Dean of Graduate Studies

Youre an academic leader with a restless sense of whats next. You love to listen closely (to students to faculty to the broader field of art education) and you cant help but ask yourself is this still the way things should be done. Youre energized by collaborating with others to design rigorous forward-looking graduate-level education that actually changes what an educator can do in their classroom. You balance a clear vision with a pragmatic view of reality on the other hand and you know how to transform a program from looking good on paper to one that genuinely moves the needle for student outcomes.

Youre a systems thinker who builds structures and relationships that foster repeatable intentional teaching and learning experiences. Youre a people-leader at heart who takes pride and ownership in proactively developing faculty and teams through trust and compassionate accountability not micromanagement. You do your best work in a fully remote environment where clarity strong communication and earned trust matter more than geography. Youre equally comfortable partnering with an executive leader on institutional strategy as you are independently owning the hard calls inside graduate academics.

As ourDean of Graduate Studies youll be the senior academic leader responsible for the vision quality and continued evolution of graduate teaching and learning at AOEU. Youll oversee the Curriculum Instruction and Academic Success teams; ensuring programs offerings and academic practices are aligned with our mission strategic priorities and accreditors expectations. Reporting to the Chief Academic Officer youll set direction for the entire graduate academic experience. Every day will look a little different but in general youll:

• Set Academic Strategy:Youll translate institutional priorities into a clear academic strategy implementation plans and measurable outcomes that ensure the Curriculum Instruction and Academic Support teams operate as one integrated system rather than disparate parts.
• Reimagine & Grow Graduate Programming:Youll scan the field listen to students and track shifts in art education and higher ed to spot emerging needs and then proactively explore opportunities to grow evolve or reinvent programs.
• Own Curriculum Design & Innovation:Youll own the academic framework for how graduate curriculum gets designed reviewed and revised and youll pilot and evaluate new learning models course designs and delivery formats that expand access and deepen the student experience.
• Uphold Quality & Drive Student Outcomes:Youll lead programmatic evaluation and continuous improvement as well as set the standards for academic policy quality teaching outcomes attainment and satisfactory academic progress.
• Build a High-Performing Faculty:Youll lead faculty hiring onboarding development evaluation and retention and foster a culture of instructional innovation by role modeling accountable leadership in areas of expectations instructional quality academic integrity and accountability.
• Champion Student & Academic Success:Youll lead the strategy and continuous improvement of academic support services use learning and success data to find and remove barriers and keep feedback channels open to ensure the student voice genuinely shapes academic decisions.
• Oversee Budget & Resourcing:Youll own graduate academics ensuring we align faculty tools and program investments with strategic priorities and the intended academic impact.
• Own Accreditation & Institutional Standing:Youll serve as the academic face of graduate studies with accreditors and external partners keeping programs aligned to accreditor expectations and youll partner across AOE(U) to ensure academic quality stays connected to the full student experience.

You bring at least 6 years of multi-disciplinary leadership within higher education. Your hands-on experience spans curriculum instruction and faculty development in addition to your terminal degree in education or a closely related field. Youve worked hands-on with accreditation assessment and academic effectiveness having not just survived a review cycle but proactively used standards and evidence to make programs measurably better and youre excited to do it again. You can share academic structures youve built decisions youve owned and have a compelling and clear vision for graduate learning that others want to follow.

Youre a strategic thinker who defaults to action a strong communicator who builds trust across teams and youre comfortable holding both the big picture and the academic details all at once. You lead with sound judgment and humility develop the people around you and move work forward in a remote environment without always needing to be in the room.

If youve been an academic leader in online or distance education or in graduate and adult-learning contexts youll feel right at home. A track record of building and leading remote teams may also set you apart from other candidates. Having demonstrated success in rapidly designing launching or reimagining academic programs in response to real student needs (or industry trends) may also move you toward the top of the list. Lastly if you carry a soft spot for arts education or a mission-driven organization those are exactly the instincts were looking for.