The University of Denver has the distinction of being the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, with a tradition of 150 years of academic excellence. The University of Denver's college of professional and continuing studies, University College, is a leader in adult education, providing fully accredited and affordable educational experiences specifically designed for busy adults.

Position Summary

The Academic Director provides overall strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the Organizational Leadership degree program. The position also provides oversight of the Strategic Human Resources Program. This role requires a broad understanding of organizational leadership in applied contexts. The primary responsibilities include overall program management, with emphasis on curriculum development; faculty selection and development; course scheduling and delivery; assessment; and program budget management, including enrollment goals. The Academic Director ensures that the content of the degree program and its concentrations is current, high-quality, and meets the needs of employers and students. The Academic Director also works to ensure that the curriculum in each of the concentrations integrates with the program foundations courses, aligns with program outcomes, and is complementary where appropriate with courses in other concentrations within the program. Finally, the Director maintains a deep understanding of the current market trends and strengths of the program and, in cooperation with industry advisors and faculty, creates, plans and implements a vision for where the program should be in the future with respect to industry demands and the changing dynamics of the organizational leadership field. The Academic Director will engage in positive, productive, and professional interpersonal relationships with academic advisors, instructional support specialists, instructional designers, enrollment and marketing staff, student services staff, senior management, and constituent departments campus-wide as well as with corporate partners and the community to assure quality course delivery, support student advising, address student issues, hire and provide support to faculty, and attract new students to the program. The successful candidate must be willing to be part of and promote an inclusive team and work culture. The Academic Director is also assigned a teaching load per academic year. The role has inherent responsibility to provide advising to students concerning the program and their careers as appropriate. In addition, the Academic Director represents the College at University and community events. The position is a full-time, benefited position and is a non-tenured, appointed faculty position in the teaching series. Teaching rank is determined based on years of experience, teaching expertise, and is renewable contingent on formal performance review.

Essential Functions

• The Academic Director and Teaching Professor is responsible for all content areas of the program, including the foundations courses, core concentration courses, and elective courses.
• Support and implement the strategic plan, mission, vision, and values of University College.
• Curriculum development, including clear learning objectives, and quality assessment.
• Identify and lead the development of new programmatic opportunities.
• Teach select courses in the Organizational Leadership and/or Strategic Human Resources programs.
• Faculty recruitment.
• Train and provide support for faculty to ensure engagement in best teaching practices and adherence to University College Baseline Faculty Expectations.
• Plan and implement the annual course schedule, to include faculty assignments.
• Ensure high-quality course delivery and immediately address instructional issues that may arise.
• Review and approve student applicants.
• Ensure a high-quality student experience by promptly and effectively responding to student issues.
• Identify the knowledge and skills requirements for incoming students.
• Identify and enact measures to positively impact student success and retention.
• Investigate and help develop solutions to address gaps in preparedness of incoming students.
• Develop industry relationships to ensure the curriculum is responsive to employer needs and current with respect to industry-related best practices.
• In partnership with faculty, evaluate the program and lead program initiatives and new curriculum development.
• Engage in assessment reporting to assess the extent to which the program is meeting student learning outcomes.
• Assist with student recruiting.
• Maintain professional knowledge of key developments and trends in the organizational leadership field.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives such as the use of technology to enhance online instruction.
• Participate in College and University committees.
• Provide input regarding marketing strategies, collateral, and website content.
• Engage in positive, productive, professional, and interpersonal relationships throughout the University by establishing close working relationships with program advisors, support staff, marketing staff, student services staff, senior management, and constituent departments campus wide.
• Utilize diplomacy to establish and maintain cohesive, productive relationships at the greater University, with corporate partners, and with the community.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills, supervision of others, management of budgets, and proficiency in computer applications.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret industry literature, professional journals, technical procedures, and/or government regulations.
• Ability to create and utilize analytics to inform decision-making.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, course descriptions and outcomes, degree or program proposals, and procedural manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from students, faculty, co-workers, and the general public.
• Ability to execute a hands-on and collaborative approach to leadership and teamwork.
• Ability to solve practical problems with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team-oriented environment as well as independently to meet deadlines, achieve goals, and provide program structure.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
• Strong management, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Required Qualifications

Teaching Assistant Professor

• Masters degree in Organizational Leadership, Business or related discipline.
• 5 years of demonstrated professional experience within the field of Organizational Leadership, Business or related discipline.
• Teaching or training experience.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to hiring faculty and recruiting students from diverse and varied backgrounds.

Teaching Associate Professor

• Masters degree in Organizational Leadership, Business, or related discipline.
• 7 years of demonstrated professional experience within the field of Organizational Leadership, Business or related discipline.
• 5 years of experience in the higher education environment (administration or teaching).
• 5 years of experience in leadership and/or management positions.
• 1 year of teaching or training experience.
• Experience in the area of professional and continuing education.
• Curriculum development and assessment experience.
• Demonstrated evidence of teaching effectiveness
• Knowledge of best teaching practices for adult learners.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to hiring faculty and recruiting students from diverse and varied backgrounds.

Teaching Professor

• Earned doctorate in a relevant field.
• 8+ years of demonstrated professional experience within the field of Organizational Leadership, Business, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in the higher education environment (administration or teaching).
• 8+ years of experience in leadership and/or management positions.
• 1 year of teaching or training experience.
• 2 years of experience in the area of professional and continuing education.
• 1 year of experience in curriculum development and assessment experience.
• Demonstrated evidence of teaching effectiveness.
• Experience teaching adult learners.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to hiring faculty and recruiting students from diverse and varied backgrounds.

Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) on August 14, 2019.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Range
Salary will be determined by the qualifications of the selected candidate balanced with departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. CV
2. Cover Letter

The University of Denver is committed to enhancing the diversity of its faculty and staff. We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, military/ veteran status or any other status protected by law.

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.