VP of Instructional Services/Chief Academic Officer

Role:
Directs the academic programs of the institution. Provides visionary leadership for academic planning, instructional innovation, workforce alignment, and student success. Oversees all instructional programs, academic support services, and faculty affairs. Serves as the Chief Academic Officer and primary instructional liaison to accrediting bodies, state agencies, and transfer institutions. Leads strategic enrollment growth initiatives in collaboration with Student Services, Administrative Services and Marketing. Champions innovation in instructional delivery, including online, hybrid, dual credit, competency-based, non-credit and workforce responsive programming.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Develops, approves, and implements college academic policies; supports faculty through shared governance structures.
• Leads strategic academic master planning aligned with institutional priorities and regional workforce needs.
• Assists academic departments with budget development and control; development and implementation of academic programs; program assessment; accreditation visits.
• Ensures measurable improvement in student retention, completion, transfer, and credential attainment.
• Uses institutional data to guide program review, scheduling efficiency, and instructional resource allocation.
• Supervises and directs the activities of full-time and adjunct faculty.
• Provides executive oversight of division chairs, deans/program directors, library services, and other academic units as assigned.
• Coordinates faculty development and the faculty development budget; faculty assessment and load; promotion/tenure/sabbatical reviews; load policy; overload/adjunct pay approvals.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Responsible for development and management of departmental budgets.
• Collaborates in securing external funding, including state, federal, and private grants to support instructional innovation and workforce expansion.
• Coordinates academic planning and change, evaluation, and academic quality improvement.
• Leads accreditation compliance and continuous quality improvement efforts, serving as institutional liaison to accrediting bodies.
• Serves on academic committees; assists with academic or personnel concerns.
• Serves on the President’s Cabinet; submits policy decisions for review/approval; reports to the Board on academic issues.
• Develops and sustains partnerships with business, industry, K–12 institutions, universities, and economic development organizations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Performance Measurements:

1. To ensure a high-quality academic program demonstrated by student success metrics, program outcomes, and accreditation results.
2. To develop, communicate, and implement academic policies and procedures. Set up checks and balances to ensure accountability.
3. To develop, support, and evaluate faculty and division leaders. Give feedback for continuous improvement.
4. To identify and develop new program initiatives to attract talented faculty and students. (Enhanced: aligned with workforce demand, transfer pathways, and enrollment strategy.)
5. To coordinate academic budgets.
6. To ensure performance reviews are completed by the due date.
7. To be able to lead a very diverse group of faculty and staff toward common goals and objectives.
8. To be able to work in a collaborative manner with all components of the academic and higher education communities.
9. To expand innovative instructional delivery (online/hybrid/dual credit/stackable credentials) and evaluate impact using data.
10. To develop and sustain external partnerships (K–12, universities, business/industry, economic development) and increase external funding support for academic priorities.

Knowledge and Skills:
Experience: Five to Seven years of progressively responsible academic leadership experience preferred.
 

Education: Master's degree required; doctoral degree preferred for Chief Academic Officer role.
 

Interpersonal Skills: The ability to motivate or influence others is a material part of the job, requiring a significant level of diplomacy and trust. Obtaining cooperation (internally and/or externally) is an important part of the job and a high level of interpersonal skills is critical to the success of this position. Work frequently involves contacts requiring considerable discussion of problems, material presentations, and resolving issues impacting departments or divisions.
 

Other Skills: Three years of college-level teaching and five years of academic administration or college policy administration are required. Computer proficiency and familiarity with word processing and database software is desired (MS Office preferred).Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills is critical. Demonstrated collaborative leadership style, strong knowledge of Kansas higher education system, Kansas Board of Regents, Kansas CTE and Technical Education Authority and instructional policies. Demonstrated experience in academic innovation, enrollment growth strategy, workforce/industry partnerships, data-informed decision-making, grant development, and accreditation leadership.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Work Environment: Regular exposure to favorable conditions such as those found in a normal office.