Pima Community College Hiring for Dean of Distance Education at Tucson, AZ Full Time

Under the direction of the Vice President of Distance Education, the Dean of Distance Education directs the academic activities and academic operations of PimaOnline. This includes supervision of faculty and staff, and leading and reviewing online programs, courses, and technologies. A candidate will demonstrate experience leading or managing an online education enterprise and expertise in online education and digitally enhanced pedagogy. The successful candidate will be a strategic, collaborative leader with the ability to develop and operationalize a departmental plan and vision. The Dean ensures that PimaOnline maintains quality student-centered learning, efficiency and effectiveness and uses best practices.

The dean will collaborate with units to develop, direct, implement, initiatives for PimaOnline and actively shape the online teaching and learning experience.

About PimaOnline:
PimaOnline was created in 2015 to centralize online learning at Pima Community College. Pre-pandemic, online enrollment expanded from 19% to 30% (2015 to 2019) of the overall college enrollment. PimaOnline has been recognized by the Bellwether College Consortium for its planning and governance of online learning. PimaOnline has also been recognized by the Instructional Technology Council for Outstanding eLearning Faculty and eCourse development/design.

Dean of Distance Education Philosophy: A fundamental component of the function of the online faculty leadership structure (PimaOnline Department Heads-PODHs) is the role of the Dean of Distance Education, who, with the support of the Vice-President of Distance Education, facilitates an environment where PODHs are peer-experts who work with the Dean to resolve issues, to innovate, and to collectively collaborate on strategies and ideas that will create ongoing opportunities for student success and satisfaction in online courses. The PODHs are encouraged by the Dean and thus motivated to fully engage their creativity and expertise toward positive, innovative outcomes. The open, collaborative leadership model employed by the Dean of Distance Education is an essential component to the success of the Dean position.

Pima Community College is in Tucson, an inclusive oasis in the Arizona desert. With a population of about 1 million, metro Tucson is a cosmopolitan community well-poised to rebound from the economic impact of Covid. It’s majority-minority city enriched by an active LGBTQIA+ community and by nearly 150 distinct neighborhoods, from Barrio Anita to Poets Square.

Located 65 miles from Mexico, Tucson sits on the border-spanning ancestral lands of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui peoples and is proud of centuries of Hispanic and Indigenous heritage.

Environmental stewardship is in Tucson’s nature. The city is situated in a valley surrounded by four mountain ranges that create a unique ecosystem encompassing a saguaro-studded desert floor and pine forests on Mount Lemmon. We’re bracketed on the East and West sides by Saguaro National Park, we’re perennially listed among the most bicycle-friendly cities in the U.S, and we’re committed to planting 1 million trees by 2030.

Pima Community College is a proud part of the Tucson community and is a key player in helping our fellow citizens learn, upskill and reskill. Join us.

The work schedule for this position is flexible and may include working evenings and weekends.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Develop and implement policies and procedures for the management of online courses and programs

Direct the academic activities for PimaOnline

Collaborate with the following PimaOnline units: LMS Services, Instructional Design, Quality Online Instruction, Online Student Success, and Partnerships and Operations

Direct, oversee, and participate in the development of department work plan; monitor workflow, review and evaluate work products, methods, and procedures

Serve on a variety of internal and external task forces and committees

Engage in a program of professional improvement in order to remain current in areas of responsibility

Coordinate with academic deans to support the course scheduling and faculty assignment process

Promotes the professional development of faculty and staff in areas related to online education

Ensure ongoing compliance and maintenance of ADA policies and procedures and other external requirements and guidelines

Support, lead and implement new technologies and methodologies for teaching and learning

Support and foster a culture of innovation and excellence related to online education

Participates in mediating faculty and student issues, grievances, and appeals according to college policy

Provides leadership, direction, and supervision to students, faculty, and staff

Promotes an environment supportive of the College mission and vision, student-centered services, and teaching excellence

Job Requirements:
Master’s degree related field and

Four years of professional level program experience in the development, design, support, and implementation of online learning programming and

Two years prior leadership and faculty supervisory experience and

Experience teaching online courses

or

Candidates who possess similar minimum objective qualifications are encouraged to apply and should describe the work experience and education you regard as establishing equivalency

Preferred:
Extensive faculty and online leadership experience

Comprehensive expertise in online learning, online business models, instructional design, faculty development, content management, curriculum development, industry best standards, infrastructure development, and accreditation requirements

Experience in managing complex, matrixed teams or organizations

The ideal candidate will have the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

Proven leadership, management and decision-making

Knowledge of online learning state and national trends

Create a culture of respect for diversity and inclusiveness

Personnel management and supervision with transparent and collaborative leadership

Preparation, management, and administration of budgets including grants and restricted fund budgets

Collaboration in order to negotiate, persuade, and gain consensus with internal and external customers including students, colleagues, employees, directors, administrators, and other leaders

Clear, concise oral and written communication with the ability to share clear compelling messaging

Identify, analyze, and solve problems

Gather, compile, and analyze data

Preparation of complex reports and documents

Managing change and sensitive topics

Computer software applicable to the position

Experience with assessment and evaluation of online programs and courses

Demonstrated experience working with an LMS and a wide variety of instructional technology applications