory Program and innovative KnoxCorps reflect our continued leadership in these areas.
The program is being initiated at Knox at a moment of tremendous necessity. The program invites us to debate, analyze, and empathize with ideas that are different from our own. It demands that we dig into and understand conflict and violence. And it challenges us to help our students to learn from and build on past efforts to shape strategies for today’s issues.
The Peace and Justice Studies Program at Knox will distinguish itself by ensuring that our students not only have the historical knowledge and theoretical context of various movements, but the practical experience to translate that understanding into effective action. This too is rooted in the Knox ethos. We believe in active and experiential learning as an essential component of development and growth. We work in the field. We start out building strong foundations in the methods and practices involved in social change, and go on to apply what we've learned in the classroom to real-world problems. Whether it's an internship, summer work, or off-campus studies, all of our students complete some sort of active learning experience.
It is essential that students have the opportunity to engage with communities and change agents, both past and present, to ensure that our students
The Peace and Justice Studies minor consists of a first course that introduces students to broad theoretical frameworks on justice and responses to conflict and violence; a methods course that takes students through several peace and justice movements, and concludes by asking students to design their own campaign to address a particular issue; and several electives—some that are modifications of existing courses, and others that will be developed. Students who minor in Peace and Justice Studies are required to immerse themselves in a more robust activity, requiring them to truly take their learning from ideas to action.
Our curriculum is collaborative. Peace and justice studies brings together professors from economics, political science, educational studies, religious studies, history, and more—sometimes, even in the space of a single course. It's no surprise that the peace and justice perspective is applicable to everyday practice in a variety of disciplines. Our students are able to pose questions about agency and justice in the arts, sciences, social sciences, and more. They are already working in areas ranging from environmental justice to education reform, from civil rights to wealth inequality, and from gender equity to gun violence.
Our alumni are on the front lines of social justice work. Ismat Kittani '51 helped establish the Honor Code as a Knox student and went on to become president of the United Nations. Susan Deller Ross '64 is founder and director of the International Women's Human Rights Clinic and has testified before congress on women's rights issues. Steve Gibson '88 founded the first integrated sexual health services and community center to fight the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Kirstin Eidenbach '98 founded an organization dedicated to bringing systemic change to Arizona's prison systems. Luella Williams '06 is director of an organization that leverages the power of sports to help young people in underserved communities succeed.
The Peace and Justice Studies Program at Knox College invites applications for a full-time, open-rank faculty position as the inaugural Dan J. Logan Professor of Peace and Justice to begin Fall 2021. Knox is an independent, selective liberal arts institution with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and a distinguished history of graduating social activists. The ideal candidate will have roots in under-resourced communities, experience working actively in peace and justice fields, and strong skills in engaging students in both the classroom and the field. Individuals involved in activist work are especially invited to apply.
The ideal candidate will have roots in under-resourced communities, experience working actively in peace and justice fields, and strong skills in engaging students in both the classroom and the field. Individuals involved in activist and scholarly work that engages anti-racism, environmental justice, indigenous rights, global feminisms, peace and non-violence, civil society, or restorative justice are especially invited to apply.
The successful candidate will help shape a new, interdisciplinary program, and, as program director, will have both academic and administrative responsibilities. In addition to teaching at introductory and advanced levels, the candidate will cultivate and oversee student internships and other experiential learning opportunities, a key component of the program. The candidate will be expected to work collaboratively with other campus programs and departments, as well as develop off-campus opportunities for students. Candidates should have:
Qualifications: Ph.D. or appropriate terminal degree in the social sciences, religious studies, international studies, peace and conflict resolution studies, journalism, or related field. The position may be configured differently for a candidate with other compelling qualifications.
Candidates should submit:
Submission via Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/71392 . Questions may be addressed to Dr. James Thrall at peacejusticesearch@knox.edu.
Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2020, and continue until the position is filled.
In keeping with its commitment to equal rights since it was founded in 1837, Knox College particularly welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups. Knox College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or preference, age, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in admission, financial aid, employment, athletics, or any other aspect of its educational programs or activities. In addition, Knox College is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its accompanying regulations from so discriminating on the basis of sex.
The College official responsible for coordinating compliance with this Notice of Non-Discrimination is Kimberly K. Schrader, Title IX Coordinator. Any inquiries regarding Title IX or the College's policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator identified below. The Coordinator will be available to meet with or talk to students, staff, and faculty regarding issues relating to this Notice of Non-Discrimination and the College’s policies and procedures.
Title IX Coordinator
Kimberly K. Schrader
Old Jail 12 | Campus Box K-209
337 South Cherry Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7751
Email: kschrade@knox.edu
Inquiries about the application of Title IX to Knox may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the United States Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, or both. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for additional information.
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education-Chicago Office
500 W Madison St., Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
Phone: 312-730-1560
Email: ocr@ed.gov
Inquiries regarding the College’s policies regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) should be directed to either the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources or Director of Disability Support Services identified below.
For Employees:
Human Resources
Robert P. Kenny
Interim Vice President of Finance and Administration Services
2 E. South Street, K Box 147
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7213
For Students:
Director of Disability Support Services
Stephanie Grimes
Umbeck Science and Math Center E111 | Campus Box K183
340 South West Street
Phone: 309-341-7478
Email: sgrimes@knox.edu
https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/peace-and-justice-studies/peace-and-justice-professor
Printed on Saturday, April 20, 2024
