Assistant Director Graduate Programs

Job

Location:

Evanston, Illinois

Department: School of Professional Studies

Salary/Grade: EXS/6

This position manages key elements of academic operations for multiple graduate programs in the School of Professional Studies (SPS). The Assistant Director of Graduate Programs is the primary point of contact for faculty teaching in master's degrees and advanced graduate certificates  collaboration with faculty directors and the director of graduate programs, this position manages the day-to-day operations of the graduate programs and advanced graduate certificates.

Responsibilities include recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and developing adjunct faculty; leading curriculum development and implementing curriculum updates in collaboration with the program faculty director; managing all other aspects of an assigned program. The manager provides program and project management leadership for other departments in SPS (Distance Learning, Student Advising, Registrar's Office, Finance, Marketing and Recruiting) and Northwestern University to ensure that programs and advanced graduate certificates are managed effectively and efficiently at the highest degree of academic quality.

Faculty Management

• Actively recruit new faculty members to increase program and bench strength via conferences, professional associations, and other events. Interview, select, hire, and schedule new faculty in cooperation with faculty directors.
• Build positive rapport and engagement with faculty director and faculty in specified graduate programs and advanced graduate certificates.
• Implement faculty instructional support initiatives and individually consult with faculty to improve instruction in their specific courses.
• Independently develop and implement annual course schedules for multiple graduate and advanced graduate certificate programs with director approval and oversight; work directly with faculty to rehire and solidify teaching schedules.
• Serves as main point of contact for faculty questions, support, and resolution of issues. This includes new faculty onboarding and support, guidance regarding student issues, and overall teaching and learning support.
• Administer and assess student evaluation data and execute appropriate changes in faculty rehires and curriculum updates.
• Administer SPS and NU policies regarding grade submission, course preparation, and evaluations.
• Co-lead 2 faculty meetings per year per program with faculty director.
• Assure faculty compliance with SPS policies and procedures.
• Recommend and implement enhancements to SPS faculty processes to help streamline operations and improve efficiencies.
• Hires and develops TAs, when appropriate.

Curriculum Development

• Develop and sustain program advisory boards, in collaboration with program faculty director.
• Review curricular offerings with advisory boards, faculty director, and faculty to ensure that programs meet high academic standards of quality and meet student and industry needs.
• Initiate and manage program curriculum revisions. This includes developing revision proposals, in cooperation with faculty director, implementing program revisions in conjunction with faculty and the DL team (if applicable), and contracting and overseeing course faculty developers.
• Implement and manage new graduate program offerings at the direction of the assistant dean of graduate programs.
• Directly manage the course development process for both new courses and course revisions and serve as the final sign-off on all development milestones and final developed course.
• Research areas of program expansion and create new program proposals.

Faculty Development

• Manage all faculty communication regarding on-boarding, training, mentoring, and teaching excellence framework.
• Identify appropriate opportunities to implement faculty community-building initiatives, such as awards ceremony, DL weekend, workshops, graduation, etc. and increase faculty presence and participation.
• Collaborate with Instructional Designers to provide expertise and support for faculty to apply teaching and learning innovations in the development and revision of program courses.
• Serves as an advisor and faculty "connector" to share best practices in teaching excellence.

Program Management

• Oversee approval process for petitions involving program requirements, i.e. course waivers, thesis proposals, independent studies, internships, final thesis approvals, and special requirements for students on academic probation.
• Gather and analyze application and registration data to assist in course planning and retention efforts.
• Solicit student feedback on courses offerings, location, and instruction to inform course planning.
• Research and report on competing programs to help ensure relevancy and competitiveness.
• Research and pursue program accreditation as appropriate to bolster program marketability and relevance.
• Attend/represent programs at industry conferences and other events.
• Develop and execute co-curricular academic and career-related…