Director of the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization

Requisition Number: 71921

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City:
Boulder

State:
Colorado

Employment Type:

Faculty

Schedule:

Full-Time

Date Posted: 18-Jun-2026

The University of Colorado has engaged Witt Kieffer to support the recruitment of the Director of the Bruce

D. Benson Center.

The University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Director of the Bruce

D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, which is a senior endowed chair, rostered within any department in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Director will be a distinguished scholar and dynamic academic leader who brings intellectual vision, collaborative instinct, and entrepreneurial energy to one of the nation's most highly endowed university-based centers dedicated to the study of Western civilization, civic culture, and free inquiry. The successful candidate will be an accomplished, tenured faculty member with a record of scholarly distinction and teaching excellence, as well as experience in administrative leadership.

CU Boulder seeks a director who can lead with credibility and care, engage productively across differences, raise and steward significant philanthropic resources, and position the Benson Center as an indispensable contributor to campus life, student success, and public discourse.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The University of Colorado Boulder is Colorado's leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876. As the state's flagship university and one of only 38 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder has proudly served Coloradans since the state's founding. Home to five Nobel Laureates since 1989, CU Boulder provides a strong return on investment by aligning efforts to achieve research and creative excellence, global sustainability impact, and the success of all students, faculty, and staff.

The Benson Center promotes the study of the intellectual, artistic, and political traditions that characterize Western civilization. Central to this mission is our commitment to fostering dialogue about fundamental values and controversial questions. The Center provides a forum for free inquiry and respectful open debate and promotes academic freedom and intellectual diversity.

• The Benson Center Director includes $90,000 in annual compensation for the Director role, in addition to the base academic-year faculty salary of $175,000-$220,000, depending on the discipline of the joint appointment.
• Potential research support, course releases, and relocation assistance available, subject to University policy.

• Medical, dental, and retirement plans
• Generous paid time off
• Tuition assistance for you and your dependents
• an ECO Pass for local transit
• Inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation
• Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program

Be engaged. Be visionary. Be Boulder.

• Advanced academic credentials with an earned doctorate or terminal degree.
• A distinguished record of scholarship and teaching in a relevant field such as history, classics, political science, philosophy, or economics that would warrant a tenured faculty appointment (associate or full professor) within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Demonstrated interdisciplinary engagement and public-facing scholarship.

• Demonstrated leadership experience required to lead and strengthen a nationally recognized academic center, for example: leadership of a department, center, institute, think tank, or comparable organization.
• Ability to conceive, articulate, and execute a strategic vision.
• Strong organizational, financial, and administrative and personnel management skills.
• Demonstrated ability or clear potential to engage successfully in fundraising and donor relations.

• Collaborative, transparent leadership style aligned with shared governance.
• Exceptional communication and listening skills.
• Capacity to build trust across ideological, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries.
• An appreciation for shared governance and institutional context.

• Commitment to academic freedom, intellectual diversity, and free inquiry.
• Intellectual humility, resilience, and sound judgment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset balanced with institutional awareness.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the Benson Center's mission and for leadership in a public research university.