Vice President for Academics na Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor

Concordia University is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world.

Position Summary

The Vice President for Academics (VPA) is the Chief Academic Officer of the university. The VPA reports to the President and is a member of the executive team and faculty. The VPA: 1) provides strategic vision and collaborates with the President to live out a unified academic vision arising from CUWAA's mission, values, and Cornerstones to build on the tradition of excellent Christ-centered education across the curriculum; 2) provides leadership for teaching, learning, and research that fosters a culture of excellence, curiosity, and continual improvement in the academic enterprise; 3) oversees academic systems, operations, and curricula that shape students for a rich life grounded in serving others.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Vision for Academics

• Provides strategic vision to live out CUWAA's mission, values, and the Concordia Cornerstones throughout the academic enterprise of the university.
• Promotes the Christ-centered integration of faith throughout the academic programs of the university.
• Collaborates with VP for Student Success and VP for Mission and Church Relations to provide leadership for academic institutes.
• Represents the university and its mission, values, and Concordia Cornerstones to all stakeholders.

Teaching, Learning, Research

• Oversees hiring, orientation, and development of faculty (both full-time and part-time) in collaboration with VP for Missions and Church Relations.
• Equips and empowers faculty for excellence in teaching, research, and service.
• Promotes the highest level of teaching, learning, and research in fulfilling the missional goals of the university.
• Promotes a culture of excellence, curiosity, continual improvement, and joy arising from the university's Christ-centered mission.

Academic Systems, Operations, & Curricula

• Supervises AVPs in Academics to live out university values in academic operations.
• Supervises Deans to live out the university mission across the schools.
• Builds and sustains a culture of collaboration within and beyond the academic unit, ensuring that faculty, staff, and administrators work across departments to enhance the overall student experience.
• Encourages faculty to enact and live out the strongest form of faculty governance.
• Collaborates with VP for Student Success to achieve student retention and graduation targets.
• Collaborates with the VP of Finance to balance academic quality with financial sustainability, ensuring that programs contribute to net tuition revenue goals and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Collaborates with the executive team to live out the mission in a unified way across the institution.
• Supervises the Accreditation Liaison Officer and ensures the accreditation processes (institutional and program-level) are compliant with federal, state, and professional regulations.
• Monitors, anticipates and responds to emerging trends in higher education, ensuring CUWAA's academic offerings and curriculum remain distinctive, relevant, and sustainable.
• Ensures strong student learning outcomes, program effectiveness, and career readiness by promoting assessment of learning and data-informed decision-making.
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaborative skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Budget management experience and financial acumen.
• Member in good standing of an LCMS congregation required.
• Rostered worker in LCMS preferred.
• Commitment to CUWAA's mission, values, and Cornerstones
• Deep knowledge of and training in accreditation standards (i.e., HLC peer reviewer, SACSCOC evaluator training)
• Supportive of the mission and values of Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)

Education & Experience

• Possess an earned terminal degree (doctorate preferred).
• Demonstrated experience in administration at the post-secondary level.
• Demonstrated record of teaching excellence.
• Demonstrated record of scholarship and research.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Demonstrated record of successful strategic planning and implementation.
• Demonstrated success in managing accreditation processes and academic compliance.

Physical Demands/Equipment (Click to View)

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt (salary) staff position. The starting wage may be determined upon education and/or experience. Concordia University benefit options include, but are not limited to the following:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Personal Spending Account, Flexible Spending Account, and/or Health Savings Account
• Disability and Survivor Plan
• Retirement Pension Plan
• Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan
• Basic Life and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage
• Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
• Tuition waiver benefits (available for employees and their qualified dependents)

Compensation and Benefit Details

Application Instructions

To receive full consideration, all applicants are asked to complete and submit an online employment application through the Concordia University Employment page. To begin, please click the Apply Now section on the job page and then click the Apply For This Position button to begin the application process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of CU to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The University will not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, gender, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

However, CU is an institution of the LCMS and, to the extent allowed by law, CU reserves the right to give preference in employment based on religion. In addition, preference in holding certain employment positions is given to ordained or rostered ministers of the LCMS. Based on a religious tenet, CU recognizes only male, LCMS ordained Ministers of the Gospel, but recognizes both male and female LCMS Rostered Ministers of the Gospel.

The Human Resources Department has been appointed to manage the equal employment opportunity program, including all equal employment opportunity activities, as required by federal, state and local agencies. If any employee or applicant for employment believes this policy has been violated, he/she must contact the Director of Human Resources.

Concordia University is a HLC accredited, co-educational, liberal arts school offering more than 72 undergraduate majors, over 35 master's degree programs, and 5 doctoral programs. There are also a variety of accelerated evening and e-learning programs.