SDSU’s digital humans

San Diego State University may be more noted for sports than the humanities, but school higher-ups are currently looking to hire what they call a Digital Humanist. Not a robot, but “a humanities scholar who rigorously explores the relationships between media and/or technology and human diversity (with an emphasis on race and ethnicity, including perspectives of the global or transnational) in historical context,” according to a recent online job posting by the tax-funded school. “This initiative is the country’s first research-oriented digital humanities program focused on human and global diversity, establishing San Diego State as a national center for critical and humanistic research on digital and social media, focusing in particular on diversity in all its global forms.” No salary is mentioned.

Back on more traditional ground, SDSU is also seeking a new Sports MBA Coordinator for the its sports business master’s degree program. “The program coordinator needs to be knowledgeable about the business of sports in San Diego and beyond, and is responsible for arranging field trips to sports facilities and setting up interviews with sports executives for a podcast/blog. The coordinator uses all forms of communication in order to successfully perform the work (phone, email, fax, mail, social media, etc.).” SDSU, says the 18-month-long program’s website, is “located in the sports and entertainment hub of Southern California.” A course called Strategy “studies the theories and trends that shape the evolving relationships between sports organizations and their fans.” For better or worse, students also hear from local team executives. “An annual guest speaker to the class is the CFO of the San Diego Padres who speaks about all of the finances related to a professional sports team.” Tuition is “currently $48,780, which is $1084 per unit for the 45-unit program.” Specific scholarships aren’t available, but “many participants receive support from graduate student loans.”

Yet another SDSU sports gig availability is for the position of athletic director, replacing Jim Sterk, who in August jumped ship for the University of Missouri. A job notice posted by Collegiate Sports Associates, a North Carolina headhunting firm, says applicants are expected to bring with them “experience in raising private support from donors and from corporations, in partnership with the division of University Relations and Development.”