Executive Director of the Advancing Teaching Learning, and Scholarship

Job Description

The Executive Director of the Advancing Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (ATLAS) Center is a senior leadership role responsible for advancing excellence in teaching and learning, promoting innovative pedagogical practices, supporting the research and scholarship of teaching and learning, and enhancing the overall learning environment across the institution. The Executive Director will provide strategic vision, foster faculty development, and support interdisciplinary collaboration to cultivate a culture of innovation and scholarly inquiry in teaching and learning. This is a full-time position with flexibility for hybrid work.

Full consideration will be given to applications received by November 15th, 2024.

Organization/Department:

Wentworth Institute of Technology, the university of opportunity, provides our community of learners with access to educational programs responsive to evolving market needs. Through a uniquely effective, hands-on, experiential, and cooperative education approach, Wentworth prepares graduates who are future-focused and career-ready.

The Advancing Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (ATLAS) Center serves as a collaborative, creative, and integral partner that leads through evidence-based learning and scholarship practices that support faculty and students. The ATLAS Center promotes excellence in teaching, learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning through innovative instructional and scholarship support services scaffolded by pedagogical practices and a modern digital ecosystem. The Center builds collaborative relationships across Wentworth’s five schools, the Digital Technology Services (DTS) Division, and the institution to deliver a portfolio of assets that support quality scholarship, interactive teaching, and high-impact learning experiences aligned with program and university goals.

The Executive Director will collaborate closely with a Faculty Fellow for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the ATLAS Steering and Faculty Advisory Committees, academic leadership, faculty, and staff to ensure the Center plays a central role in fostering excellence in teaching and learning, promoting research and scholarship of teaching and learning, enhancing learner inclusivity, and integrating best practices in a modern digital learning ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Provide vision and leadership for the Center’s mission, vision, and strategic initiatives and ensure alignment with Institutional and Academic Affairs priorities.
• Pedagogical Expertise: Provide expertise in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Apply deep knowledge of best practices in inclusive teaching, active learning, and curriculum development to all ATLAS activities.
• Communication and Institution-level Collaboration: Communicate effectively across diverse groups, build reciprocal partnerships, and foster collaboration among faculty, staff, academic leaders and Colleges of the Fenway colleagues. Serve on institutional committees and working groups. Champion the utilization of instructional design expertise, meaningful adoption of learning technologies, and optimization of the learning management system to foster equitable teaching and learning environments and build faculty acceptance of the ATLAS Center value proposition.
• Operations, Team, and Change Management: Provide leadership and oversight for the daily operations of the ATLAS Center including data-driven planning, implementation, and assessment of programs, resources, and meaningful academic technology adoption. Supervise staff including recruiting, hiring, appraisal and promotion. Grow staff capabilities through professional development and build a shared sense of mission, fostering intra-staff collaboration, and mentoring. Lead large scale change initiatives while building organizational culture to support success. Exhibit strong organizational skills while managing programs, budgets, and staff.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Demonstrate proficiency in continuous quality improvement through the collection and analysis of data and the ability to communicate associated impact. Use research, assessment, and evaluation to inform and improve teaching practices and program effectiveness.
• Professional Development: Maintain continuous professional growth and development through a series of actions, including attending professional development programs; presenting at conferences; contributing to the scholarship of teaching and learning; collaborating with peer institutions; and staying abreast of current literature.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Deep understanding of research-informed theories of learning, curriculum design/development, innovative instructional strategies, active and inclusive pedagogy, assessment, use of academic technologies in teaching, and their application in the higher education classroom across multiple modalities.
• Comprehensive knowledge of evidence-based teaching practices, pedagogical research methodologies, and the ability to foster faculty engagement in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Wide-ranging knowledge of leadership, organizational development, and change management principles and processes to collaboratively partner and champion change across campus.
• Foundational knowledge in Learning Management Systems.
• Excellent consultation, interpersonal, leadership, management, organizational, and collaboration skills.
• Superior customer service skills, a commitment to service as an organizational value, and an ability to assist staff in reflecting the value of service in their day-to-day activities. Able to maintain collegial relationships within the department and division, with faculty, and with other units across campus.
• Excellent communication skills (oral, written, multimedia), clearly articulate the big picture and organizational decisions in plain language, make clear and relevant presentations to a variety of audiences, and lead professional development programs, particularly as they relate to instructional effectiveness and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
• Demonstrated capabilities in data-driven decision-making and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and supervise staff, build a shared sense of mission, foster intra-staff collaboration, build strong teams, and mentor staff.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, coordinate, and oversee efforts focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning, a broad and diverse range of ATLAS Center teaching/learning initiatives and programs, and a growing portfolio of services to improve evidence-based instructional practices.
• Adept at troubleshooting, problem solving, and negotiating priorities with the ability to assess a situation, identify issues and practical solutions, and determine the best course of action.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Terminal degree (EdD, PhD, or equivalent degree in Education, Instructional Design, Curriculum Design, Instructional Technologies, Online Education, or related field).
• QM Higher Ed Applying Rubric and Review preferred certifications.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant experience including Leadership experience (visioning, implementing mission, strategic and daily operations, management of professional staff, resource and budget planning and management).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Higher Education experience. Full-time faculty experience preferred.
• Research experience. Scholarship of teaching and learning publications preferred.
• Experience teaching or leading programming in multiple modalities.
• Experience building and sustaining collaborations across campus.
• Experience advocating for and advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning, educational change, and teaching/learning initiatives in higher education.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, managing, and implementing teaching and learning initiatives and academic technology projects to improve an organization’s overall programs and services.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, within the department, across the division, and across the campus community, meeting audience needs from different levels and technical acumen.
• Experience with supervision of staff, team leadership, building shared sense of mission, fostering intra-staff collaboration, and mentoring staff for continuous career development.
• Experience employing best practices in project management, operations, and continuous service improvement to implement mid- to long-range planning that reflect the overall goals of the university, division plan, and the ATLAS Center.
• Demonstrated experience providing flexible, realistic resource requirements in response to dynamic prioritization of needs and multiple requests for services from a broad constituent base including vice presidents, deans, associate deans, faculty, and directors of major administrative units.
• Experience managing fiscal resources both individually and in collaboration with members of a leadership team.

Inclusive Excellence at Wentworth
Wentworth Institute of Technology is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all University programs and activities. The University does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, genetic information, gender identity, veteran status or any other category protected by law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration.

To find out more about Wentworth’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, please visit the website here.

All applicants have the right to accessibility support and accommodations. To request accessibility support or accommodations, contact the Executive Director of Equity and Compliance, Catlin Wells, at wellsc1@wit.edu.

E-Verify for Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)
Wentworth participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an internet-based system that compares information from your Form I-9 to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.