Associate Dean of Academic Affairs - Department of Academic Affairs

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. or Doctorate in a related field and a minimum of 10 years of progressive responsibility in higher education.

Preferred Qualifications:

Chair of a Health Professions department and/or experience as a School of Health Professions Assistant or Associate Dean.

Job Description:

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs provides leadership and administrative oversight for activities, operations, and procedures related to the management of Academic Affairs.

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs functions as an advocate in the Dean’s Office to serve the faculty, staff and students within the UTMB School of Health Professions. 

Scope: UTMB School of Health Professions

Job Duties:

• Provide leadership and direction to program faculty on matters of curriculum development and instruction.
• Ensure that, where applicable, accreditation standards are met and that best educational practices in the field are known and applied by faculty.
• Develop and apply effective mechanisms for course and curriculum improvement. 
• Encourage, recognize, and reward educational innovation, creativity, and excellence.
• Collaborate with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in curriculum evaluation, coordination, and reporting activities.
• Facilitate periodic surveys of students and graduates to support curricular change.
• Facilitate regular and useful course evaluation and feedback activities.
• Collaborate with the Associate Dean for Faculty Development to identify faculty development needs, including mentoring, and work with appropriate school and institutional resources to address these identified needs.
• Coordinate faculty orientation activities with the Associate Dean for Faculty Development.
• Develop academic and faculty policies to assure consistency within the school. 
• Review and have oversight for new program proposals and the approval process; provide guidance to SHP department chairs, program directors, and faculty as they contemplate new academic programs, including certificate programs.
• Collaborate with SHP departmental chairs and program directors to review curricular feedback, faculty evaluation, and student performance, and facilitate recommendations for best educational practices.
• Support and assist implementation of university-wide IPE activities. 
• Maintain current faculty records to track appointments, promotion, and tenure decisions and timelines.
• Serve as a resource to the SHP appointment, promotion, and tenure process and its related committees.
• Organize Academic Program Reviews for programs that do not have accreditation requirements.  
• Participate in SACS Reaffirmation activities.
• Provide for regular AA staff evaluation and development.    
• Plan and manage AA department budgets and resources responsibly and efficiently.
• Act as liaison with IT and classroom services/academic computing for new programs, distance education, and other learning activities.
• Be familiar with system, institution, and school-wide policies and demonstrate and expect compliance with them.
• Provide liaison with university-wide Academic Affairs Council, Inter-Professional Education (IPE) curriculum committees and task forces, and others. 
• Participate in large Council of Deans meetings.
• Serve in an ex-officio capacity for the SHP scholarship committee, curriculum committee, admissions committee, and others. 
• Participate in SHP Dean’s Council and SHP Chairs’ Council.
• Update UTMB & SHP bulletins. 
• Prepare reports for UTMB, UT System, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and other state and federal agencies.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and School of Health Professions’ academic policies.
• Provide support to/Collaborate with the SHP Office of Student Affairs for the proper execution of the SHP student orientation, commencement, and other SHP events as needed.
• Provide oversight of tuition and fee change proposals submitted to other offices on campus.
• Support student admissions processes as necessary with the SHP Office of Student Affairs   
• Ensure compliance with student background checks and drug screens.
• Coordinate with Enrollment Services regarding curricular changes, i.e., degree plans, course delivery.
• Oversee student academic systems (MyStar & Campus Solutions).
• Coordinate & implement student grievances and serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of grievance panels.
• Oversee students’ Leaves of Absence (LOAs): personal, administrative, and medical.
• Oversee student degree audits needed for graduation; including determining honors.
• Oversee course grades and Dean’s List each semester.
• Supervise and serve as a repository for all clinical affiliation contracts and MOUs, articulation agreements, and other partnership collaborations within the programs/departments in the SHP, both domestic and international; seek contract renewals when needed.
• Update, revise, and create needed academic policies and procedures to foster AA department efficiency and enhance communications and expectations with SHP departments.
• Ensure routine updates to the SHP Academic Affairs website and provide an overview of departmental webpages and suggest needed edits.
• Represent and enforce policies and decisions of higher administration in a supportive manner.
• Document and communicate academic issues of school-wide concern to higher administration in a succinct and timely manner.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and system personnel policies.
• Encourage and demonstrate the importance of positive cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork in effective school-wide administration.
• Actively participate in school wide strategic planning and governance.
• Demonstrate leadership by example in service to school, university, and community.
• Perform related duties as assigned. 
• Adhere to internal controls and reporting structure.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledgeable of Regent’s Rules and relevant legislation governing higher education in Texas is preferred.
• Liaison with state agencies and external supporters of higher education.
• Ability to plan, organize, establish, and accomplish goals.
• Demonstrated record of leadership ability and accomplishment.
• Exhibits an orientation and commitment to service.
• Excellent skills in communication, organization, and prioritization.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to analyze/evaluate data and make appropriate recommendations.
• Effective problem-solving skills.

Salary Range:
Actual salary commensurate with experience.