Dean of the Undergraduate College

National Louis University•Chicago, IL

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Dean of the Undergraduate College (UGC) at National Louis University (NLU) will lead a college focused on advancing bachelor’s degree attainment and employment outcomes. This role requires a visionary leader to develop and implement innovative approaches in curriculum, instruction, student engagement, student support, career preparation, and faculty/staff development. The Dean must prioritize career readiness and employment as key measures of success, challenge existing models to increase efficiency, and utilize data to drive change and enhance the college's reputation. The position involves managing day-to-day operations while thinking strategically about scaling opportunities. The Dean will also serve as a fundraiser, build external relationships, and stay informed about higher education trends. This role reports to the Provost and works with the President and Provost on strategic matters, leading a team of approximately 62 full-time faculty, 38 full-time staff, and over 250 adjunct faculty and part-time staff. The successful candidate will be a strategic, innovative, and results-oriented leader with a proven track record in setting expectations, inspiring teams, collaborating institution-wide, cultivating external support, and effective management. A deep appreciation for student-centered approaches, instructional best practices, stakeholder buy-in, and sound fiscal stewardship is essential. As part of the University’s Leadership Team, the Dean must demonstrate strategic thinking, effective collaboration, and enterprise-level execution, working across departments and contributing to institutional initiatives and partnerships.

Requirements

Earned doctorate in educational leadership, business administration, human services, or a related field.
Minimum of five years in a leadership capacity with a record of increasing responsibility.
Demonstrated capacity for strategic leadership and ability to move an organization forward.
Supervision of large, cross-functional, and senior teams.
Experience in business planning.
Experience in financial and budget management.
Experience in developing community partnerships and strong relationships, especially with community and employer partners.
Familiarity with online education, technology, and its impact on pedagogy.
Strategic Thinking: Formulates vision and strategy, weighs diverse inputs, identifies innovative opportunities, and pursues change.
Ability to get up to speed quickly on new, complex strategic challenges and contribute immediately.
Ability to implement strategic plans, including performance management goals, data-informed decision making, project and change management, and proven human resource management.
Data-Driven: Able to use and analyze data to identify trends, solve problems, inform professional development, guide student interventions, and drive programmatic continuous improvement.
Results-Oriented: Develops and executes action plans, engages stakeholders, and adjusts course to ensure on-time, high-quality results within budget.
Manages multiple priorities at a given time, balancing competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Team Leadership: Sets clear goals, integrates team and program needs, delegates, coaches, develops team members, and inspires them.
Recognizes individual strengths and builds community through recognizing success.
Handles sensitive or difficult issues with grace and confidence.
Remains clear-headed, focused, and inspires others to do the same.
Remains objective in the face of strong emotions.
Can acknowledge strong emotions without being unduly influenced by their intensity.
Exudes a collaborative management style that builds strong teams within, between, and across organizations.
Equity and Growth Mindset: Understands and demonstrates commitment to the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace.
External Awareness: Keeps informed about market conditions, competitive information, and political factors that may impact the organization's goals and interests.
Uses good judgment about when to share external information and who should be informed.
Stays up-to-date on trends and projections and sees what is on the horizon.
Executive Presence: Demonstrates confidence, composure, and credibility when engaging with a range of internal and external stakeholders, particularly executive-level colleagues.
Communicates clearly and concisely, and tailors messages to achieve buy-in of diverse audiences.
Connects with others as an active, empathetic, and responsive listener and visionary.

Nice To Haves

A record of academic achievements including teaching and/or research supervision.
Demonstrated ability to raise money.

Responsibilities

Provide vision and leadership for the College, establishing multi-year vision and priorities aligned with the University’s strategic plan.
Implement efficient processes and procedures to drive strategic initiatives and monitor performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as student learning outcomes, graduation rates, employment, and satisfaction.
Collaborate with the University Strategic Data Center to ensure data informs College planning and execution.
Attract, hire, develop, and retain faculty and staff talent.
Provide direction, coaching, and supervision to the college’s leadership team, including associate deans, executive director of undergraduate student success, assistant dean of operations, and directors of strategic initiatives.
Advance the organizational culture of the College, emphasizing student-centeredness, service excellence, data-informed decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Engage in shared governance dialogues, cultivating a culture of inclusion and ensuring feedback loops with faculty and staff.
Manage personnel matters related to faculty and staff in the College.
Establish and execute priorities to grow student outcomes in collaboration with associate deans, faculty, success coaches/advisors, and career staff.
Advance the instructional model to be student-centered, strengths-based, industry-aligned, career-focused, culturally responsive, and data-informed.
Collaborate with the Online Education unit to ensure high-quality experiences and outcomes for online students.
Oversee annual program assessment and accreditation requirements with associate deans, chairs/directors, and the Provost’s Office.
Ensure robust academic advising, student engagement, and wraparound support services through collaboration with the executive director of undergraduate student success and other support teams.
Partner with the University Career Bridge department to advance integrated UGC career preparation and placement, ensuring college-wide engagement in student career development and employment outcomes.
Engage with the UGC Dean’s Student Advisory Council to incorporate student feedback into College plans.
Work with the University’s Institutional Advancement team to raise external funding through philanthropy, partnerships, and grants.
Forge and strengthen strategic partnerships with school districts, community colleges, community organizations, and employers to build college capacity, cultivate employment opportunities, and fuel enrollment.
Represent the College at public events and lead engagements with the College’s Brain Trust advisory council.
Support student recruitment initiatives and foster the recognition and growth of the College in collaboration with the Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment.
Collaborate with community partners and industry advisory councils to identify needs for new or transformed programs.
Explore opportunities for regional and national growth, including new campus locations and leveraging remote/online modalities.
Develop and manage the College budget in collaboration with the UGC Assistant Dean of Operations and University VP of Finance, ensuring resources are allocated to achieve strategic goals.
Ensure a lean operating model for financial self-sustainability at the UGC’s affordable tuition rate.
Serve as an active member of the University’s Leadership Team, including President’s Cabinet and Academic Cabinet.
Contribute and model proactive and strategic thought leadership, student-centeredness, collaborative spirit, team leadership, and an equity mindset.
Serve as a role model ambassador for NLU.
Perform other duties and lead additional special initiatives as assigned.