Senior Director for Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Initiatives

Senior Director for Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Initiatives

We are searching for an experienced Senior Director for Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Initiatives at our Arapahoe Campus facility.

Position Title: Senior Director for Accreditation, Assessment, & Program Initiatives
# of Positions to Fill: 1
Department/Program: Academic Affairs 41000
Work Location Authorization: Hybrid On-Site/Remote
Campus Location: Arapahoe Campus
Reports to: CAO & VP for Academic Affairs
FLSA Classification: Exempt/Salaried
FTE: 100% (40 hrs/week)
Compensation: $68,800 - $82,100
Application Deadline: October 11, 2024 or until filled

Job Summary

Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado is seeking a visionary, experienced, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the Senior Director for Accreditation, Assessment, & Program Initiatives (SD-AAPI). Our intimate campus is near the heart of the city of Boulder in Colorado. The Arapahoe Campus is home to approximately 400 degree seeking students across the 13 programs including the Graduate programs in Creative Writing & Poetics, Masters of Divinity and Ecopsychology, and Undergraduate programs in Psychology, Art, Yoga Studies, Religious Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies; additionally, and our east campus is home to approximately 600 students in the Graduate School of Counseling. Naropa's mission is to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing student insight and awareness, courage, and compassion. Through contemplative pedagogy, critical thinking, and active engagement we offer students the skills they need to authentically engage as effective, mindful leaders. The SD-AAPI will work collaboratively to generate inspiration, promote a clear vision and identity for the University, develop culture of compliance and continuous improvement for academic programs.

The SD-AAPI provides leadership, oversight, and service as a resource for regional accreditation, university-wide assessment, and academic program review and planning. The SD-AAPI also serves as the university Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is responsible for leading ongoing compliance with institutional accreditation. This position works closely with the HLC staff liaison to ensure appropriate notifications and alignment with programming and accreditation guidelines. HLC Accreditation is required for Naropa to operate in Colorado and for eligibility to administer Title IV Federal Financial Aid and other federal grants and contracts. In this role, the SD-AAPI advises the President, Chief Academic Officer, and other members of the Executive Leadership Committee on issues related to accreditation, develops and implements policies and procedures for ensuring ongoing accreditation and state authorization, and leads institution-wide committees, planning groups, and initiatives related to these responsibilities. The SD-AAPI is responsible for external reporting to the HLC, including overseeing annual update reporting, accreditation self-study reports, and applications for institutional changes requiring HLC approval.

This SD-AAPI also directs program development and strategic planning by working closely with College Deans, Program Chairs, and faculty members on new program initiatives and program revisions and provides research and development support for conceptualizing programming that enhances the university academic portfolio. In this role, the SD-AAPI is responsible for leadership and oversight of university-wide assessment of student learning, including academic program reviews, and plays a leading role in defining and refining policies and processes that relate to curriculum, accreditation, and related areas.

The SD-AAPI reports to the Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs, and works closely with Deans, Chairs, Faculty, and Staff in the development and implementation of all degree programs to ensure quality of curriculum delivery. With ongoing analysis of educational quality in line with accreditation standards, university values, and financial stability, the SD-AAPI ensures that academic programs are relevant and attractive to prospective students, ensuring faculty and program success. The SD-AAPI represents the office of the Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs on numerous university committees with responsibility for the vision, culture and viability of the university as a whole.


Job Duties & Responsibilities
(List in order of importance and explain the major duties and responsibilities of the position. Indicate the average percentage of time spent performing each separate job duty. The percentages should total 100%. Indicate if the duty is an essential function of the job.)

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as the HLC Accreditation Liaison Officer. Monitor changes to accreditation policies, alert executive leadership to issues that may put the university at risk, lead collaborative efforts to create or modify policies and procedures to maintain accreditation, serve as primary point of communication with the HLC, ensure annual accreditation obligations are met, and lead major accreditation activities such as Assurance Reviews, Federal Compliance, 10-year Comprehensive Reviews, and Quality Improvement Initiatives.
  
• Lead Academic Effectiveness initiatives with particular focus on strategic planning. Provides leadership, oversight, and service as a resource for new program development, program revision, and strategic initiatives as needed and assigned.
  
• Provide project management including budget analysis for new program development and/or substantive change proposals from concept to implementation, and in compliance with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Assumed Practices, Colorado Department of Higher Education and others.
  
• Formulate, develop, and provide direction for academic and co-curricular program review and annual assessment of student learning. Orient faculty and administrators on the purpose, intent, and outcomes of assessment and program review. Maintain program review and assessment documentation. Collaborate with other administrators on annual program health evaluation processes and outcomes. Serves as chair of university program review committee, directing comprehensive program reviews in accordance with academic affairs policies and procedures
  
• Establish and support collaborative relationships with faculty, governance bodies, other Academic Affairs units, and all other University divisions to ensure ongoing compliance with HLC accreditation requirements. Serves as the chair of the university's HLC Steering Committee; provides leadership and oversight for ongoing training regarding regional accreditation and preparation for accreditation reviews

Other Responsibilities

• Provides oversight and serves as a resource and liaison for academic policies and procedures
  
• Interprets and revises academic policies and procedures as necessary in collaboration with appropriate university offices.
  
• Provide leadership and coordination for all curriculum related issues, such as course development and revision, program revision, and new program development.
  
• Create budgets, perform market assessments, and enrollment projections.
  
• Evaluate proposals for university fit, market potential and target markets, financial analysis, and budget impacts.
  
• Advance, and in some cases direct, special projects and initiatives related to programming, strategic initiatives, and accreditation such as Title III Grant, strategic plans, academic plans, Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP), HLC accreditations, other program level accreditations, reports, plans, visits, etc.
  
• Chair the University Review Committee to coordinate with other University divisions such as Marketing, Registration, Advising, Admissions, Finance, and Student Success for review and assessment of impacts of curriculum changes and new programs.
  
• In cooperation with other Institutional Research and other staff with data and research responsibilities, manage the collection, analysis and dissemination of data and information required to support institutional effectiveness efforts related to teaching and learning.
  
• Propose creative solutions for academic standards, Faculty, and program health as it relates to student experience.
  
• Serves as Academic Affairs representative on university committees
  
• Other duties as assigned (e.g., chair/serve on ad hoc committees, represent Naropa/Academic Affairs on external working groups, etc.).

What Naropa Requires…

• Knowledge of post-secondary curriculum practices and innovations.
  
• Knowledge of trends in higher education programming.
  
• Knowledge of national trends in new programing development.
  
• Knowledge of university undergraduate and graduate academic policies and procedures.
  
• Knowledge of HLC regulations and policies.
  
• Knowledge of general academic policies and faculty issues.
  
• Knowledge of learning theory, andragogy and change processes.
  
• Knowledge of accreditation policies and best practices.
  
• Ability to think creatively and collaboratively in service to faculty developing curriculum/programing.
  
• Ability to communicate successfully with a variety of audiences.
  
• Ability to develop and administer complex, diverse projects.
  
• Ability to work independently.
  
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal with sensitive information appropriately.
  
• Experience in working with and leading university level committees and other equivalent projects.
  
• Understanding of and appreciation for the central role of contemplative practices in contemplative education
  
• All job candidates must hold a commitment to co-create a diverse and inclusive community and actively participate in related JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) professional development regarding the dynamics of privilege and oppression and the impact these have in the workplace.
  
• All job candidates must demonstrate their level of understanding of the dynamics of privilege and oppression, and the impact these have on equity, access, and opportunity.
  
• All job candidates must demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding of and appreciation for the values of Naropa University and the capacity to demonstrate an integration and embodiment of these values as evidenced in work, communication, collaboration styles, and other general workplace behaviors.

Educational requirement:

• Master's Degree in any field

Minimum length of prior applicable professional experience required:

• 5-7 years' work experience in an academic career in an institution of higher education
  
• Minimum 3 years' of progressive leadership/administrative experience in academics.

Credit check required (for finance, accounting, and executive-level roles only)? ☒Yes ☐No

What We'd Like You to Have…

• Earned doctoral degree or terminal degree from an accredited university.
  
• Knowledge of accreditation criteria and procedures of the Higher Learning Commission, including direct experience in a position that interfaces with the HLC
  
• Direct engagement with any level (academic, institutional, state, or regional) of approval/accreditation processes
  
• A commitment to inclusiveness and shared governance.
  
• Knowledge of and experience with Smartsheets, Microsoft Office, and DocuSign platforms, and willingness to learn new platforms as needed.

Physical Requirements & Environmental Conditions

Maximum amount of weight employee must be able to lift/carry with or without reasonable accommodation(s):

• 20 lbs.

During regular daily activities, employee must be able to do the following with or without reasonable accommodation (check all that apply):

☒ Stand
☒ Walk
☒ Sit
☐ Run
☒ Handle/Finger
☒ Bend at the waist
☒ Reach above shoulder level
☐ Kneel
☐ Crouch
☐ Crawl

During regular daily activities, employee may be exposed to the following:

☒ Interruptions/Distractions
☐ Heat/Cold
☐ Dust
☐ Dampness
☐ Heights
☐ Moving machinery parts
☐ Other (please list):

Naropa recognizes the following holidays throughout the year:

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  
• Memorial Day
  
• Juneteenth
  
• Independence Day
  
• Labor Day
  
• Fall Break, 4th Thursday and Friday in November
  
• Winter Break, the last two weeks in December encompassing the Christmas holiday as well as New Year's
  Naropa's health and welfare benefits include the following: medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, employer-paid short-term and long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment, an employer-sponsored pre-tax retirement savings plan, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching, and a variety of voluntary, employee-paid supplemental insurance plans.

A comprehensive benefits package is available to full-time employees who work a minimum of 30 hours each week. Employees who work 20 – 29 hours each week are eligible for only the employer-paid short-term & long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance & accidental death and dismemberment, and the retirement plan, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching.

Employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week are eligible to participate in Naropa's retirement plan only, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching.

All regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff, including student workers, accrue sick leave benefits. Full-time and part-time staff positions accrue vacation and personal time. All leave accrual rates vary based on the position, hours worked, and years of service.

The University recognizes the importance of including its employees in its organizational mission and values and welcomes employees into the classroom to "touch the magic." Specifically, regular employees are provided generous tuition remission opportunities for themselves and their family members.

Naropa University participates in the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP). CIC-TEP is a network of CIC colleges and universities willing to accept, tuition-free, students from families of full-time employees of other CIC participating institutions (full-time as designated by the employer/institution). Additional information can be found here: https://www.cic.edu/member-services/tuition-exchange-program. Naropa University's commitment to diversity aligns with its highest aspirations to apply contemplative inquiry and education to explore and embody the human qualities that facilitate collaboration to create a common humanity and a just society. Individuals who have experience with and a commitment to inclusive communities are encouraged to apply. EOE

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual and relationship violence. This law applies to all students, faculty, and staff

To apply, visit: https://naropa.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/1103?c=naropa

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