St. John's University Seeks Debate Graduate

Dear Friends,

Beginning in Fall 2012, the St. John's University Debate Society in Queens, NY, has a graduate assistant position available to people interested in graduate study and teaching the art of Worlds-style debating.

Candidates for this position must demonstrate a record of success in either the worlds format or some equivalent debating format on the national or international level, and must apply and be accepted to one of St. John's University's many graduate study programs. Candidates will also be interviewed via phone/Skype.

The assistantship provides 12 credits of graduate-level coursework per semester and a $6,000 stipend per academic year. 

Interested persons should examine the University's offerings of masters and doctoral programs. This assistantship will cover all academic programs that matriculate toward a Master's degree or Doctoral degree in any University department, but preference is given to those candidates who wish to study in St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The list of all available degree programs can be found here: http://www.stjohns.edu/admission/graduate/programs

Applicants should contact the program of interest to determine application requirements and deadlines. After applying, candidates should email the Director of Debate, Steve Llano, Ph.D. (llanos@stjohns.edu) and let him know what program you have applied for and your "x number" which will be assigned upon application, as well as letter of application and a debate CV.

The St. John's University Debate Society was founded in 2007 and competes nationally and internationally in Worlds/British Parliamentary debating. The campus is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City and is easily accessible via mass transit from Manhattan. The Debate Society, an academic program housed in the Department of Rhetoric, Communication and Theater at the University, is an open club where pedagogy in argumentation is prioritized.

Graduate Assistants will be responsible for the following:

- Attend all STJ Debate Society meetings (2 per week)

- Schedule appointments with debaters to work on tutorials in speaking, research, or other subjects of interest.

- Schedule and judge practice debates weekly.

- Travel with the team to tournaments on some weekends - we usually have a travel schedule of up to 15 competitions per year.

- Assist with planning, paperwork, and other bureaucratic aspects of the STJ Debate society, including discussions of long term planning.

- Assist students as needed with community outreach work such as public debates and school workshops, as well as development events.

The assistantship is a 18-20 hour per week commitment, and candidates could find other employment if they wish to supplement the assistantship.

All materials must be submitted by February 1^st, 2012, but many degree programs have an earlier deadline, so candidates are advised to study the guidelines for the degree of interest carefully.

For any and all questions regarding this position, please email Dr. Steve Llano (llanos@stjohns.edu)