Dean of Academic & Career Pathways
Class: Management | Exempt status: Exempt | Grade: O
The Dean of Academic & Career Pathways is responsible for oversight and leadership for one of the College’s administrative areas of integrated academic, career, and workforce programs. The position directs relevant and interdisciplinary instructional programs and services within the assigned academic portfolio and collaboratively across academic programs to provide holistic learning opportunities and equitable educational and career outcomes for students. The incumbent oversees and leads a College-wide operational infrastructure that aligns excellence in teaching and learning, culturally responsive curriculum and program development, accountability for student outcomes, engagement with industry/workforce, and support for faculty and instructional staff, with equitable opportunity and academic goal attainment for students. The incumbent serves as a primary College contact for internal College partners and external community and industry partners to ensure alignment of curriculum to community needs.
Leadership competencies
- Advances Racial and Social Justice
Actively works toward the elimination of racism and social oppression; utilizes culturally responsive practices and processes to achieve equitable student and employee outcomes - Drives Vision and Purpose
Participates in the creation of and executes a vision for the College’s mission balancing compliance with flexible, multimodal, inclusive delivery of financial services. - Drives Engagement
Initiates and drives authentic exploration and engagement cross-departmentally to arrive at collaborative solutions that lead to employee and student success. - Accelerates Agility and Innovation
Analyzes systems, policies and practices and commits to continuous program improvement through the strategic use of culturally responsive data. - Builds Partnerships
Partners to solve problems, adapts communication and approaches, supports healthy conflict, and develops strong relationships with associated areas to advance institutional goals.
Our mission
To support student success by delivering access to quality education while advancing economic development and promoting sustainability in a collaborative culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our vision for equitable student success
Recognizing the unique value, perspectives, strengths, and challenges of every person who comes to PCC for education, all students will achieve their academic goals through equitable support, quality instruction, clear guidance to persist, and an unwavering commitment to completion shared by the entire College community.
Yes to Equitable Student Success (YESS)
Our roadmap to dismantling barriers and building inclusive systems of education and support.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities
- Provides strategic leadership for the coordination of a portfolio of academic programs, including accountability for alignment with institutional vision/priorities for the assigned portfolio of programs; develops academic plans including assessment of need, labor market demand, and transferability.
- Develops and implements culturally responsive and inclusive academic programs operations that center on historically underserved and marginalized communities; accountable for flexible service delivery modalities that support access and equitable student outcomes.
- Exercises leadership in achieving optimal organizational efficiency and effectiveness, including initiatives to improve work processes, enhance system, staff performance, enrollment, and revenues. Partners across pathways to ensure alignment of programs and services.
- Creates and directs program innovation and growth through alignment of curriculum to community and workforce needs for credit, non-credit, training, and academic non-credit programming.
- Measures and analyzes the impact of portfolio-level operations, programming, infrastructure, and support as it relates to teaching excellence, accountability for student outcomes, and support for staff within the assigned portfolio.
- Conducts ongoing needs assessment and gap analysis related to teaching excellence, program effectiveness, accountability for student outcomes, and support for full and part-time faculty within the assigned academic, career, and workforce portfolio of programs; utilizes data to guide modification of programming for continuous process and outcomes improvement.
- Builds and maintains collaborative and productive partnerships with internal and external partners (e.g., business, industry, higher education institutions, K12), across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, administrative/systems services, and shared governance bodies in order to integrate institutional effectiveness, planning efforts, and holistic student support; provides leadership for College-wide strategic initiative execution (e.g., Strategic Plan, Guided Pathways, Equity & Inclusion Plan, Advising Redesign, Pathways to Opportunity, YESS).
- Supervises management, faculty, academic professionals, classified staff, technical/support, and/or student staff. Reinforces staff’s development of PCC’s leadership competencies. Evaluates, supports, and provides guidance on professional development plans and goals for staff in assigned areas of responsibility in accordance with practices, policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Hires, evaluates, trains, disciplines and recommends dismissal of staff as necessary.
- Develops, oversees, analyzes, and makes budget decisions in alignment with College strategy, values and priorities for the assigned portfolio of programs. Forecasts funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies. Assumes institutional authority for applicable grants, contracts, and technology that directly supports academic, career, and/or workforce programs in the assigned portfolio.
- Ensures institutional compliance with federal/state/College regulations, policies, and guidance related to academic, career and/or workforce programs in portfolio, and all related accreditation standards; evaluates and communicates the impact of potential legal or regulatory changes on the College.
- Implements and promotes advancement of the district’s equity goals and assists in the hiring of staff that reflects the diversity of the district. Enhances equity-minded talent management, including recruiting, hiring, and employee retention practices.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Environment
Work environment includes frequent disruptions and changes in priorities. Work is generally performed in an office environment with frequent interruptions and irregularities in the work schedule. Working hours may vary and occasional evening or weekend work is required. Frequent travel to other locations is required. No special coordination beyond that used for normal mobility and handling of everyday objects and materials is needed to perform the job satisfactorily.
Minimum Qualifications
Master’s Degree and eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience related to the area of assignment, providing program/project management or program/project coordination. Four (4) years of higher education management/supervisory experience.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:
- Academic programs and content in area of supervision;
- Various modalities, methods and best practices in teaching and learning including, culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogy and practices;
- Program development, budgeting, and management;
- Policy and procedure development and administration;
- Public administration and higher education principles and practices;
- Applicable local, state and federal laws, codes, rules, and regulations;
- Health, safety and emergency preparation, business and operational continuity, and response.
Skills in:
- Strategic leadership and management;
- Coaching staff in instructional best practices;
- Planning, implementing, improving, and evaluating operations, programs, policies, procedures, financials;
- Evaluating research to identify potential solutions, resolve problems, and provide information;
- Utilizing data and assessment outcomes for communication and making continuous improvements for programs and services.
Ability to:
- Communicate and execute a vision for student-centered (flexible, multimodal) delivery of instruction and services through oral and written mediums;
- Drive systemic change for racial and social equity and justice;
- Manage and mediate conflict and sensitive topics;
- Counsel, direct, and facilitate professional development of employees while motivating them toward goal achievement;
- Apply independent judgment to interpretation and application of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
New: 4/2021
Portland Community College is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected class.