Assistant/Associate Dean of Environmental Graduate 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 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. Utilizing experiential and collaborative learning, our graduates emerge as responsible citizens, environmental stewards, and visionary leaders.

Position Overview:

The Distance Education (DE) Assistant Dean of Environmental Graduate Studies assists the DE Dean of Graduate Studies in providing leadership in the Distance Education graduate curriculum. 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 Assistant Dean of Environmental Graduate Studies is a member of the DE Graduate 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 institution’s 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 Graduate Studies and is based in the Unity College Distance Education offices located in New Gloucester, Maine.

Responsibilities:

DE Instructional Unit: Curriculum Development, Implementation, and Management

• Support the Dean of Graduate Studies in maintaining the integrity of the curriculum, including any accreditation requirements.
• Oversee and support the transdisciplinary graduate capstone courses.
• Oversee hiring and supervision of qualified instructors.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for course design as assigned.
• Oversee hiring and supervision of SMEs for course design for courses within the graduate programs 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 graduate courses and programs.
• Teach up to 120 student credit hours per calendar year as assigned.
• Pro-actively communicate challenges, successes, and failures with the Dean of Graduate 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 customer service and 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.

Qualifications

Do you have the skills?

• A Master’s degree and significant work experience in environmental studies, interdisciplinary environmental/natural resource social sciences, or related field. A Ph.D. is preferred.
• Strong interest in innovative, accessible higher education.
• 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.

Are you contemplating the job but uncertain if you should apply? We encourage you to reach out to us regardless. At our company, we acknowledge that not everyone begins their professional journey with equal advantages, opportunities, or privileges. Therefore, we value your unique skills and experiences. Take a chance and submit your application; you may be precisely the individual we're searching for!

Location: Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, Maine

Just a half hour from Portland, Unity Environmental University Headquarters, Unity Environmental University Distance Education, The Technical School for Environmental Professions, and the School of Environmental Business & Sustainable Ventures are based at the Pineland Farms campus. The facilities are within easy access to one of the fastest-growing cities for startups in the country.

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 Environmental University employees must be flexible and cooperative in fulfilling their responsibilities while meeting the University’s needs.

Although at Unity Environmental University Enterprise employees are generally scheduled to work at their base location, there are times when travel is necessary and employees are required from time to time to attend events, meetings or work temporary assignment at any Unity Environmental University location.

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 20 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.

Company Perks:

Unity Environmental University offers a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package for its faculty and staff. Benefits for eligible employees include:

• Paid holidays off
• 4 weeks of PTO
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Short- and Long-term disability
• Life Insurance
• Flexible work benefit - ability to work from home
• Retirement Plan with up to 8% match
• Relocation Assistance