Dean for Academic Planning and Assessment

Calvin University•Grand Rapids, MI

23h

About The Position

The Dean for Academic Planning and Assessment provides institutional leadership for academic assessment, accreditation, academic budgeting, and related work in compliance and planning. Working closely with school deans, department chairs, and the Director for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, the dean advances institutional effectiveness, ensures readiness for accreditation cycles, and stewards academic resources aligned to mission and strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership in assessing the effectiveness of faculty instruction, including the administration of the student rating system, and educational programs as needed.
In collaboration with the Director for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, contribute to developing and implementing a plan for overall, multi-year college assessment.
Supervise course evaluations and address faculty and student concerns regarding evaluation processes.
Cultivate a climate of trust with department chairs regarding assessment, emphasizing incremental improvement rather than performance evaluation.
Supervise surveys of faculty and students to inform institutional decision-making.
Serve as Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), providing administrative leadership for ongoing work of college accreditation and engagement with the Higher Learning Commission.
Maintain expertise in accreditation standards and requirements ("speaking HLC").
Present assurance arguments and deliver evidence of educational excellence to accrediting bodies.
Provide administrative leadership in the planning, implementing, and evaluating of program budgets in the Academic Division.
Guide academic staffing proposals (faculty and staff) in collaboration with school deans and the Provost, grounded in mission fit, enrollment, assessment insights, and financial sustainability.
Conduct data analyses to ensure divisional effectiveness and inform budget decisions.
Attend curricular meetings as appropriate to provide institution-level oversight and quality control.
Maintain neutrality in curricular decisions, advancing the university's interests rather than individual department interests.
Coordinate with curricular leadership to ensure proposals advance efficiently while maintaining quality standards.
In collaboration with other academic leaders, coordinate compliance matters related to the academic division.
Manage scheduled and unscheduled compliance projects (e.g., program eligibility transitions, international student regulations).
Address time-sensitive compliance issues as they arise.
Oversee operational functions related to assessment and budgeting in collaboration with SALT.
Serve as the representative of the provost on internal committees as needed and for external audiences, especially relating to the effectiveness of academic administration.
Provide cross-divisional leadership to support institutional effectiveness.
Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts University affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.
A commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.
Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communication across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, physical limitations, class, or religious perspectives.