Dean, College of Lifetime Learning

The Georgia Institute of Technology (“Georgia Tech”) seeks a visionary and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the inaugural Dean of the College of Lifetime Learning.

The College of Lifetime Learning is Georgia Tech’s seventh college which builds upon its legacy of more than 100 years of degree and non-degree education, 40 years of distance learning, 30 years of collaborating with teachers and students in the K-12 arena, and 10 years of at-scale online Master of Science experiences. The College is uniquely positioned at the intersection of education and innovation, leveraging technology, learning sciences, and business/policy models to address the challenges of an evolving education and workforce landscape.

For more than 137 years, the people of Georgia Tech have dared to imagine and then create solutions for a better future. The innovative culture and leadership continue, for Progress and Service for all. Georgia Tech’s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Its mission and strategic plan are focused on making a positive impact on the lives of people everywhere. With nearly $1.37 billion awarded annually for research across all seven colleges and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for the state of Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation. Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is one of the nation's top public research institutions where more than 50,000 students study, innovate and leave a lasting impact on the community and world around them. Although Tech is well-renowned for its engineering and computing programs, the Institute also offers outstanding programs in business, design, liberal arts, science and lifetime learning. 

In 2024, the Institute announced the launch of its new College of Lifetime Learning, which is the first to be established at Georgia Tech in over thirty years. The College is the result of a multi-year effort to respond to evolving industry demands and the global economy. As technology advances and workforce requirements change, lifetime learning becomes increasingly important for job security and flexibility. The College of Lifetime Learning will offer programs that elevate the academic study of learning and transform the future of education, from K-12 to post-retirement, ensuring that education is accessible at every stage of life. The College will play a key role in Georgia Tech’s commitment to double the number of degrees granted and non-degree learners reached by 2030.

The College of Lifetime Learning will have two principal missions: help people prepare and pivot throughout their lifetime and, equally as important, develop future leaders of lifetime learning to impact education, communities, and business positively. The College will be an undergraduate and graduate degree-granting entity, and it will also offer existing non-credit credentials and future credit credentials.

From this bold endeavor comes a singular opportunity for a visionary and strategic leader to lead this new and forward-focused college as its dean. Reporting to the Provost, the Dean of the College of Lifetime Learning is the chief academic and administrative leader for the College. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, innovative leader and an authentic, enthusiastic communicator. This individual will have a proven track record of success in a large, complex organization, preferably within academia or a related field, with the ability to think creatively and act entrepreneurially in establishing a new academic college. The successful candidate will be a visionary thinker on the future of lifetime learning, with a global perspective and the ability to leverage Georgia Tech’s appetite for bold ideas.

Georgia Tech will be assisted by Ellen Landers, Meghan Ashbrock, and Sulli Cressler of Heidrick & Struggles. Initial screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For optimal consideration, please submit materials by February 17, 2025. Nominations, inquiries, and applications should be directed to: GTLifetimeLearningDean@heidrick.com

Georgia Tech is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

More information on these policies can be found here: https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/c2714 Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).