Dean, John P. Burke School

Dean of the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education

JOB SUMMARY:

As a member of the CAO (Chief Academic Officer) Cabinet and the University’s Leadership Team, the Dean for the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education reports directly to the CAO and is the school's senior academic and administrative leader. The Dean works collaboratively across Academic Affairs and the University to advance high-quality online academic programming and course instruction on the quality of the School’s main campus and online, focusing on personalizing the holistic student experience. Post University serves a diverse population of students with a main campus location in Waterbury, CT, and a strong global online presence.

In collaboration with the CAO and operational units, the Dean will advance educational effectiveness in the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education, such as student enrollment, retention, persistence, and graduation rates. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who combines strategic thinking and solid business acumen to perform all role accountabilities and provide enriched, personalized learning experiences for every student.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leadership

• Demonstrate expertise in effective, student-centered, success-oriented, and ethical leadership.
• Establish and launch the School’s mission, shared vision, and identity.
• Build the strength and relevancy of the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education name locally, regionally, and nationally by establishing relationships with counterpart institutions, transfer institutions, local business/industry partners, K-12 partners, and the Post University community.
• Actively participate in the university’s leadership team to support the university-wide strategic planning process with specific accountability and advocacy for the school.
• Provide leadership in the development, enhancement, and review of academic policies.
• Ensure timely and transparent information communication across the School, Academic Affairs, and/or the University.
• Enhance the ethos of collaboration and respect among all Faculty, Associates, and Students.
• Engage with the external community to foster educational partnerships and opportunities that enhance the School’s impact and visibility.
• Practice inclusive excellence and shared governance principles that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the School and Post University.

Curriculum and Program Development

• Develop and implement new degree programs and work closely with the CAO, Faculty, and Associates to enhance the student experience.
• Conduct ongoing evaluations of the academic portfolio.
• Review and act on student concerns raised in the School, including Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), dismissal appeals and violations of Post’s Civility Code and Academic Dishonesty policies.
• Assure compliance with state, federal, and accrediting agency regulations, and, with the CAO, effectively communicate all such policies to students, Faculty, Associates, and the University community.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning and the Regulatory Department to ensure academic content in the Catalog and on the website and other University publications is accurate and representative of the School.
• Develop and encourage opportunities to deepen the School’s interdisciplinary teaching and
• scholarship in ways that capitalize on Post’s Workforce Ready Initiatives and Humanities General Education outcomes.
• Promote research, scholarship, and innovative practices within the School.
• Collaborate with CAO and the Regulatory department to ensure compliance with programmatic accreditors.

Student Success and Educational Effectiveness

• Provide student-centered and data-informed leadership in the planning, implementing, assessing, and ongoing improvement of all curriculum, instructional modalities, courses, and programs within assigned academic areas.
• Gather and synthesize data from various sources to review, evaluate, and communicate the School’s progress toward the strategic plan goals.
• Collaborate with the assessment team to ensure yearly program review and monitor retention, persistence, and graduation rates.
• Work closely with the Chief Academic Officer and University Operations to ensure optimal student experience from enrollment to graduation relative to KPIs.

Personnel and Resource Allocation

• Develop and manage the School’s operational and personnel budget and participate in the University-wide budgeting process.
• Hire, evaluate, and develop effective and dedicated Program Chairs, Faculty, and Associates for the School to foster a culture of transparency, creativity, accountability, and continuous quality improvement.
• Supervise and evaluate Assistant Deans and support strategic initiatives surrounding Associate Faculty professional development.
• Collaborate with the Center for Teaching and Learning to develop and provide professional development opportunities to faculty and associates within the School.
• These responsibilities are not exhaustive and may include additional tasks as directed by the Chief Academic Officer and Provost.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The successful candidate will possess a terminal degree reflective of one or more disciplines within the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education. The candidate should have at least five years of experience in higher education leadership or a related professional field. Other qualifications include:

• Knowledge of and experience in adult education (theory, pedagogy, and andragogy) as it relates to online and blended learning modalities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current research and state and/or national initiatives to enhance student access, persistence, and success.
• Proficiency in designing and teaching courses online; demonstrated success in academic higher education program and curriculum development; experience with faculty/staff professional development.
• Experience with budgets and fiscal management.
• A proven record of effective leadership through collaborative and shared decision-making; initiative-taking, action-oriented, get-it-done mentality.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• An innovative vision for the future of service and education programming in higher education, particularly online.
• Ability to balance advocacy for the School with the greater needs of the University.
• Deep commitment to the goals and advancement of online education.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.