Chair, Teaching and Learning

As the Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, you provide leadership for the department. In this role you are accountable for program outcomes, program and course development, and student and faculty satisfaction and retention. To accomplish these goals, you are responsible for the following: 1) Recruiting, selecting, mentoring, and evaluating course faculty for the department; 2) Leading program development and growth including active involvement in student enrollment, retention, and satisfaction; 3) Exercising full administrative responsibility for programs including reporting and accreditation success while participating in department and organization committees to maintain and increase program strength and efficiencies; and, 4) Collaborating with other departments to respond to student needs.

Who is American College of Education
Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.

ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.

Who You Are
You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.    

As the Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, you provide leadership for the department. In this role you are accountable for program outcomes, program and course development, and student and faculty satisfaction and retention. To accomplish these goals, you are responsible for the following: 1) Recruiting, selecting, mentoring, and evaluating course faculty for the department; 2) Leading program development and growth including active involvement in student enrollment, retention, and satisfaction; 3) Exercising full administrative responsibility for programs including reporting and accreditation success while participating in department and organization committees to maintain and increase program strength and efficiencies; and, 4) Collaborating with other departments to respond to student needs.

Compensation
ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $90,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.

What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrates self-reliance by meeting/exceeding workflow needs. 
• Demonstrates positive attitude and motivation, concern for students, teamwork, and excellent time management skills. 
• Follows established processes as outlined by organization and leadership. 
• Completes assigned duties based on daily business needs and individual skill set. 
• Consistently produces a high volume of quality work. 
• Capable, and adapts as needed, to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. 
• Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision and with other department personnel. 
• Must support and embrace the College’s B Corp mission to improve the people and communities we serve through our civic engagement initiatives.  
• Must have exceptional communication, organization, and time management skills. 
• Must be "self-motivated" as well as creative and efficient in proposing solutions to complex, time-critical problems. 
• Must be collaborative in driving decisions and a team-player. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail. 
• Builds and maintains student satisfaction. 
• Recognizes and anticipates student needs. 

Day to Day Responsibilities

In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas: 

• Hires, coaches, manages, and leads administrators and faculty members within the department.
• Leads faculty and student initiatives within the department to continuously improve results.
• Ensures the vision of "serving others" is integrated into all departmental programs and courses and is modeled for faculty.
• Compiles performance reports, provides program information, and evaluates program effectiveness.
• Assists in developing policies, procedures, and guidelines for programs and the institution.
• Develops and cultivates partnerships to support student achievement and enrollment growth.
• Provides opportunities for student success by being available to adjudicate student appeals expeditiously.
• Responds promptly to student, faculty, or administrative concerns and issues.
• Recruits, selects, trains, and provides oversight and leadership to academic personnel.
• Ensures that personnel are hired with the appropriate credentials, knowledge, skills, and experience to meet the needs of the academic program.
• Serves as a mentor for team members by providing opportunities for professional development in supporting online instructional delivery skills, channeling skills for resolving issues, and providing guidance to ensure their professional success and retention.
• Assigns courses, monitors faculty performance, and conducts faculty assessments following organizational guidelines.
• Encourages, motivates, and inspires administrators and faculty to greater excellence.
• Provides content leadership for new programs and courses as well as reviewing and approving courses developed by course authors.
• Reviews enrollment, retention, and student satisfaction metrics to ensure program growth and success and develops effective strategies to meet and exceed organizational student retention and satisfaction goals.
• Models successful online teaching and research methods for faculty and students.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge of the curricula and industry by participating in educational workshops/seminars, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies. This includes maintaining a deep knowledge of emerging issues and trends related to the department.
• Ensures quality of program and course offerings by supporting and promoting research.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Terminal degree from an accredited institution associated with the education fields.
• Active educator certification, preferred.
• Experience as a teacher in elementary or secondary schools (principal/administrator preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in leading an academic department in a higher education setting.
• 5+ years' experience in teaching and leadership in a formal educational setting using both traditional and non-traditional teaching formats; higher education strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully developing faculty relationships.
• Experience working with state boards, commissions of education, or regional accrediting agencies preferred.
• Evidence of professional research and/or creative endeavors and expertise in the field.
• Proven leadership in higher education; remote leadership experience preferred.
• Ability to interpret and write analyses of educational research documents.
• Current knowledge of leadership principles and techniques.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, under various deadlines, in a fast-paced environment with the ability to excel in an environment of quick growth, embracing change and progressive collaboration.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Skill in using Microsoft Office Suite applications proficiently.
• Ability to use or learn how to use appropriate technology, include conferencing and learning management systems.

Our Commitment to Employees

Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For 6 consecutive years, ACE was recognized as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. In addition, ACE has earned national recognition, being named a USA Top Workplace in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits: 

• Medical, dental, & vision Insurance 
• HSA and FSA options 
• Paid parental leave 
• Paid volunteer time 
• Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs 
• Generous PTO  
• 401k and employer match 
• Full-service wellness and EAP program 
• Employee recognition and awards programs 
• Employer paid life & AD&D insurance 
• Short-term disability 
• Employer paid long-term disability 
• And more…

Physical Demands

The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.

Diversity

 At American College of Education, we believe that the best learning environment for students and staff is one in which we encounter viewpoints and experiences that are different, yet complementary to ours. This environment is fostered by the presence of persons with diverse backgrounds.  We recognize that acknowledging diversity is a necessary precondition, but sustained effort is necessary to ensure equity and greater inclusion.  Through strategic planning and initiatives, we seek to develop programs that promote equity and inclusion for everyone so that all members of ACE’s community can reach their full potential. To create and maintain a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community, we strive to make all feel equally valued, and we uphold our Commitment to Freedom of Expression.  We may celebrate diversity, but we “live” inclusion.

Additional Notes

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

 Employees are increasingly integrating AI into their roles, demonstrating its potential to boost efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By utilizing AI technologies, we can streamline processes, gain valuable insights from data, and automate routine tasks, which allows employees to concentrate on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. While AI is a beneficial tool in the workplace, if its use—such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copy.ai, etc.—accounts for more than 50% of any work assignments or job responsibilities, it will need to be reported to a direct leader.

Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee's remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.  

American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.

ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.