Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for Distance Education, Extended Studies

Description

Summary:

Reporting to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for Distance Education, Extended Studies, and Instructional Technologyis responsible for the overall vision, direction, management, and operational effectiveness of the Office of Distance Education, Extended Studies and Instructional Technology. Focuses will include critical digital pedagogy, educational innovation, continuing education, and applications of technology. Serves as the decisional authority regarding distance education faculty, distance education courses, and distance education academic programs.
This office includes three (3) full-time employees and houses the following major university enterprise of which this role carries primary responsibility and oversight.

• AAMU Online
  • The university’s distance learning enterprise which houses all components of distance education at the university to include the professional development of highly qualified faculty, development and evaluation of distance education courses
• Center for Extended Studies
  • The university’s managing and delivery enterprise for continuing education offering, non-academic credit courses and programs and alternative credit pathways.
• Center for Instructional Technology
  • Manages and supports instructional technology throughout the institution to include all classroom-based technology, web based educational technology and administrative of the university’s learning management system.

Examples of Duties

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides strategic direction for teaching and learning initiatives at AAMU, whether online, hybrid or in-person.
• Leads AAMU’s initiatives to develop and deliver high quality, accessible educational offerings for all AAMU students
• Develops and implements short and long-range strategic plans to advance the university’s mission & goals in distance learning, extended studies and instructional technology.
• Provides leadership for accreditation, accessibility, and other considerations related to distance education, continuing education and instructional technology.
• Provides administrative oversight of the overall daily operations of the Office of Distance Education, Extended Studies and Instructional Technology
• Provides administrative oversight of AAMU Online, the web-based teaching and learning enterprise of Alabama A&M University.
• Providers administrative oversight for the Centers for Extended Studies and Instructional Technology
• Serves as the site coordinator and liaison for university sponsored off-campus instructional sites.
• Leads, supervises, trains and evaluates assigned personnel including recruiting and hiring.
• Analyses critical data to support the expansion and improvement of distance learning at AAMU.
• Collaborates with academic leadership to establish, implement, maintain, and evaluate quality assurance measures for technology-mediated learning
• Provides supervision of compliance with online learning accreditation standards and industry regulations relating to online learning programs including state authorization and accessibility compliance
• Leads the research, development, and execution of emerging and innovative methods for course delivery and instructional technology.
• Develops and delivers professional development to support online course development and delivery as well as the use of technology to support quality instructional delivery and academic success.
• Collaborates and provides consultation to the Office of Information Technology Services to ensure the appropriate technology infrastructures in support of online instructional delivery.
• Display user competence with a wide range of multimedia software including, but not limited to audio, video, web, animation, and photo to develop materials for online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses.
• Develops instructional, web and media-based interactive learning objects (tutorials, demos, training modules) to support faculty and students.
• Troubleshoots technical course design issues with faculty.
• Conducts research to identify potential applications for new and emerging instructional technologies.
• Researches and identifies grant opportunities relevant to instruction, faculty support and online programs.
• Provides executive level staff support as requested and serves on assigned internal and external committees and task forces.
• Participates on relevant university committees and performs other duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

Minimum Position Requirements (including years of experience, certifications, licenses, etc.):

• Doctoral degree in Education, Instructional Technology or other suitable discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in higher education.
• At least five (5) years of administrative experience in higher education, to include oversight of and experience in online learning and instructional design.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Critical understanding of the issues and latest trends in higher education as they relate to distance education, continuing education and instructional technology.
• Knowledge of SACS-COC standards as they relate to distance education and continuing education.
• An understanding of instructional design principles and best practices in online course development.
• An understanding of professional training and development activities for faculty and staff, best pedagogical practices, and cutting-edge instructional technologies;
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Effective consultative, presentation, collaboration and negotiation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and memory skills, writing, editing, oral communication and presentation skills required, as well as demonstrating personal integrity, creativity, flexibility, diplomacy and accountability.
• Ability to effectively work and collaborate across organizational lines with various disciplinary faculty, academic administrators and university staff.

• Serves as liaison with the Division of Student Affairs, Deans and Chairs, Accounts Payable, etc. to ensure that all aspects of the student enrollment process are efficiently implemented.
• Represents the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs as requested and carries out other assignments as requested.
• Represents the Division of Academic Affairs with units external to the university and on internal committees/task forces related to all matters pertaining to undergraduate studies.