Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Virginia Tech•Blacksburg, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs provides strategic leadership for the academic mission of the Honors College, with primary responsibility for curriculum, pedagogy, faculty affairs, assessment, and academic quality. Reporting to the Dean and serving as a key member of the Dean’s Leadership Team, the Associate Dean advances a distinctive, high impact honors curriculum; fosters excellence in teaching, research, and creative inquiry; and ensures effective governance and continuous improvement of academic programs. Working collaboratively with faculty and campus partners, the Associate Dean strengthens transdisciplinary initiatives, expands research and enrichment opportunities, and aligns Honors College academic priorities with institutional goals and national best practices. The role also provides leadership in faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, and promotion, and represents the Honors College within the university and nationally, contributing to its intellectual vitality, institutional alignment, and growing impact. A strategic, innovative, and forward-thinking academic leader, the Associate Dean anticipates and responds effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities in honors education and higher education broadly. Through a collaborative and transparent leadership approach, the Associate Dean builds trust, cultivates shared purpose, and navigates complexity to lead meaningful and sustained change. This role requires exceptional relationship building skills, sound judgment, high emotional intelligence, and a deep commitment to student success and to the development, wellbeing, and success of faculty and staff.

Requirements

Earned doctorate with tenure and a record of scholarly achievement commensurate with appointment as a tenured associate professor or higher.
Demonstrated success in academic leadership within higher education, including experience leading a department, program, or comparably complex academic unit.
Strong administrative expertise in academic planning, assessment, personnel leadership, and shared governance.
Demonstrated commitment to innovative, student-centered pedagogy and to undergraduate research and creative inquiry.
Experience using assessment and data-informed decision-making to support academic quality and continuous improvement.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead collaboratively, build trust, and engage diverse constituencies.
Commitment to the land-grant mission, academic excellence, access, and public service.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within or closely with an honors college or similar high-impact academic program.
Appointment at the rank of full professor.
Experience with faculty reappointment, promotion, and governance processes.
Practical Knowledge of national best practices and emerging models in honors education.
Demonstrated success securing or supporting externally funded curricular, pedagogical, or research initiatives (e.g., SoTL).
Experience with strategic planning, accreditation, external reviews, and/or benchmarking efforts.
Ability to articulate and advance a forward-looking vision for the College.
Demonstrated success in recruiting, mentoring, retaining, and advocating for outstanding faculty, staff, and students, with a commitment to cultivate a thriving and supportive academic community.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the academic mission of the Honors College, with primary responsibility for curriculum, pedagogy, faculty affairs, assessment, and academic quality.
Advance a distinctive, high impact honors curriculum.
Foster excellence in teaching, research, and creative inquiry.
Ensure effective governance and continuous improvement of academic programs.
Strengthen transdisciplinary initiatives.
Expand research and enrichment opportunities.
Align Honors College academic priorities with institutional goals and national best practices.
Provide leadership in faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, and promotion.
Represent the Honors College within the university and nationally, contributing to its intellectual vitality, institutional alignment, and growing impact.
Anticipate and respond effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities in honors education and higher education broadly.
Build trust, cultivate shared purpose, and navigate complexity to lead meaningful and sustained change through a collaborative and transparent leadership approach.
Cultivate a thriving and supportive academic community.