Director, Developmental Education

Bucks County Community College•Newtown, PA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Bucks County Community College seeks a collaborative, student-centered, and outcomes-driven leader to advance the College’s developmental education strategy and support students in achieving college readiness and long-term academic success. Building on the College’s commitment to access, equity, and student achievement, the Director will lead a coordinated, institution-wide approach to developmental education that strengthens persistence, accelerates progression into college-level coursework, and improves completion outcomes. Working in close partnership with faculty, advising, academic support services, and institutional leadership, the Director will position developmental education as an integrated, evidence-based pathway that supports academically underprepared students through innovative curriculum design, aligned academic coaching, and intentional student engagement. The Director will play a critical role in shaping the student experience from placement through completion by ensuring that systems, support, and instruction are coordinated, proactive, and responsive to student needs. The Director provides strategic vision, administrative leadership, and day-to-day oversight of developmental education initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities related to retention, persistence, and equitable student success. This is a twelve-month, full-time administrative appointment reporting to the Executive Director, Academic Success.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Education, Higher Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related field.
Minimum of four (4) years of experience teaching developmental education or supporting academically underprepared students in a college setting.
Demonstrated leadership experience in curriculum development, academic coaching, advising, or student success initiatives.
Knowledge of developmental education practices and evidence-based strategies that support student persistence and progression.
Experience analyzing student success data to inform program improvement and decision making.
Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree in a related field.
Experience leading institution-wide or cross-functional student success initiatives.
Experience with placement reform, including multiple measures and placement preparation strategies.
Experience supporting faculty development and instructional innovation.
Demonstrated success in improving retention, completion, or progression outcomes for academically underprepared students.
Experience collaborating across decentralized teams to achieve shared institutional goals.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the College’s developmental education initiatives, aligning programs with institutional priorities for student success, retention, and completion.
Develop and implement a multi-year plan for developmental education that integrates placement, advising, curriculum and academic support.
Monitor and analyze key student success metrics (placement, course completion, progression, retention) and prepare reports to guide continuous improvement and institutional planning.
Collaborate with Deans and faculty to advance evidence-based instructional models, including accelerated pathways, modularized learning, and integrated skill development.
Collaborate with Deans and faculty to ensure alignment between developmental coursework and gateway courses to promote seamless academic progression.
Support the development and implementation of consistent learning outcomes and assessment strategies across developmental offerings.
Facilitate professional development in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning to support instructional practices that foster active learning, student engagement, and the development of effective learning strategies.
Partner with academic support units to align developmental coursework with structured academic coaching, tutoring, and learning support services.
Collaborate with advising strengthening connections between placement, course selection, and academic planning.
Promote equitable access to resources and support resources that address the needs of diverse student populations.
Collaborate with Enrollment Management and advising supporting effective placement processes, including the use of multiple measures and placement preparation tools.
Strengthen student outreach and communication related to placement testing, retesting opportunities, and developmental pathways.
Support initiatives that improve students’ understanding of their placement results and next steps.
Identify and address barriers within the student journey that delay progression into college-level coursework.
Contribute to institutional efforts to improve onboarding, retention, and completion for students requiring developmental support.
Collaborate with academic deans, faculty coordinators, advising, and student success teams to ensure a coordinated and student-centered approach to developmental education.
Support professional development for faculty and staff related to developmental education practices, student learning strategies, and academic coaching.
Participate in institutional committees, cross-functional teams, and governance structures to advance student success initiatives.
Serve as a campus resource on developmental education best practices and emerging trends.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across departments and functional areas.