QUINEBAUG VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Job Description
Dean of Academic and Student Affairs

Salary Level: Date Approved/Revised:

Exec 1 March 2019

______________________________________________________________________
Position Purpose

The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is responsible for the leadership, vision, strategic planning
and management of all academic and student support programs at the main campus in Danielson and
the satellite location in Willimantic, as well as online and serves as both the chief academic officer
and the chief student conduct officer for the College. The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs,
through effective policy and decision making, ensures College programming in academic and student
affairs demonstrates a commitment to students in achieving their diverse educational goals.
Supervisory and Other Relationships

The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs reports to the Campus Chief Executive Officer. The
position directly supervises staff members in carrying out the academic and student support work
of the Academic and Student Affairs Division.

The position is required to have extensive collegial and collaborative relationships with
administrators, faculty and staff within the College, the Connecticut State Colleges and
Universities System, and to interact successfully with a number of outside constituencies such as
employers; faculty and staff of high schools and baccalaureate institutions; and members of the
community. The incumbent is expected to work well with students and to collaborate with
academic and student services departments to contribute to the retention and success of students.
The incumbent is expected to represent the College and the Connecticut State Colleges and
Universities System in a positive manner.

Major Accountabilities

The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is accountable for ensuring the success of the
Academic and Student Affairs Division’s programs, through effective performance in these
essential functional areas:

∙ Planning, Assessment and Evaluation of Academic and Student Programs

∙ Academic Administration
∙ Student Development and Retention
  Faculty supervision and professional development;
 Community relations;
 Budget and fiscal management;

Examples of Essential Duties and Accountabilities

The following examples of duties illustrate the general range of tasks assigned to the position but
are not intended to define the limits of required duties. The Dean of Academic Affairs &
Campus CEO may assign other duties consistent with the general scope of the position.

A. Planning, Assessment and Evaluation of Academic and Student Programs : The

Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is accountable for planning, assessing and evaluating
academic and student affairs programs. This accountability includes such essential tasks as:

1. Serves as a member of the Chief Executive Officer’s leadership team and participates in
establishing and achieving institutional goals in accordance with the College’s strategic
plan.
2. Leads the planning, evaluation, implementation and assessment of academic and student
affairs programs.
3. Directs the development of short- and long-range plans for all academic and student affairs
functions.
4. Gathers and interprets data to determine the programmatic needs of the community and
advises the CEO and management staff on new programs and facilities that help the college
better serve its students.
5. Conducts, in cooperation with professional staff, evaluative studies of curricula and student
affairs programs; recommends action based on the outcome of such assessment; and
monitors the effectiveness of such actions.
6. Recommends the revision or elimination of academic programs, courses and/or student
activities to meet the needs of the region.
7. Participates in the operation of advisory groups to academic and student programs.
8. Prepares (or supervises preparation of) materials needed for consideration of new curricula
by the college staff, the CEO, the Board of Regents, and the Board of Governors.

B. Academic Administration: The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is accountable for
assuring the effective functioning of Academic programs including oversight of Academic
Support functions necessary to carry out the Division’s responsibilities. This accountability
includes such essential tasks as:

1. Oversees development of class schedules, classroom and faculty assignments and faculty
teaching and laboratory workloads;
2. Monitors, reviews and resolves faculty workload issues;
3. Oversees the review and resolution of student complaints regarding academic issues;

B. Student Development and Retention: The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is
accountable for establishing and cultivating a program to assist students in achieving their
diverse educational goals. This accountability includes such essential tasks as:
1. Providing overall direction and leadership to staff assigned to student affairs functions,
programs, operations and activities.
2. Assuring optimum services to students in all areas of student life, including maintenance of
student records, enrollment, academic counseling, financial aid, career planning and
placement, student activities and student government.
3. Formulating, developing, implementing and reviewing a broad variety of policies, standards
and outcomes to assure that students are given optimum supportive services while pursuing
their studies.
4. Facilitating the resolution of student problems and grievances, academic, personal, and
disciplinary issues, within established system and college procedures. Promoting the
resolution of disciplinary issues through the college’s internal process; assuring the fair,
consistent and objective enforcement of policies and regulations governing student conduct.
5. Facilitating the involvement of students in college governance.
6. Representing the college at local, State and National events and developing opportunities for
collaboration with educational leaders, business/labor and industry, municipal, State
agencies, community-based organizations and other institutions of higher education.
7. Supervising and evaluating the performance of administrators and supervisors responsible
for administration and implementation of supportive student services.
8. Collaborating with college administrators and others regarding management issues
involving student services and programs of the college including recommendations for new
or revised policies and procedures; assuring that all areas of student services interface
effectively with the instructional programs.
9. Promoting an environment of cooperation and mutual effort to foster the success and
achievements of students.

D. Faculty and Staff Selection, Supervision and Professional Development: The Dean of
Academic and Student Affairs is accountable for participating in the selection of new full and
part time faculty and staff; providing direct supervision to full time faculty and/or staff and for
assuring their professional development. This accountability includes such essential tasks as:

1. Recruiting and participating as a member of search committees, interviewing and selecting or

recommending the selection of faculty and staff members;
2. Assuring new faculty and staff members’ preparation by supporting their comprehensive
orientation and training;
3. Performing, arranging or encouraging faculty participation in professional development such
as in-service instruction, didactic and interactive seminars, lectures and workshops and
outside professional development conferences, institutes and similar forums;
4. Observing and evaluating faculty and/or staff performance in accordance with prescribed
evaluation methods;
5. Guiding and coaching faculty and staff members overall performance; identifying deficiency
areas and implementing improvement plans when necessary;

E. Budget and Fiscal Management: The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is
accountable for effective management of financial resources and is required to answer for the
value of academic results achieved with financial investments in program operation. This
accountability includes such essential tasks as:

1. Analyzing the resources needed to fulfill the academic and student programming obligations
to the College, including development of cost and benefit analyses and long term forecasts of
academic and student support programming demands and of student population and career
trends;
2. Monitoring expenditures compared to budgets, managing grants, assessing fiscal trends and
taking needed corrective action to assure budgetary integrity;
3. Developing and managing sound long term strategies for optimizing the return on financial
resources for the Academic and Student Affairs Division.

F. Community Relations: The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is accountable for
developing and maintaining active support for the Division’s academic and student support
programs among employers, community leaders and accrediting bodies. This accountability
includes such essential tasks as:

1. Participating in the development of strong campus and community partnerships and

collaborations to advance the vision and mission of the College.
2. Developing relationships with local employers, community agencies, and municipal
administrations and responding to the needs of these organizations by researching and
developing new programs, and improving curricula and academic offerings to include
internship and co-op opportunities.

Professional Participation and Development:

In addition to the accountabilities listed above, the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs is
required to carry out the essential duties of:

 attendance and participation at convocation and commencement ceremonies;

 service on assigned committees and task forces;
 attendance and participation at committee, staff, informational and professional meetings;
 participation, where appropriate and feasible, in external professional organizations and
associations appropriate to the disciplines managed.

All of these may involve attendance at evening or weekend events. The incumbent is required to
maintain currency in the position’s required fields of professional expertise and competencies.
In addition, the incumbent is required to maintain complete confidentiality of student records and
other information of a confidential nature.
Qualifications

Incumbents are required to have demonstrated advanced knowledge, skills and abilities in the
following areas:

 Curriculum design, course and syllabi development, appropriate and effective teaching
materials and methods;
 Classroom and/or laboratory teaching effectiveness;
 Research methodology in evaluation of academic and student programming effectiveness;
 Leading and directing faculty and staff in a higher education environment;
 Management of operating budgets and plans;
 Strong information technology literacy skills;
 Effective oral and written communications
 Ability to work with multiple constituencies in support of a culturally and ethnically diverse
workplace;
 Planning, developing and evaluating academic services and programs;
 Organizational and administrative skills;
 Highly developed interpersonal skills;

These skills and abilities typically are acquired through a combination of education, training and
experience which would include a Master’s degree in a discipline appropriate to the management
of learning in higher education together with six or more years of experience in higher education
including experience in teaching and academic administration, and at least three years of
supervisory experience; or a combination of education, training and experience which would
provide the competencies required for successful performance of the position’s essential duties.
Work Environment

Incumbents perform most of their work in offices or classrooms. There is minimal physical
exertion required. Incumbents travel to meetings, conferences and to public sites for making
presentations, involving travel by automobile or public conveyance. Incumbents are required to
be licensed to operate a private passenger automobile or to arrange for alternate transportation.
Reasonable accommodation may be made for candidates with physical limitations.