Associate Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Education

Overview: Working under the supervision of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Provost, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education works collaboratively with members of the senior academic administrative team to foster and maintain excellence in undergraduate education. She/he serves as the chief advisor to the VCAA/Provost, Deans, and Faculty on all issues and initiatives related to undergraduate education, and is responsible for the administrative coordination of undergraduate education.

About the University: Located in the state capital, the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three members of the University of Illinois system. The University serves approximately 5,400 students in 22 graduate and 30 undergraduate programs. The academic curriculum offers students a strong liberal arts core, a wide range of professional programs, and close faculty interaction. Making the most of its location in the state capital, UIS is broadly engaged in public policy and service. Its diverse student body includes traditional, non-traditional, and international students. Twenty-five percent of majors are in 17 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs and the campus has received several national awards for its implementation of online learning. UIS faculty are committed teachers, active scholars, and professionals in service to society. You are encouraged to visit university web page at http://www.uis.edu

Duties: The position involves the following academic leadership and administrative responsibilities:

• Serves as an institutional advocate for excellence in undergraduate education and in interactions with internal constituencies, University of Illinois administration, and external stakeholders at local, regional, national, and international levels; maintains expertise on current and emerging trends and/or technologies related to undergraduate education, including assessing feasibility and effectiveness of utilization at UIS; disseminates information to faculty on national standards and best practices in higher education and undergraduate teaching and learning; serves as institutional representative to regional and national higher education organizations.
• As director of the Office of Undergraduate Education, provides leadership on matters of undergraduate educational policy and academic planning, including administrative oversight of the undergraduate program review process serving as Provost's liaison to the Undergraduate Council as an ex-officio member, and providing advice to and consulting with Deans and college-level committees.
• Serves as member of the Provost's leadership team for projects and ongoing tasks within areas of expertise and designated responsibility.
• Provides administrative oversight for selected Academic Affairs units and personnel related to undergraduate education, including the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE)  Speaker Series, and Freshmen Seminar, as well as administrative oversight for general education and the ECCE curriculum, including working with Deans and department chairs on course scheduling and staffing needs, designing and implementing assessment plans, conducting faculty development workshops, and serving as an ex-officio member of the General Education Council.
• Exercises review and approval authority for student petitions and appeals regarding exceptions to academic policy at the undergraduate level, and assists in the resolution of undergraduate student concerns and grievances.
• Serves as an ex-officio member of the Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning, representing the interests of undergraduate education and undergraduate students.
• Responsible for updating and disseminating academic policies related to undergraduate education, including relevant sections of the UIS Catalog, and for approving new courses, course changes, and catalog copy at the undergraduate level; provides Academic Affairs leadership for articulation and transfer issues, including serving as campus liaison to the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) and coordinating the submission of courses to IAI for approval.
• In collaboration with Deans, department chairs, and other staff in the Provost's Office, provides administrative oversight for development of new undergraduate program requests and curriculum changes and submission of undergraduate program actions to the Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education.
• Represents Office of Undergraduate Education in Provost’s Team meetings, Deans Council, and other administrative meetings as needed; serves as a member of the Provost's administrative team, Campus Behavioral Intervention Team, and the Institutional Data Analysis Group; chairs the Provost's Office Merit Scholarship Committee, in collaboration with the Office of Financial Assistance; represents the VCAA/Provost in all meetings and matters as requested ; prepares necessary reports and documents related to undergraduate education for internal and external purposes, as required by the Provost/VCAA and appropriate agencies, and convenes committees and panels necessary to deal with various undergraduate education issues.
• Provides leadership on undergraduate retention initiatives, including the supervision, staffing, scheduling, and assessment of student success courses and faculty development related to these retention efforts; serves as a liaison to and coordinates activities with the Division of Student Affairs on matters relating to services for undergraduates, such as orientation, financial aid, childcare, health services and health insurance, housing, admissions and records, and international student concerns.
• Working in coordination with UIS Office of Research & Sponsored Programs and the Office of Advancement, pursues opportunities for external support of activities related to undergraduate education.

Required qualifications/minimum education and work experience

• A PhD or equivalent terminal academic degree from an accredited university with academic credentials and experience sufficient to qualify for appointment as a tenured associate or full professor in one of UIS’ academic departments.
• A record of excellence in teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate students.
• A record of high quality scholarship.
• Demonstrated knowledge of national trends and best practices related to undergraduate education.
• Successful experience in academic leadership roles involving undergraduate education.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. 
• Experience with policy development and evaluation.
• Proven leadership, project management, and administrative abilities.
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to work collaboratively and effectively with diverse constituents (faculty, staff, administration, agencies, etc.).
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming university community.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, and project implementation skills.
• A demonstrated capacity for sound independent decision-making, ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a fast-paced administrative environment, and experience in academic leadership roles, preferably at a campus or institutional level.

Preferred qualifications: Among candidates who appear equally qualified relative to the required qualifications, the following experience and abilities are highly desirable and will be considered in identifying preferred candidates: demonstrated ability to listen closely to multiple and sometimes competing perspectives; flexibility, patience, and creativity in developing and managing complex processes; ability to balance the need for careful attention to administrative detail with appreciation for the broader context of academic policies and procedures; ability to exercise care and objectivity in decision-making, consulting appropriately with the supervisor and other stakeholders; and a willingness to honor campus policies and maintain consistency in procedures, while also recognizing the occasional need to make changes to benefit the continued growth of the institution; ability to successfully envision, develop, and implement student success and retention initiatives; experience successfully developing and administering unit/program budgets and; experience with institutional accreditation processes.

Link to complete job posting and application instructions: http://go.uis.edu/UIS-AVCUE/

The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment.  Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

UIS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive campus community. Persons with disabilities, women, and minorities are encouraged to apply.