Professor and Director (Advancement of Learning and Teaching) Position Number: 00110097 Division: Department: Classification: Location: Academic Services Advancement of Learning and Teaching Academic Level E / Executive Remuneration Package Toowoomba, Springfield or Ipswich Date: May 2016 Responsible to: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Scholarly Information and Learning Services) Your Opportunity The Director will provide strategic direction, leadership and innovative management of the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (ALT). As an expert in higher education learning and teaching, the Director will provide strategic and operational leadership in the design, development and implementation of a wide variety of initiatives aimed at advancing the quality of teaching and student learning experiences and outcomes at USQ. Through strong working relationships the Director will foster a University culture of innovation and capacity building and create a dynamic, responsive and collaborative service culture with the ALT. The incumbent must be an exceptional communicator and relationship builder. This position will suit a senior academic who possesses strong visionary, strategic and collegial management and leadership skills, with the ability to initiate, lead and manage change projects contributing to a high performance learning and teaching culture. Our University USQ is a young, dynamic university dedicated to providing quality programs and degrees in a flexible and supportive environment. In less than 50 years, USQ has become a prominent teaching and research institution providing education worldwide from three locations Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich. We also have a number of outreach hubs, and national and international education partners. USQ s culture is built around relationships and the community. Our core values of Respect, Integrity and Excellence guide us in our working lives and unite us in our mission. USQ supports its staff to reach their full potential, both personally and professionally, and offers access to an extensive range of career development, health and wellbeing, and reward and recognition programs. We have a strong commitment to diversity, celebrate inclusion and provide equal opportunity for all in a flexible, positive and friendly workplace.
Your Team Advancement of Learning and Teaching (ALT) provides support, services and resources to help USQ academics develop their learning and teaching skills, knowledge, scholarship and practice, and in doing so help USQ to provide quality learning experiences and student outcomes. The ALT consists of four teams: Educational Design and Development; Program Quality and Enhancement; Educational Excellence and Innovation; and Media Design and Development. ALT provides a range of physical and virtual services and resources that are offered across three physical locations, Toowoomba, Ipswich and Springfield. You will join a team committed to supporting academic staff and enabling the design and development of creative and high quality educational environments that feed directly into enhancements to student learning and the student experience. Your Organisational Relationships Internal: Reports to: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Scholarly Information and Learning Services) Member of: Academic Board and other University, SILS and Divisional groups as required. Supervises: o Associate Directors: Educational Excellence & Innovation Program Quality and Enhancement Educational Design & Development Media Design & Development o Support Officers: Educational Design and Development & Media Design & Development Program Quality & Development & Educational Excellence & Innovation o Manager, Learning Analytics Key contacts: Academic Services Division, Information and Communication Technology (ICTS), Library Services, Digital Life Lab, Students and Communities Division, Academic Division, USQ management, employees and students. External: Government Departments / Legislative Bodies Other Universities Service Providers Professional bodies including the Council of Australian Directors of Academic Development (CODAD), and the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and e-learning (ACODE), OERu, and OSI. Your Key Responsibilities 1. Contribute to the learning and teaching at the University by providing visionary leadership and strategic direction to the Advancement of Learning and Teaching, including but not limited to, services and resources focussed on academic development, digital fluency, contemporary pedagogical approaches, open education practice, curricula development, educational innovation, scholarship of learning and teaching, reward and recognition for teaching, and educational leadership development. 2. Provide strategic advice and support to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Scholarly Information and Learning Services) in the development, implementation, evaluation and revision of plans, policies, practices for the provision of appropriate learning and teaching support services to the University. 3. Provide strategic advice, support and leadership within the Scholarly Information and Learning Services and Academic Services Division communities, and represent both communities in internal and external forums as required.
4. Cultivate and foster professional and successful relationships, and effective communication channels, with key academic and professional staff of the University to ensure the ALT meets its strategic objectives and priorities, and those of the Division and the University. 5. Work in partnership with University senior academic management in identifying, implementing and refining USQ s learning and teaching vision, direction and priorities that will enable advancements in teaching quality and learning outcomes. 6. Work collegially and constructively with key University stakeholders in planning, development, implementation and evaluation of ALT practices to support and advance learning and teaching within the University. 7. Provide leadership in the planning, implementation and evaluation of University wide strategic projects aimed at encouraging creativity, fruitful innovation as well as enhancing learning and teaching quality, and that feeds directly into enhancements to student learning and the student experience. 8. Appreciate the diverse needs of ALT clients such as sessional teachers, early and mid-career as well as senior academics, academic administrators, and professional staff, and promote an integrated matrix service environment to support these constituencies effectively. 9. Participate in boards, committees and professional networks as required, and participate actively in community affairs and represent the University in internal and external forums as required. 10. Represent the ALT in academic and professional activities within and external to the University and monitor national and international trends in higher education generally, and learning and teaching support services specifically. 11. Efficient and effective management and operation of the ALT ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and University policy and procedures in relation to financial and resource management, workplace health and safety, equity and diversity, employee development and performance management, risk management and fair and ethical practices. 12. Foster and lead a vibrant and collaborative research and/or evidence based culture and performance within the ALT in the area of higher education, including but not limited to, the conduct of scholarly work, research and innovation, obtaining external research funding, dissemination of research findings in high quality journals and other high impact sources, and recruitment and timely completion of higher degree research students. 13. Conduct high quality nationally or internationally competitive research within the area of higher education that delivers impacts and outcomes to USQ, the higher education section, community and other relevant stakeholders. 14. Build and lead effective teaching teams and provide high level contributions to the quality assurance and improvement of academic programs. 15. Undertake teaching, research or professional activities as required by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Scholarly Information and Learning Services). 16. As a member of the University community, demonstrate the highest possible standards of professional and personal conduct, both as an individual and as part of a team, and commit to regular engagement in personal, professional and team development.
Is This The Role For You? Within the context of the key responsibilities described above, it is expected that you will meet the following criteria: Qualifications and Experience An Academic Level E employee will normally have advanced qualifications and/or recognised significant experience in the relevant discipline area. A position at this level will normally require a doctoral qualification or equivalent accreditation and standing. In determining experience relative to qualifications, regard will be had to teaching experience, experience in research, experience outside tertiary education, creative achievement, professional contributions and/or to technical achievement. In addition a position at this level will normally require a record of demonstrable scholarly and professional achievement in the relevant discipline area. Additionally, there is a requirement for employee excellence, which may be evidenced by an outstanding contribution to teaching and/or research and/or the profession, and a requirement for recognition as a leading authority in the relevant discipline area. Selection Criteria 1. A doctoral qualification, with international academic standing in their field. 2. Up-to-date knowledge and understanding of learning and teaching theory and proven learning and teaching leadership as demonstrated by evidence of innovative teaching at undergraduate or postgraduate levels in online campus based environments, and the capacity to foster a culture of excellence in learning and teaching, and to initiate, lead, and mange initiatives that enhance the quality of teaching delivered by University academic staff. 3. Demonstrated ability and skills to develop a vision and plan for the learning and teaching support service of the future, in response to the University s overall strategic directions, and in light of current public policy, trends and challenges in higher education and contemporary issues affecting learning and teaching in Australia and internationally. 4. Strong leadership skills and extensive experience in business transformation resulting in organisational change, including the ability to motivate and influence others to embrace change and to implement it through to completion. 5. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of a senior leadership including the capacity to articulate strategy that aligns with corporate objectives, and translate this into deliverables through planning, policy development, business improvement, client engagement and quality assurance processes. 6. Demonstrated management skills including the ability to manage financial, human and physical resources, prioritise tasks, and take a strategic approach to the management of resources, services and project, within a complex, changing and resource constrained environment to achieve strategic and operational goals to high levels of quality, timeliness and professionalism. 7. A proven track record in applying original solutions to business problems including demonstrated experience in questioning conventional approaches, exploring alternatives and responding to challenges with innovative solutions, services or processes, using intuition, experimentation and fresh perspectives. 8. Demonstrated experience in providing leadership and supervision to a diverse range of staff, both academic and professionals, in order to motive, develop, empower and coach staff to excellence in work performance, client services, knowledge sharing, collaboration and professionalism to deliver outcomes.
9. Highly developed facilitation, communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills and demonstrated respect for the academic mission and for those who teach and learn in the university as demonstrated through a substantive track record of exemplary collaboration with diverse stakeholders and clients across organisational boundaries to support achievement of University objectives for learning and teaching advancement. 10. Demonstrated commitment to an integrated customer centric service approach, including experience in delivering responsive and innovative client oriented learning and teaching support services to a diverse range of users, and a focus on continuous improvement and service excellence. 11. Demonstrated ability to acquire knowledge of the latest trends and new developments nationally and internationally in higher education, particularly in learning and teaching practice and support, and an ability to implement new ideas to keep the provision of learning and teaching support fresh, relevant and always striving for excellence. 12. An outstanding track record of high impact nationally or internationally competitive research, and demonstrated ability to build and lead a research and/or scholarship team.
Application Process A national search is being undertaken by UniRecruit in parallel with the public advertising of this position. All enquiries about the role should be directed, in confidence, to: UniRecruit Janine Walker +61 (0) 407 621 306 or, janine.walker@uni-recruit.com.au or Carolyn Johnson +61 (0) 412 796 792 or, carolyn.johnson@uni-recruit.com.au Application Requirements Your application for the role should be in Word format and include a covering letter in which you address the essential selection criteria. In addition, your application should contain your full Curriculum Vitae including the following: Full name, address, mobile and telephone number(s) and email address; Names, telephones and email contact of at least three referees; Country of permanent residence; Employment history, including present position and notice required; Details of education, professional training and qualifications; Any other relevant information, such as offices held in professional bodies and community service. Referees Referees will only be contacted after prior consultation with the candidate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the referees you nominate are willing to provide reports when contacted by UniRecruit or the University. All applications should be emailed to: Janine Walker janine.walker@uni-recruit.com.au Applications close Monday 12 December, 2016 Additional information about this role can be found at: http://www.usq.edu.au/hr/jobs/professor-and-director-vacancy