Description
SUMMARY:The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) serves as the senior executive responsible for leading the academic vision and strategy at Jackson College. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the CAO plays a crucial role in supervising all of the College’s instructional programs, as well as fostering academic quality, innovation, and outcomes for faculty and students. This position leads the development of an academic master plan that aligns with the College’s Strategic Agenda, guiding academic offerings to meet the evolving needs of students, the workforce, and the community. The CAO directly supervises the Dean of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Dean of Workforce, Technical and Professional Education; and the Dean of Health Sciences, Business, and Information Technologies.
Essential Functions
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Strategic Leadership and Master Planning
Lead the creation and implementation of a comprehensive academic master plan that aligns with Jackson College’s mission and strategic vision. This plan will guide academic programs, resource allocation, and long-term educational goals.Work closely with the President & CEO, senior leadership, faculty, and staff to drive a strategic academic vision focused on excellence, innovation, and student success.Co-chair the Academic Council, in concert with a faculty co-chair to lead academic decision making, communication, and advance the instructional efforts of the College.
2. Curriculum and Program Development
Oversee the development, assessment, and continuous improvement of academic programs, ensuring they are aligned with workforce demands, instructional and transfer pathways, as well as reasonable student interests.Foster a culture of academic innovation, promoting online, hybrid, and competency-based learning models to enhance accessibility and flexibility for students.
3. Faculty Recruitment, Development and Innovation
Lead initiatives in faculty recruitment, orientation, and professional development to support high-quality teaching and innovative instructional practices.Encourage a culture of instructional excellence through ongoing development opportunities that emphasize pedagogy, assessment, and culturally responsive teaching.Provide dedicated support, professional development, and integration for adjunct faculty, ensuring they receive the resources, training, and support needed to succeed, and to feel a part of the College’s overall instructional efforts.
4. Library/Information Commons and Learning Resources
Supervise the College’s library services, ensuring access to academic resources and support services that advance student learning and research.Collaborate with library staff to enhance digital resources, instructional support, and research capabilities that align with the College’s academic mission, and in concert with the Jackson County Library System.
5. Corrections Education
Oversee academic programming for the College’s corrections education initiatives, ensuring quality, accessibility, and relevance for incarcerated students.Collaborate with Jackson Preparatory and Early College (JPEC), located on the College’s Central Campus, allowing students the potential to earn both their high school diploma as associate degree.Partner with corrections facilities to address specific instructional needs and support student success within correctional environments.Ensure, to the degree possible, a similar academic experience as if on the College’s Central Campus.
6. Accreditation and Compliance
Lead accreditation efforts, ensuring compliance with standards set by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as well as other secondary accrediting bodies and regulatory agencies.Manage continuous quality improvement initiatives, in collaboration with the College’s Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) offices, using data-driven decision-making to enhance academic programs and support institutional accountability.Participate in the HLC Annual meeting and become a Consultant-Evaluator of the HLC.
7. Student Success and Retention
Collaborate with Student Services to implement strategies that enhance student retention, persistence, completion, and transfer success, as part of the student’s educational experience at the College.Develop data-informed approaches to monitor academic progress, identify improvement areas, and support equitable student outcomes.
8. Supervision of Deans and Others
Provide leadership and support to three academic deans: Dean of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Dean of Workforce, Technical and Professional Education; and Dean of Health Sciences, Business, and Information Technologies. Lead academic staff and administrators with weekly and monthly meetings as needed Provide insight to the Corporate and Continuing Education (CCE) department regarding quality training, internship and apprenticeship opportunities Guide these leaders in aligning departmental goals with institutional objectives.
9. Budget and Resource Management
Develop, monitor, and manage the Academic Affairs division budget, ensuring resources align with institutional priorities and maximizing efficiency.Identify and pursue funding opportunities, including grants and partnerships, to support academic programming and faculty development.
10. Community and Industry Partnerships
Cultivate relationships with businesses, schools, and higher education institutions to align College programs with community and workforce needs.Represent the College in the community, building partnerships that enhance student learning opportunities through internships, job placements, and service learning.
11. Assessment and Institutional Research
Oversee institutional research and assessment activities to evaluate academic programs and ensure they align with Jackson College’s mission and goals.Use data analytics to make informed decisions on program development, student support initiatives, and resource allocation.Demonstrate a mix of visionary, collaborative, and student-focused leadership while being adaptable to change and data-driven decision-making fostering an inclusive and innovative environment
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The CAO directly supervises three academic deans—Dean of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Dean of Workforce, Technical and Professional Education; and Dean of Health Sciences, Business, and Information Technologies—as well as library staff, faculty, and support personnel within the Academic Affairs division. Responsibilities include recruitment, training, performance management, and fostering a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.
CONTACTS AND PURPOSED OF CONTACTS:
Internal: Regularly engage with faculty, staff, and senior leadership to promote academic quality, innovation, and student success.
External: Engage with external partners, including K12 schools, businesses, industry leaders, and community organizations, to build partnerships that support Jackson College’s mission and goals.
Minimum Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:Education:
A doctorate in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, or a related field is preferred. Alternatively, obtaining a related doctoral degree within two years is also preferable – A master’s degree with substantial experience in academic Previous experience in a community college setting.Knowledge of Michigan's higher education system and regulations preferred.Strong community relations and partnership-building skills.Knowledge administration will be considered. of higher education accreditation requirements, state and federal regulations for higher education, higher education performance metrics, and higher education terminology and learning models
Experience:
A minimum of seven years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, with a demonstrated track record in academic administration, curriculum development, faculty support, and strategic planning.Experience with corrections education, accreditation, and library oversight is highly desirable.
Skills and Abilities:
Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to foster collaboration and innovation across departments.Demonstrated experience in data-driven decision-making, strategic planning, and budget management.Commitment to student-centered education and a dedication to promoting inclusion of all identities within the College.Collaborative approach to working with diverse internal stakeholders on politically sensitive matters.Supervision of individuals throughout the college in a way that empowers them when beneficial and redirects them when necessary.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise intensity level to which the worker is exposed in the job is moderate.
“This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required and shall not be construed as declaring the specific duties and responsibilities. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his or her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.”
Supplemental Information
Jackson College only accepts on-line applications though this system. For assistance with this, please call 517-796-8468.
Please use your legal first and last names on your application. If you are hired you will have the opportunity to identify and utilize your preferred name.
The Jackson College Nepotism policy prohibits hiring of a relative or someone with a familial relationship to work in the same instructional department, office or administrative unit of the College including spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent or sibling of the employee or spouse, aunt, uncle, niece/nephew, grandparent, grandchild, and members of the same household including domestic partner.
It is important that your application show all the relevant education and experience you possess (even if you are repeating it from your resume or cover letter). For instance, do not say, "See Resume or C/V." Your resume, cover letter that includes your salary requirements and an unofficial transcript for the degree required must be attached to your application. Applications will be rejected if incomplete. When you apply for the position, you will get to the document upload area where you will be given an opportunity to attach your documents such as your resume/vita, transcripts, etc. Instructions will also be found there.
The College reserves the right to request proof of degree or certification at a later date, if these documents are required as part of the qualifications for the position.
Final candidates will be subject to a criminal background as part of the employment process.
If selected you will be required to complete the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Employment Eligibility Verification form I-9 and provide documentation verifying identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Jackson College is NOT able to support Visa applications for employment at the college. Applicants must already be eligible to work in the United States to be considered.
Applicants with disabilities may request accommodation to complete the application and interview process. Please notify Human Resources at least three (3) working days prior to the date of need.
A copy of Jackson College's Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report is available on the JC Campus Safety & Security website. The security report contains crime statistics for the previous three years for all of our campus locations and the annual fire safety report, which contains statistics for any reported fires in campus housing units and fire safety systems in these buildings. Additionally, the report contains policies, available resources and information concerning personal safety, fire safety and reporting procedures for both crimes and fires.
Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws. Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.