Dean of General & Transfer Education

Dean of General & Transfer Education

at Northwest Florida State College

Northwest Florida State College announces an executive search for a proven academic administrator to serve as Dean of General & Transfer Education, who reports directly to the Vice President of Teaching & Learning, the chief academic officer. Applications and nominations are accepted through this recruitment process, with the preferred start date of Fall 2019.

Complete information is available in the Search Profile at

https://myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/files/NWFSC-GTEd-Profile.pdf

The Leadership Opportunity

Northwest Florida State College (NWF State College) is a multi-campus institution serving nearly 10,000 students and offers associate and baccalaureate degree programs in addition to vocational certificates and adult education. The College recently was ranked #8 by Schools.com on its list of the best community colleges in Florida based on factors such as cost, graduation rate, and flexibility.

Dr. Devin Stephenson has served as President of the College since early 2017. Under his leadership, the College has achieved Silver Status in the Florida College System Performance Funding Model. Also, the Aspen Institute placed the College in the Top 150 in its 2018 Community College Excellence Recognition Program.

The Dean of General & Transfer Education will report to Dr. Deborah Kish, the Vice President of Teaching & Learning. Coordinating with chairs, directors, as well as other academic leadership, the Dean will enact strategies that provide high visibility and support for student success and completion of the Associate in Arts degree and general education courses related to the Associate in Science and related College Credit Certificates.

The Dean will foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary, academic environment supportive of the College's mission and vision, student-centered services, and academic administrative excellence.

In this leadership role, the Dean also will

• Establish the framework, align competencies, and ground a vision of student success to reform and restructure general education gateway courses that strengthen student retention and success, and improve progression through completion of college-level courses.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate courses, programs, distance learning offerings, and related curricular matters, in cooperation with faculty and other College staff, as appropriate for relevancy, rigor, sequencing, and efficacy.
• Collaborate with appropriate College personnel, including the Vice President of Student Success and the Dean of Career Education to lead the development, implementation, and execution of a college-wide academic early alert and intervention strategic plan that integrates appropriate assessments and student success interventions.
• Provide administrative oversight and guidance, budget management, and program and institutional accreditation support for the General & Transfer Education Department.
• Collaborate with all appropriate personnel to develop and implement strategic enrollment management initiatives and assume shared responsibility for meeting or exceeding performance targets for student recruitment, enrollment, completion, and transfer or job placement.
• Identify funding opportunities and actively work with grants development personnel to provide workplans, concepts, ideas, and submission materials for external funding to support educational initiatives and instructional enhancements.
• Participate in the design and implementation of new policies, procedures, pedagogy/andragogy, curricula, facilities, job descriptions, professional development, etc., that support the General & Transfer Education Department of the College.
• Evaluate personnel to assure maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Where appropriate, develop performance improvement plans for personnel who are evaluated below acceptable standards. Provide constructive guidance, feedback, and positive reinforcement of expected personnel performance.
• Guide, supervise, and mentor faculty and staff, making recommendations regarding employment status as appropriate.
• Provide administrative oversight and guidance for the production of the NWF State College Faculty and Adjunct Faculty handbooks.
• Serve as a member of appropriate committees, work-groups, task forces, and screening committees.
• Work effectively to bring resolution of faculty, staff, and student concerns, issues, and problems.
• Ensure that class schedules, course offerings, and academic support services meet student needs across the College while supporting the continuous development, review, and revision of academic curricula at the course level to assure quality and relevancy.
• Establish and maintain relationships with local K-12 schools, colleges and universities, businesses, and community-based organizations to promote and benefit enrollment, academic programming, and academic readiness.

The Dean will contribute to the overall mission of the College by performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

The duties and responsibilities of the position require the Dean to be electronically accessible for College business during non-college operating hours and/or when off-campus during regular duty hours.

Qualifications & Requirements

Candidate must have an earned doctoral degree in one of the areas of oversight or in a closely related discipline. Every earned degree awarded must be from a regionally accredited institution.

Additionally, three years of senior-level management experience in higher education and demonstrated leadership and creative accomplishments in an administrative role at an institution of higher learning, preferably at a community/state college, are required.

Other qualifications include:

• Knowledge and understanding of college organization, goals and objectives, and policies and procedures
• Knowledge of college educational philosophy and senior management administrative practices and procedures
• Knowledge of college curricula and instructional programs and trends in general education programming
• Knowledge of regional accreditation, requirements, processes, and principles, such as those of The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Knowledge and demonstrated skill in effective oral and written communication
• Ability to speak effectively to employees, faculty, staff, and community groups 
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-ethnic/multi-cultural environment with students, faculty, and staff
• Demonstrated understanding and application of emotional intelligence and situational awareness
• Knowledge of technological systems as they apply to instructional, administrative, and workplace needs 
• Strategic planning skills to effect change and improvement in a multi-cultural environment.
• Skill in employee development and performance management 
• Strong leadership skills that promote collaboration, creativity, innovation, and growth 
• Ability to develop and interpret financial data/plans, develop operating budgets, and manage resources 
• Ability to think and act in an entrepreneurial environment and to make decisions that enhance efficiencies and effectiveness of the College’s overall performance
• Ability to think, reason, and make sound judgments on how responsibilities are completed in compliance with college standards and guidelines

Northwest Florida State College

Northwest Florida State College has a distinguished history of providing outstanding educational opportunities for students. Located in the heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast between Pensacola and Panama City, the College was established by the Florida Legislature in 1963 as Okaloosa-Walton Junior College. Its current name reflects the expansion of the College’s mission to provide educational access and opportunity for success to the region.

NWF State College’s service area stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line and is centered primarily in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Two Air Force installations, Eglin AFB, including Duke Field, and Hurlburt Field, are in the service area.

In addition to the picturesque 264-acre main campus located in Niceville, the College operates a campus in Fort Walton Beach, the Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs, the Robert L.F. Sikes Education Center in Crestview, and centers at Hurlburt Field and in South Walton.

NWF State College offers four baccalaureate degrees: Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Supervision; Bachelor of Applied Science in Project Management; Bachelor of Science in Education, including early childhood and elementary education; and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Additional bachelor’s degree programs are being developed.

The College’s Associate in Arts degree provides full transfer of credit for those students who plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The Associate in Science degrees have companion certificates that may be used as a career path toward the AS degree.

Courses for adults in literacy, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Adult Basic Education, vocational preparatory/job readiness skills, and GED preparation programs are also available.

Dual enrollment allows high school students to enroll and earn college credit and credit for high school graduation simultaneously. This is offered to public, private, and home-schooled students.

In its latest year of record, the College’s 2018-2019 Total Revenue was in excess of $44 million. State funding represented 49 percent of the total, while student fees and financial aid were 30 percent, and other revenues/transfers were 21 percent.

NWF State College offers intercollegiate baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball programs that consistently compete for conference, regional, and national titles. In 2015, the Raiders won the national NJCAA Division I championship in Men’s Baseball and Men’s Basketball.

Northwest Florida State College Fast Facts

• The College has approximately 750 full-time and part-time staff and faculty.
• Capital construction and renovations at NWF State College from Fiscal Year 2009 to 2018 totaled $84.5 million.
• NWF State College tuition and fees are among the lowest in Florida of any public university or college.
• In 2014, The Military Order of the Purple Heart designated NWF State College as a Purple Heart College. It is the first college in Florida to receive this designation.
• In 2019-2020, NWF State College was designated a Military Friendly Institution by VIQTORY.
• In 2015-2016, more than $13.7 million was awarded in student financial assistance.
• The Men’s Basketball team was the 2014-15 NJCAA Division I National Champion, and the Baseball team was the 2014-15 NJCAA Division I National Champion.

Niceville, Florida

Home to the main campus of NWF State College, Niceville offers towering pine trees, majestic oaks, unspoiled streams, cold water creeks, and the picturesque bayous of Northwest Florida. The city is known for living up to its name to residents and visitors alike.

Niceville has welcoming neighborhoods, top-ranked schools, a responsive city government, and mild weather. Outdoor and indoor recreation are plentiful. The world’s best beaches are only minutes from Niceville. Henderson Beach State Park and James Lee Park are only about 13 miles from the heart of Niceville and both offer parking and family-friendly amenities. Nearby John Beasley Park and Newman C. Brackin Wayside Park in Fort Walton Beach (Okaloosa Island) are also popular public beaches with parking and amenities.

Named the “Best Place to Raise Kids in Florida in 2012” by Bloomberg Businessweek, Niceville has numerous youth programs and activities, sports leagues, parks, outdoor recreation, church youth ministries, outstanding schools, a thriving arts and entertainment center, and residents who support and care about young people.

Okaloosa and Walton counties are the primary service areas of the College. Okaloosa County has a population of nearly 200,000 with Walton County having more than 63,000 residents.

Application and Nomination Process

Confidential inquiries are welcomed; nominations are invited.

To Apply - Applications must include: 1) Letter of interest, 2) Current curriculum vitae, and 3) At least five references with full contact information, including e-mails (References will not be contacted without consent from applicants.)

Submit application materials (preferably as PDFs) to NWFSC-DGTE@myersmcrae.com. Review of applications begins September 9, 2019.

Submit nominations to NWFSC-DGTE-Nominate@myersmcrae.com with complete contact information, including e-mail address, for the individual being nominated.

Kenny Daugherty, President, and Emily Parker Myers, CEO, of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting are assisting Northwest Florida State College with this search.

Northwest Florida State College is dedicated to the concepts of equity and equal opportunity. It is the specific intention of the College not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, ethnicity, disability, marital status, national origin, race, pregnancy, religion, genetic information or gender, in its employment practices or in the admission and treatment of students in its programs or activities.