Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services

• In general, provide leadership in matters of academic strategy, exploring, developing, launching, and sustaining educational initiatives consistent with the university mission.
• Develop the University’s Enrollment Management Plan to build enrollment through impactful and innovative use of resources in support of the University’s strategic plan.
• Regularly advise the President on academic and student services matters.
• Understand the university’s special mission and history, appreciate all disciplines and interdisciplinarity, be cognizant of current future trends in the higher education environment, and comprehend the educational ecosystem and labor market in which the university is located.
• Maintain awareness of the Higher Education landscape, competitors, expansion opportunities, customers, markets, and new industry developments and standards utilizing state, regional and national data to analyze, evaluate, and align annual strategic and targeted enrollment needs with predictive enrollment trends.
• Participate in university-level strategic planning and lead academic planning which feeds into the broader planning process.
• Ensure the implementation of the university vision, mission, and pillars of the strategic plan throughout Academic Affairs and Student Services.
• Strengthen and build relevant, viable, innovative, and high-quality academic programs for lifelong learning.
• Provide leadership for quality teaching and engaged learning using learning science to inform and optimize pedagogies and modalities.
• Advocate for experiential learning which is the focus of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan for SACSCOC.
• Contribute to the development, honing, and execution of university plans for e.g., diversity, inclusion and equity; data analytics; technology; and communications/public relations as they apply to Academic Affairs.
• Help create a collaborative and nurturing culture in which Academic Affairs and Student Services employees work toward the university’s goals, competencies, and have positive supervisory and peer relationships.
• Support and advocate for the Kares Library as an information learning commons.
• Provide leadership for increasing and enhancing overall student success throughout the University.

Managerial Responsibilities:
Academic Affairs and Student Services

• Oversee the assessment and enhancement of the content and delivery of academic programs to promote relevance, viability, and quality through e.g., systematic program review, accreditation, consistency with ACHE vitality guidelines, and stakeholder feedback.
• Oversee the enrollment management process from prospective student to successful graduate ensuring that Athens State has an intentional, impactful plan for recruitment and retention.
• Oversee offices relating to the health, wellness, and belongingness of students.

Financial Affairs

• Work with direct reports to plan, develop and implement the annual budget for the academic and student support divisions of the University; approve expenditures; and assist in identifying ways to increase revenue and decrease costs.
• Analyze resource allocation decisions with an ROI lens, being prepared to reallocate human and financial resources to other uses that better support the mission.
• Assess the efficiency (costs and productivity of inputs) and effectiveness (outcome achievement) of Academic Affairs and Student Services units on an ongoing basis.

Faculty and Staff Human Resources

• Review hiring requests and recommend new and replacement positions to the Cabinet.
• Ensure the continual professional development of employees from orientation through the phases of their careers.
• Encourage and support not only teaching, but also research, grant-writing, publishing and other scholarly activities of the faculty.
• Engage in the regular evaluation of faculty and appropriate staff as directed by the Annual Evaluation of Employees Policy.
• Lead the annual tenure and promotion process for full-time faculty as outlined in the Continuation of Appointments (Tenure) and Promotion of Faculty policies.
• Ensure communication with faculty and staff by working closely with the Presiding Officers of the Faculty and Staff Senates to promote quality and shared governance.

Partnerships

• Appear before the Board of Trustees to discuss Academic Affairs and Student Support matters.
• Collaborate with the President on her/his academic and enrollment vision.
• Partner with the VP for University Advancement to advocate for the university, and participate in fundraising and alumni relations.
• Partner with the VP for Financial Affairs in the planning for the effective and efficient use of facilities, and in the resolution of student financial issues and budgetary issues
• Partner with the Chief Marketing Officer to determine needs for marketing for academic and enrollment areas.
• Partner with the Chief Information Officer to ensure appropriate technology is available for use in classrooms, labs, and offices within the academic and student services areas.
• Liaise with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and SACSCOC concerning program approval and monitoring.
• Participate in decision-making, sometimes possibly questioning and disagreeing, but afterwards sharing in collective responsibility for decisions, and defending those decisions to others.

Direct Reports

• Supervise the Assistant Provost for Planning, Budgeting, and Assessment who supervises the Office of Institutional Research, the assessment of student learning, serves as SACSCOC Liaison, and performs other tasks as assigned.
• Supervise College Deans, Library Director, the Director of Adult Learner Services Office, the Writing Center Director, the Coordinator of the University Testing Center, the Director of ATLIS, and Academic Affairs office staff and work with academic department chairs as needed.
• Supervise the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management who oversees all student support areas.

Operational Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with the College Deans and the Office of the Registrar in the preparation and approval of the class schedule each semester.
• Collaborate with the Cabinet, College Deans, and Associate/Assistant VPAAs on the compilation of information for the catalog and its publication.
• Coordinate with the College Deans and approve the assigning of courses and non-instructional assignments to full and part-time faculty.
• Provide oversight for the implementation and management of the Enrollment Management Plan, including assessments and corrections as needed based on recruitment cycle results.
• Provide leadership and oversight of Student Recruitment strategies and efforts to ensure recruitment goals, policies, practices and actions produce successful student recruitment results, consistent with the University’s mission, strategic plan and the Enrollment Management Plan.
• Delegate appropriate tasks

Other Duties:

• Serve on the President’s Cabinet, the Board of Trustees’ Academic Affairs Committee, Strategic Planning, and other committees as needed.
• Serves as ex-officio member of administratively appointed academic committees.
• Perform other duties as delegated by the President.

• An earned doctorate or terminal degree
• Record of professional achievement in teaching and scholarship, sufficient to merit appointment at the rank of full professor
• At least 7 years of progressive and successful administrative experience in higher education with demonstrated achievement in the management of curriculum, academic personnel, budget administration, strategic planning, admissions, and enrollment management
• Proven record of success as an academic administrator with record of successful and progressively responsible administrative experience including the leadership of academic divisions, departments, or major programs; and demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service
• Proven record of success providing oversight and guidance to enrollment management, admissions, and other student success programs
• A successful track record, which demonstrates an ability to work effectively in an environment that relies on collegiality, consultative decision-making and shared responsibilities
• Knowledge and experience with university-community engagement, external grants, and fundraising
• Ability to provide leadership in the use of technology and information systems to support teaching, learning/e-learning, research, and administration
• An understanding of institutional and specialized program accreditation