About Shuchman Philanthropies, Inc.

Shuchman Philanthropies, Inc. (SP) will be the initial funder of the Undergraduate Course Guide. SP is a charitable foundation formed, funded and managed by Daniel Shuchman.  Mr. Shuchman is a New York investor who has served as Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and a board member of the Institute for Free Speech.  He is also a co-founder and Chairman of Let Grow, a non-profit he co-founded with Jonathan Haidt and Lenore Skenazy. Through SP and sister foundations and personal giving, Mr. Shuchman has supported many other organizations committed to personal and economic liberty and human advancement, including the CATO Institute, Manhattan Institute, Reason, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, and many others.

SP and Mr. Shuchman seek to identify a candidate to lead the launch of the Undergraduate Course Guide described below and they would provide initial philanthropic venture capital.

About the Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Position

The Editor-in-Chief/Publisher will lead an exciting start-up venture  to create a gold standard undergraduate course guide.

The Undergraduate Course Guide (exact name TBD) will aspire to identify the highest value, rigorous, and informative academic courses available in the social sciences and humanities at selective colleges and universities and to publish the results on a regular basis free to the public.

Notwithstanding the well-publicized failures of higher educations in recent years, there are still gems within the established higher education system and it is possible for a student to emerge, not just with a paper degree, but with the critical thinking, writing, analytical and rhetorical skills necessary to succeed in the knowledge economy.  Such coursework also prepares students to be productive, tolerant and curious participants in a vibrant, civil society based on open debate, free speech, tolerance and civic engagement.    

The Guide will be an important and currently missing tool for students and their families to make informed decisions about their educational choices.  It will provide transparent and detailed long-form reviews, not generic “1-5” ratings that have little transparency or substantive content.

The Guide will review the syllabi of courses in the social sciences and humanities and collate student feedback of professors and their teaching skills. Reviews will be authored by esteemed panels of academic reviewers assembled and managed by the Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of the Guide.  The Editor-in-Chief/Publisher will also identify campus-based student reviewers whose classroom experiences can supplement expert reviews with direct student feedback.  The Guide will provide this information (positive reviews only, not exposes of woke or coursework lacking in rigor) online at no charge. The Guide may pair its published content with a scholarship program rewarding students who complete approved courses, further encouraging enrollment in approved courses and promoting positive feedbacks loops among students, universities, employers, and other constituencies.

The Editor-in-Chief/Publisher will aspire to build the Guide into a gold standard of academic ranking whose influence extends beyond its immediate readership.

Responsibilities

  • Work with Mr. Shuchman to develop and refine a “business plan” and initial operating budget for the Guide
  • Determine answers to critical launch-phase questions including: How will it be produced?  Who will be the reviewers and how much will they be paid?  How will student reviewers be found and paid?  What kind of marketing budget will be necessary?  What schools should be launched first and on what timeline?
  • Identify, hire and inspire key staff
  • Develop and implement strategic partnerships with other institutions and individuals in media, academia, philanthropy and marketing

Requirements

We’re open to candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience for this role. The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:

  • Familiarity with and interest in academia and academic culture
  • Ability to engage productively and successfully with professors and students
  • Self-starter/entrepreneurial mindset
  • Strong project management and leadership skills
  • Flexibility and adaptability (there is no preexisting playbook to follow for this role)
  • Ability to develop a budget and operating model for a startup nonprofit venture and to be accountable to it

Compensation and Benefits

The initial projected salary range for this role is $100,000-$250,000. This salary is contingent upon the specific experience and qualifications of the selected candidate.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

  • Cover letter detailing your interest in the Editor-in-Chief/Publisher role and your salary requirements
  • Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link:

https://talentmarket.org/candidates/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Claire Kittle Dixon, President of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.