Location: Albany, NY Category: Promotional Posted On: Thu Jun 20 2024 Job Description:

Job Summary

The Assistant Dean of the Minerva Center is a senior leadership position within the Office of Academic Innovation and Student Success (AISS), responsible for the development, implementation, and assessment of high impact educational practices. This role is critical in promoting student engagement, retention, and success through innovative strategies that advance undergraduate research, expand experiential learning, and provide support for persistence and degree completion. The Assistant Dean will collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus leaders to identify, develop and integrate high impact practices ensuring these practices are accessible and effective for all students.

The Assistant Dean will lead the evolution of the Minerva Center for High Impact Practices and serve as a transformational leader, responsible for the strategic mission and vision of the center and oversight of the planning, administration, and operational aspects of each area (Experiential Education, Undergraduate Research, First-Year Experience, Microgrants, and High Impact Initiatives).

STRATEGIC AND PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP:

• Lead the implementation of high impact programs that support and expand campus-wide undergraduate academic experiential learning opportunities, and that connect undergraduate students with university and community resources.

• Coordinate with partner units within Academic Innovation and Student Success, and campus partners, to design and implement campus-wide high-impact practices that improve first-year retention, persistence and graduation rates.

• Work with the Deans and faculty of the Schools and Colleges to promote existing programs and design and tailor program specific high-impact practices aligning with each program's distinctive mission. Specifically focusing on supporting School and College efforts in onboarding new students, growing undergraduate research opportunities, and embedding experiential learning within each school or college.

• Oversee the development of new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs and support existing REU opportunities.

• Oversee and direct the microgrants and AISS scholarships that support high impact practice initiatives. Evaluate and update criteria and processes for awarding microgrants and scholarships to ensure equitable access and maximum impact.

• Promote Minerva Center programs to current students and, in partnership with Undergraduate Admissions, advance Minerva Center programs as recruiting tools to prospective and admitted students.

• Work with University Counsel, the Office of Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance, and others across campus, to build a toolkit of resources and procedures for students and faculty supporting high impact experiential programs.

EMPLOYEE SUPERVISION AND DEVELOPMENT:

• Lead a team of six professional staff including the director of experiential education and the director of the first-year experience, two faculty fellows, and 1-2 graduate students.

• Develop strategic coordination between the various Minerva Center units and programs to ensure collaborative project development and achievement of cross-unit success initiatives.

• Conduct annual performance review and performance program updates for unit directors and ensure directors are conducting same for the employees in their units.

• Work with unit directors to prepare recommendations for discretionary salary increases.

• Provide opportunities for professional development to encourage staff to remain up to date on High Impact Practices.

FINANCIAL AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advocate for resources and provide fiduciary oversight for Minerva Center budgets, including State, UAlbany Foundation, and Research Foundation accounts.

• Identify and pursue external funding opportunities to support high impact practice initiatives.

• Provide oversight in the areas of planning, human resources, policy development, operational, facility, and budgetary aspects for all activity within and across units.

• Prepare annual budget requests, including requests for staff positions when necessary.

DATA AND ASSESSMENT

• Engage in continuous evaluation and assessment of Minerva Center programs, policies, and practices.

• Oversee the design, execution, and assessment of metrics to measure impact and effectiveness of high impact programs including undergraduate research, service learning, internships, first-year seminars, and learning communities.

• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of microgrants and targeted scholarships in enhancing student persistence and success.

• Work with unit directors to develop and report on annual SMART goals.

• Provide results of assessment activities to Vice Provost for dissemination to appropriate university audiences.

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:

• Work with University Advancement to build partnerships with alumni and organizations that support and enhance Minerva Center programming, including sourcing corporate support for programs and increasing donor-funded awards and scholarships.

• Work with Research Foundation and Corporate Relations partners to apply for external grant funding.

• Relationship building to develop high engagement programs to support our FYE programs

• Apply for internal funding opportunities (e.g., program funds from Auxiliary Services or Diversity & Inclusion) to support Minerva Center events.

• Work with other University units (e.g., Career Services, Center for Leadership) to encourage a shared funding model for activities with cross-unit impact.

CAMPUS LIAISON, COORDINATION, and PARTNER:

• Collaborate with academic and student affairs offices to advance Minerva Center activities and programs for undergraduates across all schools and colleges.

• Work with leadership in academic departments to engage faculty in Minerva Center events and programming.

UNIVERSITY SERVICE:

• Participate in University governance in official and informal capacities when possible.

• Serve on committees and task forces within AISS as well as across campus.

  Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree from a nationally accredited institution.

• Three to five years of experience working in a higher education environment.

• Three to five years of supervisory experience.

• Excellent writing, interpersonal, communication and leadership skills.

• Demonstrated experience in managing budgets.

• Ability to coordinate and execute a variety of tasks and to exercise judgment and discretion.

• Experience designing assessment metrics and tools, conducting assessment activities and/or incorporating assessment outcomes in program planning and goal setting.

• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community.

• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. from a nationally accredited institution.

• Experience building and leading a team.

• Experience with operational software such as EAB, Peoplesoft, and Handshake.

• Experience securing external funding, including support from donors and grants/contracts.

• Ability to build a campus-wide network of faculty and staff who support and promote high impact practices.

  Additional Information:

This is a promotional opportunity for current UAlbany employees.

Eligibility for Consideration:

• You must be employed at the University at Albany campus.

• You must be in a State-funded UUP professional position (MC employees are not eligible).

• You must have a permanent, term, or probationary appointment (temporary employees are not eligible).

For details concerning the University's Promotion Policy for Professional Employees, please see HR Memorandum 88-4 (https://www.albany.edu/hr/promotion.php) .

Professional Rank and Salary Grade: Assistant Dean, SL-5, $105,000-$115,000

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml (https://www.albany.edu/police/statistics-and-records)

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Please apply online via http://albany.interviewexchange.com/candapply.jsp?JOBID=177929