Executive Director of the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio

Executive Director of the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio

University of Illinois at Chicago

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) seeks an exceptional and visionary leader to serve as the Executive Director of the university's new Instructional Design and Media Production Studio.

UIC is Chicago's only public Carnegie RU/VH research institution and is nationally and internationally recognized for multidisciplinary academic programs, as well as its engagement with civic, corporate, and community partners worldwide. UIC's commitment to diversity, to the social mobility of its students, and to providing an affordable education is recognized in its national ranking among the top 45 public universities in US News "Best Colleges" rankings. Located near downtown Chicago, and within a few miles of the city's multiple vibrant ethnic communities, UIC is in the top 5% of the most racially and ethnically diverse universities in the nation. The Department of Education has designated UIC as a Minority Serving Institution, a Hispanic Serving Institution, and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution. UIC has grown to be the largest university in Chicago and enjoys the strongest enrollment growth in Illinois with a student body of 33,747 and almost 3,000 faculty. Through its 16 college and schools, including seven in the health sciences, UIC offers an affordable world-class education to propel the next generation of leaders, innovators, and scholars.

UIC is establishing a new instructional design and media production studio within the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs to centrally support instructional innovation across colleges and programs. The studio will provide space for UIC instructors to bring a creative and digital mindset to innovate their teaching, collaborate with instructional designers and media specialists, and pursue learning opportunities. The studio will also be the production unit for the design of courses for new online degree programs in close collaboration with UIC instructors, the colleges and schools, and Extended Campus. In addition, the studio will engage with the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE) and other campus partners to create learning assets supporting professional development and student success initiatives, as well as with Technology Solutions (TS) to build capacity for digital innovation in alignment with campus technology infrastructure and educational technology initiatives.

The Executive Director of the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio will craft and execute the mission and goals for this central unit, will be responsible for ensuring the quality of UIC's online education efforts, and provide leadership in effective practices and innovative course design and delivery to turn curricula into engaging, accessible, and interactive learning journeys. The Executive Director will lead strategic planning, direct initiatives associated with the studio, implement complex eLearning projects, and manage the overall delivery of its services.

The Executive Director will lead a team of instructional designers and creative media producers focused on supporting student success through the development and creation of effective, inclusive, and innovative learning experiences. Responsibilities include ensuring the studio team designs, develops, and delivers accessible digital learning assets for all course modalities (online, hybrid, on campus). To support and sustain instructional innovation, the Executive Director will engage directly with leadership in Extended Campus, CATE, and TS to coordinate professional development for UIC instructors in effective course design strategies, learner-centered teaching practices (particularly for online learning environments), and technology-supported content delivery. In addition, the Executive Director will serve in a consulting capacity to academic and administrative units, providing learning design expertise and support for the development of superior multimedia-enhanced learning experiences for all UIC stakeholders.

Some key responsibilities of the Executive Director will be to promote UIC's commitment to teaching excellence and innovation by engaging campus partners and key stakeholders in data-driven, research-informed educational improvements and technology innovations; providing oversight and direction for instructional design and multimedia personnel in their development of learning assets that meet industry standards of quality assurance for all modalities of instruction; systemizing procedures and operational plans for the studio; managing and planning the studio budget including development and implementation of cost-recovery processes; allocating resources to lead the systematic implementation of accessibility improvements and inclusive, innovative design efforts throughout all stages of the design cycle; leading communications and marketing strategies to raise awareness of studio resources and services; and representing the studio at campus events and on campus committees as well as promote UIC educational innovation at regional, national, and international conferences.

Candidates for the Executive Director of the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio must have a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree (e.g., MFA); a minimum of 3 years of experience in design and media production; experience managing large, complex eLearning projects, personnel, and budgets; knowledge of teaching and learning technologies and fluency in course design, LMS, and video editing software preferred. Candidates must demonstrate strategic thinking and process improvement skills, strong leadership and excellent communication and presentation skills, and the ability to collaborate with all levels of the university community; experience teaching and/or otherwise applying knowledge of learning theory, instructional design, and educational technology in higher education with attention to diverse learning environments.

For fullest consideration, please complete an electronic application, including a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for three professional references by Monday, February 27, 2023, addressed to search committee chair Dr. Kathryn Chval, Dean of the College of Education. Candidates may also submit up to five examples of materials that would assist the search committee with an evaluation of their applications. Nominations, questions or concerns may be directed to Faizan Abid, fabid2@uic.edu.

The University of Illinois Chicago is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity and is particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Offers of employment by the University of Illinois may be subject to approval by the University's Board of Trustees and are made contingent upon the candidate's successful completion of any criminal background checks and other pre-employment assessments that may be required for the position being offered. Additional information regarding such pre-employment checks and assessments may be provided as applicable during the hiring process.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be up to date with their COVID 19 vaccinations. You are considered up to date with vaccinations when you have followed current recommendations by the CDC, including boosters if/when applicable. An employment offer is contingent on your timely submission of proof of your vaccination being up to date. Individuals who are not able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons may request an exemption.