Vice President of Academic Affairs presso COWLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Date: October 2025

Grade: 20

Salary Range: $115,690-140,137

Position Type: Full Time

Position Status: Salary/Exempt

Pay Frequency: Monthly

Location: Arkansas City Main Campus – Arkansas City, KS

Department: Administration

Reports To: President

Job Summary:

The Vice President of Academic Affairs serves as the Chief Academic Officer for the College, providing strategic and operational leadership and oversight for all academic affairs functions, thus supporting academic programs, services, and student success initiatives.  This position formulates, recommends, and implements Academic Affairs policies and procedures.  In addition, the Vice President develops, maintains, and enhances academic programs; promotes a culture of student learning and development; and cultivates creative approaches to teaching and learning.  This position provides leadership and direction to academic associate vice presidents, directors, and department chairs, including the development of programs to meet local community needs and interests.

Position Duties:

• Administers, evaluates, and advocates for academic programs.
• Delegates responsibility and authority as appropriate.
• Ensures the development of the strategic-level academic plan for Cowley College that follows the mission and strategies for the College.
• Coordinates and collaborates with other units of the College to ensure the implementation of best practices for student success, including first-year experience, persistence, retention, pedagogy, faculty engagement, professional development, tutoring, advising, and enrollment.
• Ensures the development and implementation of academic procedures, and works collaboratively with other College units to develop procedures that are inter-departmental in nature.
• Provides guidance, direction, and assistance for programmatic and institutional accreditation.
• Leads the recruitment, screening, and recommendation of personnel for academic areas, and plays an active role in managing all phases of their employment and ongoing development.
• Champions professional growth by supporting individual development plans for staff and coordinating in-service training for faculty.
• Acts as chairperson for the Academic Affairs Council, which acts as the curriculum committee for the institution.
• Provides leadership and supervision, while collaborating on instructional development and preparation of applicable unit budgets.
• Exercises executive authority for management of complaints, disciplinary actions, grievances, and termination for all personnel within the academic unit.
• Supervises, provides leadership, and sets direction for direct report personnel.
• Oversees the preparation of class schedules, teaching assignments, faculty workload, and room assignments in collaboration with academic departments and other academic staff.
• Oversees student global, programmatic, and course learning outcomes assessment, and institutional effectiveness efforts with other Vice Presidents and other appropriate College administrators, faculty, and staff.
• Oversees the concurrent educational plan with high schools and articulations with other colleges and universities.
• Provides leadership for advisory committees/councils and programs to be compliant with the Carl Perkins Act and Kansas Board of Regents’ regulations.
• Promotes the College through active participation in appropriate activities at the local, state, and national level. 
• Maintains courteous, professional, and effective working relationships with employees, vendors, and/or any other representatives of external organizations.
• Complies with all College policies and procedures.
• Assists the President by performing other related duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Learner-centered philosophy and approach for student success.
• Working knowledge of effective teaching and learning strategies oriented toward student success.
• Skills in collaborating, negotiating, and problem-solving with a highly effective level of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Expertise in curriculum development and innovative delivery formats.
• Understanding of the community college mission and practices an open-door policy.
• Strong administrative and academic leadership skills in a community college setting.
• Ability to work effectively with the President, administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
• Strong management skills, including the ability to develop and administer budgets, manage/adapt to change, make difficult decisions, encourage conflict resolution, and ensure employee and department accountability.
• Ability to listen and value employee, student, and community contributions to College operations
• Possess an entrepreneurial attitude and work ethic.
• Strong knowledge of academic affairs.
• Possess a team approach to problem solving.
• Understand the uses of information technology to deliver, monitor, and evaluate programs and services for students.
• Knowledge of theories of student learning as they relate to the traditional student and to the adult learner.
• Understanding of organizational systems and their contribution to student academic success.
• Ability to develop measurable outcomes and assessment strategies to formulate data-driven decisions.
• Knowledge of public sector and higher education federal and state regulations and compliance.
• Strong organization and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently, as well as on a team.
• Ability to work and maintain the highest level of confidentiality.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work. Works well under deadline pressures.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and diverse populations.
• Understanding of and commitment to quality improvement.

Required Education Background:

• A minimum of a Master’s Degree from an accredited institution in Higher Education Leadership, Higher Education Administration, Adult Learning, or related field. Doctorate degree, preferred.

Required Experience: