Dean of Academic Affairs: Liberal Arts & Sciences - MnSCU Admin-6

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities•Austin, TX

13h•Onsite

About The Position

Under the administrative direction of the Vice President of Academics and Innovation, this position sets the vision and is responsible for the day-to-day management and visionary leadership of the Liberal Arts & Sciences division and academic support services. The Dean of Academic Affairs provides academic leadership, management, evaluation, and administration for the achievement of successful teaching and learning through faculty and support staff, which includes collaborating with faculty and staff to plan and develop new program initiatives and redesign existing course curriculum to ensure student success. This position participates as a member of the college academic affairs team and develops policy and process when necessary and builds and encourages effective professional relationships with colleagues and leaders in the community. It requires building-level and unit-level assignments of responsibility, examining and implementing policies and procedures to enhance effective and efficient administration as well as the provision of academic leadership and support for other initiatives with the Vice President’s, President’s and Chancellor’s annual work plans.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in a discipline reflective of this position’s current, new, or prospective division programming, or related field.
Three (3) years of successful higher education teaching experience.
Three (3) years of leadership experience, managing faculty, complex budgets, and academic services.
Knowledge of innovative programs and pedagogy designed to serve diverse, nontraditional and adult students.
Experience with Postsecondary Enrollment Options, Concurrent Enrollment.
Ability to organize time and diverse tasks, to write clearly, to conduct meetings, to direct others, and to follow-up on tasks and projects.
Demonstrated skill in working effectively with personnel conflicts and concerns.
Commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion, and the ability to represent, communicate, and collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Completing employment references and a driver’s license background check.
Conform to Minnesota State’s Vehicle use criteria and consent to Motor Vehicle Records check.
Legally authorized to work in the US.

Nice To Haves

Earned Doctorate in a discipline reflective of this position’s current, new, or prospective division programming, or related field.
Three (3) years or more of leadership experience in postsecondary education that includes the supervision of faculty and instructional programs, or equivalent experience.
Experience working in a collective bargaining environment.
Knowledge and experience with higher education accreditation processes, especially Higher Learning Commission and National Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partners (NACEP).
Experience recruiting and retaining new employees, including onboarding and mentoring.
Experience with emerging educational technologies, including but not limited to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and similar guidelines to ensure equitable access to content.
Cultural competency and sensitivity to the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of students.
Bilingual/multilingual fluent in Spanish, Karen, Karenni, Somali, Pohnpeian, French, Nuer, Anuak, or other languages that reflect our student body, workforce, and communities.
Demonstrated experience working with multicultural and underserved populations.

Responsibilities

Supervise and maintain assigned instructional functions of the college, including providing quality instruction programs, instructional support services, assessment of student learning, course development, staff evaluation and development, program development, and review to assure a curriculum that is responsive to the educational and economic needs of the region.
Solicit, monitor, and incorporate workforce data and future trends for new program development; supervise and evaluate reporting personnel, delegating responsibility to various functions within the instructional unit to appropriate personnel.
Meet regularly and work collaboratively with president, vice presidents, deans, and directors, and college committees, to include the Academic Affairs Standards Committee (AASC) and Faculty Shared Governance Council (FSGC).
Monitor, evaluate, and recommend new /expanded course sections, program course modifications, and cancellations, suspensions, and deletions of instructional courses and programs, promote use of instructional technology and development of alternative/extended learning.
Supervise the development of educational specifications for instructional space and equipment for assigned programs.
Assist with the development of operational and strategic plans for the college and within academic affairs to assure alignment with the college mission and strategic plan in relationship to Higher learning Commission (HLC) criteria.
Improve student learning by assessing the achievement of intended outcomes at the classroom, program, discipline/department, unit, division, and institution levels.
Provide leadership of academic support services, Minnesota Transfer Pathway agreements, academic planning and scheduling of PSEO/ Concurrent Enrollment, and other K-12 and Adult Basic Education partnership programs and assist in grant writing and grant management.
Provide leadership and support for other initiatives within the vice presidents’, president’s, and chancellor’s annual work plans.
Provide focus and support to the initiatives of the System Framework and College’s Strategic Plan.
Serve as a collaborative administrative team member in addressing challenges of the college.
Provide appropriate leadership for division-level academic and student affairs projects.
Provide leadership for unit-level projects across each community and building location.
Provide advocacy for program and department/discipline projects.
Represent a positive college and system influence in the communities of the immediate and extended service area.
Participate in a college community that believes in shared governance and valuing people.
Manage, develop, allocate, and monitor assigned planning and budgeting process including assist in determining budget allocations for assigned academic cost centers, monitoring budgets.
Approve plans for expenditures and requests for expenditures, tracking and improving efficiencies, serving on college planning and budget functions through the college’s academic affairs division and the administrative council, to include Finance, Facilities, and Student and Employee Affairs units and providing budget oversight within selected grants and manage audit liability.
Determine need, recruit, interview, and recommend new faculty and staff; evaluate and monitor progress; and provide leadership.
Evaluate probationary and assigned faculty/staff, monitor the progress of personal staff development plans, make recommendations on permanent and continuing status, review and monitor faculty credentials and advancement for assigned faculty.
Promote leadership in creating a team-based, people-sensitive climate that encourages personal and professional development, recruit and hire part-time faculty, conduct program/department reviews.

Benefits

Low-cost medical and dental insurance with affordable deductibles
Employer-paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability
Pre-tax healthcare and dependent care accounts with a roll-over option
Confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, legal, and financial counseling
12 paid holidays
Generous vacation and sick time
Six weeks of Paid Parental Leave
Pension Plan
457(b) and 403(b) retirement accounts
Various investment options
Professional development
Tuition waivers for both you and your dependents