DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

UC San Diego

DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000/year

 

The mission of the Teaching + Learning Commons (the Commons) is to advance student success through teaching excellence and comprehensive academic student support; to be an incubator for student academic success innovations; to increase access to education on campus and beyond; and to advance equity and inclusion within the organization and through its programs and services. The Commons’ work encompasses four areas: instructor support to advance teaching excellence; undergraduate and graduate student support to advance student success at UC San Diego and beyond; intellectual and professional development of graduate and undergraduate students, including Commons’ student employees; and equity and inclusion for all UC San Diego students, staff, and educators.

 

The Commons is committed to recruiting, advancing, and supporting a diverse team who will contribute to our mission by working effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds, will actively promote equity and inclusion within the organization and through our programs and services, and is dedicated to continuous learning.

 

Under the general direction of the Faculty Director, the Director of Experiential Learning is responsible for conceptualizing the short and long-term visionary plans, priorities, and goals, as well as leading and managing the Experiential Learning team. To promote an integrated and holistic approach to student learning, the Director of Experiential Learning acts to increase access to and support for experiential learning inside and outside the classroom, and to be an active partner for those (faculty, program directors, and support staff, and off-campus community partners) wishing to strengthen or expand existing and/or create new opportunities at UC San Diego. The Director of Experiential Learning will lead experiential learning programs and initiatives and create - or support the creation of - meaningful experiential learning programs for undergraduate and graduate students. The Director will leverage institutional resources and existing programs to achieve outcomes through experiential programs. The Director partners and collaborates to support UC San Diego's creation of an equity-focused student success ecosystem to close opportunity gaps for those who are most impacted by historic and systemic injustices and inequities. The incumbent will also contribute to provide vision, strategic direction, and accountability for developing experiential learning programs and services in support of institutional initiatives (e.g. sense of belonging, student retention and time to degree, development of professional and personal competencies, students’ academic success within the university, closing equity gaps for historically marginalized students, and students’ readiness for post-university trajectories).

 

Specifically, the Director is expected to:

• contribute leadership and strategic direction for experiential learning within the Teaching + Learning Commons and with campus and community partners;

• manage operational responsibilities for the Experiential Learning unit, including hiring, training, and supervision of employees; budget management; and program assessment and planning;

• support and continue to build a network of on and off campus partnerships to initiate discussion, identify opportunity gaps and needs, execute programs, and assess results for experiential learning with a goal toward closing opportunity gaps for underserved students;

• spearhead and encourage innovative experiential learning programs and initiatives by working with on and off campus stakeholders, including the Registrar’s Office and Career Services;

• provide communication and access to all students and work steadfastly to close experiential learning opportunity gaps for underserved students;

• provide leadership for the development of the next generation of the Engaged Learning Tools (ELT) - the Enhanced Electronic Transcript (E2T), Co-Curricular Record (CCR), and REAL (Research Experience and Applied Learning) Portal - with relevant campus units;

• collaborate with administrators, faculty, staff, and students throughout campus to promote the use and growth of the UC San Diego competencies and ensure alignment to current framework and standards;

• proffer guidance, direction, and oversight for sustenance and growth of the Academic Internship Program (AIP);

• serve on university committees related to experiential learning initiatives, and, in partnership with faculty, staff, and administrators, seek funding opportunities and develop new programs;

• stay abreast of current higher education experiential learning topics, engage with the field as it develops by attending and contributing to conferences and published research, seeking program funding models, and convening stakeholder focus groups;

• provide dedicated support and take input from faculty, individually and collectively, including working with Academic Senate on academic-credit bearing courses and programs; and

• contribute to and facilitate the development of faculty and staff support programs and resources related to experiential learning.

 

The Director serves as an integral member of the Commons' leadership team. Using an asset-based approach, the leadership team plays a key role in developing and sustaining a culture of equity and collaboration within the Commons and campus-wide, and developing and implementing methods for assessing the impact of the Teaching + Learning Commons initiatives and programs on student learning.

 

Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

 

• Please submit a cover letter for a complete application.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Administrative and leadership experience (3-5 years of increasing responsibilities in higher education and/or nonprofit sector).

• Thorough knowledge of effective, equity and evidence-based practices and emerging trends in experiential learning in higher education.

• Demonstrated ability to develop experiential activities at the university level.

• Broad knowledge in designing and implementing learning and pedagogical models. Evidence of collaboration with research, business, and nonprofit communities on internships and other experiential learning opportunities for students.

• Interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to establish effective liaisons and collaborate effectively with diverse groups, including administrators, academic units, faculty, students, and staff, campus committees, as well as on and off campus organizations. Capability to forge new partnerships both on- and off-campus to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of opportunities available to students.

• Proven skills in judgment and decision-making, problem-solving. Ability to analyze data and present information in writing and orally in an organized, effective, persuasive and professional manner.

• Proven organizational skills and project management skills. Ability to prioritize, organize, delegate and coordinate complex tasks with attention both to overall goals and specific details under strict time constraints.

• A commitment to equity and to ensuring the success of underserved individuals and groups.

• Evidence of hiring, developing, supervising, and evaluating employees.

• Experience speaking before large and small audiences and in communicating verbally one-on-one with faculty, staff, students, parents, business persons, etc.

 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

 

Job offer is contingent on successful engagement in the UC COVID-19 Vaccination program (fully vaccinated with documented proof or approved exception/deferral).

 

Apply Online:

http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=237170

 

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community - https://ucsd.edu/about/principles.html.

 

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://www-hr.ucsd.edu/saa/nondiscr.html