Associate Dean of Integrated Environmental Studies

About Unity College:

For more than fifty years, Unity College has been preparing the next generation of environmental professionals and leaders to successfully face real-world challenges. With environmentally focused degrees, Unity College offers affordable and accessible bachelors degrees, masters degrees, certificates, and non-degree courses through a variety of modalities including hybrid, in-person, hyflex, and online.

Our Mission:

Through the framework of sustainability science, Unity College provides a liberal arts education that emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Through experiential and collaborative learning, our graduates emerge as responsible citizens, environmental stewards, and visionary leaders.

Position Overview:

The Distance Education (DE) Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies assists the DE Dean of Sustainability Studies in providing leadership in the Distance Education curriculum and in their area of expertise. Distance Education Deans are expected to recruit students to programs, hire, train, and supervise faculty, assess programs, provide student support, career advice and mentoring, market programs, and develop new audiences/partnerships for programs. The Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies is a member of the DE Baccalaureate Faculty. All Distance Education Faculty teach, oversee program viability and relevance, recruit for programs, advise students, mentor capstone projects, and provide other services as needed.

Faculty conduct all teaching through the institutions Learning Management Software (LMS), implement appropriate pedagogical techniques for the online environment, and provide course materials in a professional, appropriate, clear, and rigorous manner. This position works closely with and reports to the Dean of Sustainability Studies and is based in the Unity College Distance Education offices located in New Gloucester, Maine.

DE Instructional Unit: Curriculum Development, Implementation, and Management

• Support the Dean of Sustainability Studies in maintaining the integrity of the Environmental Professional Core, including any accreditation requirements.
• Develop and implement strategies (e.g., course design, instructor training, etc.) to maintain a minimum student success rate in EVPC 101 (or equivalent introductory course) of 70%.
• Oversee hiring and supervision of qualified instructors for courses within Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies (EVPC course designations).
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for course design as assigned.
• Oversee hiring and supervision of SMEs for course design within Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and other areas as assigned.
• Demonstrate knowledge of learning models, appropriate online pedagogies, and effective use of technological tools to support adult and non-traditional learners.
• Assess and evaluate courses and programs in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and other areas as assigned.
• Teach up to 120 student credit hours per calendar year as assigned.
• Pro-actively communicate challenges, successes, and failures with the Dean of Sustainability Studies.
• Other duties as assigned.

DE SEBU: Communication and Student-Focused Collaboration and Problem-solving

• Participate in Distance Education governance (task groups) as assigned.
• Demonstrate a high degree of commitment to student-centered quality education.
• Work with Distance Education staff and leaders to develop strategies for effective advising and retention efforts.
• Collaborate with DE academic and student support faculty and staff to address student concerns.
• Develop and update the course delivery schedule in collaboration with DE academic and student support faculty and staff.
• Become knowledgeable and articulate about Unity College Distance Education, its programs, market niche, strategies, and procedures.

Unity College: Understanding, Representing, and Working Within the Enterprise Model

• Demonstrate understanding of and ability to work within the Unity College Enterprise Model.
• Professionally represent Unity College Distance Education through scholarship, outreach, and professional platforms.

Full job description available at time of interview

Qualifications

Required:

• At minimum, a Masters degree and a record of professional or scholarly achievement in a field related to environmental studies. A Ph.D. is preferred.
• Experience conducting scholarly activities and/or mentoring projects that are interdisciplinary in nature.
• Leadership experience in higher education, teaching, and assessment. Experience administering online courses in an adult market is preferred.
• Experience in online course design and LMS use.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including facility with technical terminology appropriate to the position.
• Excellent initiative and organizational skills with the ability to work both autonomously and in a team.
• Great time management skills.
• Ability and willingness to work with students from diverse political/socioeconomic backgrounds and a wide range of physical, socio-emotional, and academic abilities.
• Good skills in word processing, spreadsheets, and computerized database systems.
• Personal commitment to the environmental focus and mission of the college.
• Ability to function effectively within a matrix organizational structure, maintaining open lines of communication while being discreet, courteous, and poised.

Work Schedule:

Work hours are specific to the requirements of this position and can include days, evenings, weekends. Working extended hours may be required as needed and Unity College employees must be flexible and cooperative in fulfilling their responsibilities while meeting the Colleges needs.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, it is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand or walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The use of either hand for repetitive movements such as grasping, grasping and turning, and fine manipulation is required as is the ability to use the telephone for internal and external communications.