Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Hartwick College in their search for Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty (VPAA/DF).

For best consideration, please apply by September 30, 2021.

Hartwick College seeks an engaged and active student-centered leader with a commitment to academic excellence and a deep understanding of experience-enhanced liberal arts and sciences education to serve as their next Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty (VPAA/DF).

The ideal candidate is a forward-thinking academic leader ready to support the vision for the future of Hartwick College. The successful candidate is results-focused with a solid record of innovative program development and academic success along with the skill to lead and support faculty and staff in establishing and achieving the College community’s strategic goals.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty (VPAA/DF) reports directly to the President and will manage a multi-faceted division while serving as a key member of the College’s senior leadership team. The VPAA/DF is the College’s Chief Academic Officer and the President’s primary advisor on academic matters, providing future-oriented, innovative and strategic leadership for the College’s academic program in service to the College’s strategic goals. The VPAA/DF will have the principal responsibility for leading the Academic Affairs division through the full implementation of the FlightPath, Hartwick’s comprehensive approach to supporting student success. This responsibility includes assuring the buildout of all academic program components and the FlightPath General Education Core curriculum.

The VPAA/DF will work to advise, support and advocate for faculty so that they can deliver FlightPath and assure that Hartwick’s educational program is designed and delivered in a manner that helps students to achieve faculty-approved student learning goals. Working closely with the President, the VPAA/DF will serve as the senior staff liaison to the Board of Trustee’s Academic Program Committee, providing insights and information necessary to assure that the Board is prepared to make decisions that will maintain and improve the academic reputation of the College.

The VPAA/DF is a leader who values experience-enhanced liberal arts education, and is prepared to promote and support pedagogical innovation, undergraduate research, and international study, as well as the development of graduate, certificate program and online educational offerings.

The VPAA/DF will work closely and cooperatively with all members of the Senior Leadership Team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Act as the President’s primary advisor on academic matters, providing future-oriented, innovative and strategic leadership for the College’s academic program.
• Manage a multi-faceted division while serving as a key member of the College’s Senior Leadership Team and the President’s Cabinet.
• Work closely with members of the Senior Leadership Team on coordination of daily operations and institution-wide goal setting to assure the accomplishment of the College’s strategic goals.
• Oversee and assure the integrity of all components of the academic program to assure the delivery of a high quality educational program that benefits all Hartwick students
• Promote and support pedagogical innovation, undergraduate research, and international study that will complement and support FlightPath.
• Lead, work collaboratively with, mentor and support the faculty to establish and execute on priorities for Hartwick’s academic programs and activities, including FlightPath, and ensure the quality of all academic offerings. Lead the AA division through the full implementation of the FlightPath, assuring the buildout of all academic program components and the necessary curricular development to support the General Education Core curriculum. Create systems and processes to assure that all academic departments are fully engaged in the process of change necessary to integrate the FlightPath educational and student learning goals into the major based curricula.
• Lead, advise, support and advocate for faculty so that they can assure that Hartwick’s educational program is designed and delivered in a manner that helps students to achieve faculty-approved student learning goals.
• Manage the budget of the Academic Affairs division, including the approved FlightPath budget, and assure that funds are spent prudently and as intended.
• Proactively work with faculty and others to develop, support and promote the development of graduate, certificate programs and online educational offerings. Develop proposals for three new academic programs in each of the next three budget cycles.
• Lead the faculty in a discussion of an expanded and complementary role for online education and propose a plan for this expansion by the end of the first year of service.
• Serve as the College’s liaison to NYSED, MSCHE, and other accreditors, assuring that the College complies with all accreditor requirements for program approvals and reporting.
• Lead, supervise, mentor and develop the administrative staff of the Office of Academic Affairs
• Support and assure the professional development of academic department chairs. Define and assure a clear, useful and effective leadership role for department chairs.
• Oversee academic programs as well as academic support areas including: Library; Center for Professional, Service, and Global Engagement; and several programs and other areas of operation, including the Honors Program, Yager Museum of Art & Culture.
• Lead the continued development of the Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program that was launched in 2009. In cooperation with the VP for Strategic Communications, assure the promotion of the Three Year Degree program to internal and external audiences.
• Participate in major campus events, such as Welcome Week, True Blue Weekend, and Commencement Weekend. Be an active member of the campus community.
• Comply with all applicable College, Federal, State, local and associational regulations
• As a representative of the College, act in a professional manner at all times, both on and off campus

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, support and promote both undergraduate and graduate academic programs at the collegiate level
• Demonstrated ability to lead professional academic program administration at the collegiate level
• Demonstrated successful supervisory experience, analytic ability, superb written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and equitably with faculty and staff at all levels in a collegial, diverse environment
• Demonstrated commitment to a student-centered, experience enhanced, holistic approach to liberal arts education that underscores excellence in teaching, advising, scholarship, service and career preparation.
• Demonstrated commitment to a College community as well as personal enjoyment in being a visible, approachable and actively involved leader both on and off campus

REQUIRED CREDENTIALS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

The minimum requirements for this position are:

• Earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution;
• Record of teaching, scholarship and service commensurate with the rank of full professor;
• Significant, relevant and progressively responsible experience in academic administration with demonstrated evidence of collaborative and equitable leadership and success in meeting strategic goals
• Strong understanding of and commitment to experience-enhanced liberal arts education
• Experience with online program development and delivery and commitment to using technology in teaching and learning
• Experience with faculty recruitment and development
• Experience with curricular development and assessment
• Appreciation for and commitment to the role of shared governance in assuring institutional progress

About Hartwick College

Hartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college in Oneonta, New York offering 35 majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, it offers over 30 minors, pre-professional programs in law, medicine, engineering and allied health professions; and five cooperative programs in engineering, law, business, and physical and occupational therapy.

Hartwick College was featured by journalist and scientific writer Malcolm Gladwell in his book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants as a liberal arts college that offers the same academic rigor and quality of education with similar career outcomes of an ivy league university or elite liberal arts college in the United States, without the competitiveness or admission criteria of these top colleges and universities.

Hartwick has been recognized year after year in numerous reviews including for its committed implementation of High-Impact Educational Practices, earning its title as one of the nation’s Colleges of Distinction for 2019. Hartwick has proven itself to be at the forefront of American higher education with a modern, student-centered approach to teaching. The College also earned distinction for its Nursing, Business and Career Development programs. Hartwick is one of 225 colleges chosen for the “Best in the Northeast” by the Princeton Review. The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranked Hartwick 380 this year of 968 schools covered as well as the #138 private, liberal arts school ranked overall. The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Guide, U.S. News & World Report (2019) ranks Hartwick among the 229 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the country.

Living in the Area

Situated in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains’, Oneonta is a scenic college town boasting a lower cost of living, lower unemployment rates, lower crime rate and higher educational levels than the national average. With median home values of $141K and monthly rents of $835, the area offers an affordable lifestyle in a picturesque environment with close access to New York City. The idyllic environment is an exceptional area for the outdoor enthusiast, raise a family, or simply enjoy a more laid-back lifestyle void of rush hour traffic. A 2020 study rated the Oneonta community among the top 10 small communities in the US for arts vibrancy: https://culturaldata.org/arts-vibrancy-2020/top-10-small-communities/

The College is located just 3.5 hours north of New York City, 4 hours west of Boston, MA, and 4.5 hours north of Philadelphia. The campus sits on a hilltop that spans 425 picturesque acres and overlooks the Catskill Mountains.

Conveniently located just off Rt. 88 in Oneonta, Hartwick is also just 59 miles from Binghamton, NY, 82 miles to Albany, NY, and 60 miles from Utica, NY. Cooperstown, NY, known for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Glimmerglass Opera is just right down the road.

To Apply

For best consideration, please apply by September 30, 2021

Please apply directly here. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Materials should include a cover letter and CV.
Inquiries and nominations are treated confidentially and can be sent to Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner with Academic Career & Executive Search: Jennifer@ACESrch.com.

Candidates advanced in the process will be required to provide a Diversity Statement.
Information regarding Hartwick College’s Diversity Statement is located at: http://hartwick.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2021-2022/Catalog/College-Diversity-Statement

Hartwick College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran, or marital status. We welcome applications from the community, alumni, and the general public.