Vice President for Academics

Concordia University is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world.

Position Summary

The Vice President for Academics (VPA) is the Chief Academic Officer of the university. The VPA reports to the President and is a member of the executive team and faculty. The VPA: 1) provides strategic vision and collaborates with the President to live out a unified academic vision arising from CUWAAs mission values and Cornerstones to build on the tradition of excellent Christ-centered education across the curriculum; 2) provides leadership for teaching learning and research that fosters a culture of excellence curiosity and continual improvement in the academic enterprise; 3) oversees academic systems operations and curricula that shape students for a rich life grounded in serving others.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Vision for Academics

• Provides strategic vision to live out CUWAAs mission values and the Concordia Cornerstones throughout the academic enterprise of the university.
• Promotes the Christ-centered integration of faith throughout the academic programs of the university.
• Collaborates with VP for Student Success and VP for Mission and Church Relations to provide leadership for academic institutes.
• Represents the university and its mission values and Concordia Cornerstones to all stakeholders.

Teaching Learning Research

• Oversees hiring orientation and development of faculty (both full-time and part-time) in collaboration with VP for Missions and Church Relations.
• Equips and empowers faculty for excellence in teaching research and service.
• Promotes the highest level of teaching learning and research in fulfilling the missional goals of the university.
• Promotes a culture of excellence curiosity continual improvement and joy arising from the universitys Christ-centered mission.

Academic Systems Operations & Curricula

• Supervises AVPs in Academics to live out university values in academic operations.
• Supervises Deans to live out the university mission across the schools.
• Builds and sustains a culture of collaboration within and beyond the academic unit ensuring that faculty staff and administrators work across departments to enhance the overall student experience.
• Encourages faculty to enact and live out the strongest form of faculty governance.
• Collaborates with VP for Student Success to achieve student retention and graduation targets.
• Collaborates with the VP of Finance to balance academic quality with financial sustainability ensuring that programs contribute to net tuition revenue goals and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Collaborates with the executive team to live out the mission in a unified way across the institution.
• Supervises the Accreditation Liaison Officer and ensures the accreditation processes (institutional and program-level) are compliant with federal state and professional regulations.
• Monitors anticipates and responds to emerging trends in higher education ensuring CUWAAs academic offerings and curriculum remain distinctive relevant and sustainable.
• Ensures strong student learning outcomes program effectiveness and career readiness by promoting assessment of learning and data-informed decision-making.
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication interpersonal and collaborative skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Budget management experience and financial acumen.
• Member in good standing of an LCMS congregation required.
• Rostered worker in LCMS preferred.
• Commitment to CUWAAs mission values and Cornerstones
• Deep knowledge of and training in accreditation standards (i.e. HLC peer reviewer SACSCOC evaluator training)
• Supportive of the mission and values of Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)

Education & Experience

• Possess an earned terminal degree (doctorate preferred).
• Demonstrated experience in administration at the post-secondary level.
• Demonstrated record of teaching excellence.
• Demonstrated record of scholarship and research.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Demonstrated record of successful strategic planning and implementation.
• Demonstrated success in managing accreditation processes and academic compliance.

Physical Demands/Equipment (Click to View)

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time exempt (salary) staff position. The starting wage may be determined upon education and/or experience. Concordia University benefit options include but are not limited to the following:

• Health Dental and Vision Insurance
• Personal Spending Account Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account
• Disability and Survivor Plan
• Retirement Pension Plan
• Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan
• Basic Life and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage
• Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
• Tuition waiver benefits (available for employees and their qualified dependents)

Compensation and Benefit Details

Application Instructions

To receive full consideration all applicants are asked to complete and submit an online employment application through the Concordia University Employment page. To begin please click the Apply Now section on the job page and then click the Apply For This Position button to begin the application process.

Applicants should submit:

• A cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Three letters of reference and contact information for each reference
• A statement of teaching philosophy

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of CU to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable federal state and local laws.

The University will not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race color sex pregnancy national origin (including ancestry) citizenship status physical or mental disability age marital status gender veteran or military status predisposing genetic characteristics domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

However CU is an institution of the LCMS and to the extent allowed by law CU reserves the right to give preference in employment based on addition preference in holding certain employment positions is given to ordained or rostered ministers of the LCMS. Based on a religious tenet CU recognizes only male LCMS ordained Ministers of the Gospel but recognizes both male and female LCMS Rostered Ministers of the Gospel.

The Human Resources Department has been appointed to manage the equal employment opportunity program including all equal employment opportunity activities as required by federal state and local agencies. If any employee or applicant for employment believes this policy has been violated he/she must contact the Director of Human Resources.

Concordia University is a HLC accredited co-educational liberal arts school offering more than 72 undergraduate majors over 35 masters degree programs and 5 doctoral programs. There are also a variety of accelerated evening and e-learning programs.

Required Experience:

Exec