The Office of Undergraduate Studies is deeply committed to supporting each and every student’s persistence and completion at the U. Learning communities are a high-impact practice demonstrated to make an impact on student success. Academic programming that supports exploring students toward thoughtfully committing to a major facilitates overall success and timely completion for students. Undergraduate Studies offers learning communities for this unique population, supporting over 1,000 students as they make decisions about their majors. To provide an exceptional educational experience, students enrolled in these learning communities for exploring students experience integrated course content, coordinated assignments, academic skills training, small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and peer mentoring. We invite creative and innovative faculty to apply to join the leadership team of Undergraduate Studies as the director of learning communities for exploring students (currently known as LEAP). We are seeking leaders who have experience with curricular design, theory-based practice, higher education leadership, collaboration within and across units, and strategic vision.

From admission to graduation, the units of the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Utah provide every student with an exceptional educational experience that empowers them to lead transformational lives wherever their educational and professional futures take them. The director of learning communities for exploring students will join a team of dedicated leaders supporting this work.

This position will be .50 FTE.

To learn more about Undergraduate Studies, visit: us.utah.edu.

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to the committee chair: Dr. Annie Isabel Fukushima, associate dean, Undergraduate Studies.

Responsibilities:

• Provide vision and leadership for learning communities for exploring students with the goal of students declaring a major by the end of their first year.
• Innovate curricular design and programmatic activities, supervise peer mentors and faculty, and partner with other units in Undergraduate Studies to support students’ persistence and completion. Strong record of teaching excellence.
• Collaborate with campus partners and leadership to support student success. Provide operational leadership for the learning communities for exploring students through coordinating a policy board, representing the program on committees that support student retention. Facilitate the hire, supervision, and review processes of faculty for promotion and reappointment in adherence with university policies.
• Propel the visibility of University of Utah’s learning communities for exploring students into regional and national recognition. Provide leadership and oversight for activities that market, promote, and communicate the program opportunities to incoming students and prospective students.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to implement Undergraduate Studies strategic plan. Create infrastructures of evaluation and assessment through annual reporting.
• Provide financial leadership through budgetary oversight, fundraising, and fiduciary responsibility for the program’s activities.
• Skills with fostering a culture of community in higher education during periods of transformation.

Minimum qualifications:

• Earned a PhD or terminal degree in their field of study.
• Current University of Utah faculty (Tenure-line or Career-line) with administrative or campus leadership experience.

Preferences:

• Experience with program assessment, learning communities, curricular design, and teaching.
• Experience fostering a positive culture committed to innovation, self-reflection, and continuous improvement of program activities and content.