Academic Program Director, Bachelor of Social Work

Strayer Education, Inc.

1d•$95,100 - $142,600

About The Position

The Academic Program Director (PD) is a leadership and management position responsible for supporting a high-quality academic experience and ensuring an engaging learning environment that facilitates achievement of program outcomes. The PD oversees curriculum quality and rigor, helping ensure curricula are professionally relevant, current, efficient, effective, and cohesive. The role contributes to curriculum design and delivery, assessment effectiveness, learner success, satisfaction, and engagement. The PD works closely with deans, assistant and associate deans, faculty directors, and relevant university departments to manage curriculum-related systems and processes. The PD coordinates with faculty directors on discipline content and serves as a liaison to departments including Portfolio Strategy, Doctoral Affairs, Course Development, the Center for Faculty Excellence, Faculty Hiring, HR, Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness, and Learner Affairs. The position oversees academic offerings, curriculum development, accreditation and licensure efforts, course scheduling, and Core faculty supervision. It also addresses programmatic learner issues, collaborates on faculty hiring, and teaches or mentors once a quarter. The role may require travel, work exceeding 40 hours per week when business needs warrant, and work in a typical office setting with movement between floors. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education-accredited and regionally or nationally accredited program.
Doctorate in Social Work or a closely related area, such as Human Services, Psychology, Counseling, Sociology, or Education.
All degrees must be conferred and from a regionally accredited institution; required certificates, licenses, and unofficial transcripts for graduate degrees must be attached.
Social Work licensure is required, along with willingness to obtain Minnesota Social Work Licensure upon hire and before starting the position.
Two years of full-time professional social work practice experience after conferral of a CSWE MSW degree.
At least one year of experience as an Academic Program Director in a CSWE-accredited program.
At least three years of teaching experience in an accredited program or related field.
Demonstrated contribution to the discipline through publishing, committee involvement, or professional association involvement.
Demonstrated leadership in academia or a practitioner setting.
Significant experience supervising or leading faculty, including recruitment, retention, performance results, and development.
Knowledge of curriculum development, andragogy, and assessment.
Knowledge of online teaching, competency-based education, and direct assessment.
Discipline knowledge.
Ability to analyze program and course quality data objectively and implement recommendations to improve learner outcomes.
Ability to maintain program compliance with regulatory rules and national program accreditation standards.
Familiarity with program development and evaluation.
Ability to advise on and assess learning effectiveness and the quality of the educational experience.
Ability to contribute significantly to learner retention and directly affect program cost, revenue, and quality assurance.
Ability to integrate program, academic, and regulatory considerations with business strategies and plans.
Ability to manage multiple academic and administrative projects and resolve multifaceted course, faculty, regulatory, or administrative problems.
Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to deliver results despite ambiguity.
Creativity and alternative thinking to develop ideas and solutions to work-related problems.
Ability to accept constructive criticism and cope with high-stress situations.
Ability to work independently, lead, collaborate, and execute in an ambiguous, matrixed environment with significant interdependencies.
Execution-focused approach, with ability to get work done independently and with others.
Collaborative leadership, including listening and productively contributing opinions to critical decision-making.
Ability to act independently in support of business goals and strategies within a program area.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite programs.
Ability to travel as required; the role requires travel 10% of the time.
Ability to lift 25 pounds and move within the office, including between floors.
Ability to access information using a computer and communicate effectively up and down the management chain.
Strong mental acuity and ability to cope effectively with stressful situations.
Regular, dependable attendance and punctuality.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience as an Academic Program Director in a CSWE-accredited program is preferred; one year is the minimum required.
Online higher education teaching experience is preferred.
Significant experience managing and working with remote teams and in a matrix environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

Spearhead and oversee the development and revision of academic offerings.
Use analytics and evidence-based practices to develop and execute continuous quality improvement actions related to learner success, teaching, engagement, academic quality, and curriculum development.
Lead efforts to obtain and maintain appropriate academic program accreditation and/or licensure.
Ensure academic offerings align with professional trends and standards, seeking professional validation where possible through credentials, licensure, and alignment with standards or program requirements.
Oversee curriculum development according to external standards and university design principles, including supervision of subject matter expert course development and leadership.
Lead specialized accreditation processes and self-studies, and ensure alignment with HLC best practices in university faculty oversight of curriculum.
Build and nurture internal and external partnerships that support the school and its academic offerings.
Orchestrate and optimize course offerings and scheduling.
Supervise Core faculty and conduct their performance reviews.
Host faculty meetings focused on the program and curricula.
Collaborate with the Faculty Director on hiring new faculty.
Address learner programmatic issues involving academics, professional disposition, or behavior.
Teach or mentor once a quarter.
Manage systems and processes related to curriculum creation and delivery in collaboration with university leaders and departments.
Coordinate with relevant faculty directors to stay informed about discipline-content issues.
Serve as a liaison to relevant university departments.
Perform other duties as assigned.