Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth. We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence.

Job Summary

The Graduate School of Education at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota invites applications for the position of program director for its Education Doctorate programs. The program director serves as the academic and operational leader of both the traditional research doctoral program (61 credits) and the executive doctoral program (39 credits). 

This is a pivotal time for the doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Education. The traditional research doctoral program is one of the oldest in the state with a wide diversity of graduates and continues to attract candidates who are interested in leadership from the fields of education, healthcare, and social services. Through coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation, this program prepares scholar-practicioners who are competent in both qualitative and quantitative research. The executive doctoral program, which was launched in 2023, is designed to be a terminal degree for current professionals with at least ten years of professional experience. Both programs are offered online and attract candidates from across the region and internationally. The new program director should be prepared to assess the current strengths of the program in order to position both programs for future success. Continuing to attract a diverse range of candidates into the programs, providing an excellent student experience with rigorous and engaging online courses and advising, and increasing the awareness and reputation of the programs to a wide range of audiences are key goals.

The Program Director works within a community of professionals dedicated to providing relevant, rigorous, and relational academic opportunities for adult learners. The role has responsibility for the program curriculum, student advising, enrollment, program budgets, hiring and support of faculty, and overall administration of the program. They work closely with other units within the University, including but not limited to Student Central, Marketing, and Academic Affairs. The Program Director ensures program vitality and academic quality by balancing administrative and academic functions that support a rigorous approach to teaching and practice that meets student learning goals. Strong recruitment and enrollment experience is preferred. While the primary responsibility of the director is the administrative oversight of the program, there are many opportunities for teaching, so candidates should have evidence of excellence in teaching and a record of academic scholarship, as well.    

A successful candidate will advance the academic reputation of the program as well as to more thoroughly integrate the focus on leadership dispositions. At Saint Mary’s, it is not only what educational leaders know but who they are, and the doctoral programs seek to prepare candidates who engage in complex critical thinking, create and nurture learning organizations, engage others with justice, empathy, compassion, and cultural competence, lead appropriate organizational change, operate in a complex, global environment, and demonstrate educational leadership competencies.

Reporting to the associate dean of the Graduate School of Education, this full-time position oversees both full-time and course-contracted faculty as well as the program coordinator. Candidates with experience and expertise in all areas of educational leadership are welcome to apply. We seek outstanding candidates who have strong administrative and organizational skills as well as the academic credibility to lead a doctoral program. 

In addition to the doctoral programs, the Graduate School of Education is home to one of the largest Ed.S. in Educational Administration programs in the state, several masters level programs, and a new B.S. in Special Education. The school seeks to prepare teachers in both licensure and non-licensure programs as well as educational leaders with sound theory, practical skills, and personal formation. The program director will be an essential member of the Graduate School of Education community. The Graduate School of Education seeks to attract, retain, and develop faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds to enhance the diversity of the learning community. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. 

Salary Range: $85,000-95,000

Main Duties & Responsibilities

The Program Director is accountable for overall program administration, faculty and curricular leadership, and professional development of faculty and university service activities. 

Program Administration

• Collaborate with university and/or online administrative units to facilitate the development of a multi-year marketing and visibility campaign, ensuring alignment of messaging tied to program outcomes 
• Establish and monitor annual enrollment goals 
• Establish a yearly or two-year course schedule that supports student’s progression and appropriate class sizes 
• Enforce academic policies as documented in the Catalog and Student Handbook 
• Represent the value of the program to others both inside and outside the university 
• Maintain relationships and contribute to community development for the purpose of recruiting students and faculty, marketing the program, and cultivating practicum placement sites.
• Supports, respects, and advances the mission of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota as a Lasallian Catholic institution. 
• Forecast enrollment, income and expenses, create multi-year budgets, and monitor program fiscal performance and reporting.
• Understanding program performance metrics and partnering across functional areas to recommend and implement ways to optimize program performance.
• Ensure that all expenses are processed in an accurate, timely, and prudent manner
• Hire, supervise, and develop program staff, including program coordinators, assistant/associate program directors, practicum supervisors, and/or faculty. 

Student Support 

• Collaborate with Admissions and Student Central to implement a communication strategy to yield admitted students.
• Advise prospective students and current students on their educational goals
• In collaboration with Online Strategy and Programs, optimize student support services to encourage retention and persistence and align with aspects of their program. 
• Oversee course sequencing and progress to ensure alignment programmatic needs.
• Administer the summative activities for student completion of the program 

Works with Student Central to: 

• In collaboration with various offices, ensure that all students have an orientation to the program 
• Monitor academic status of students (probation, leaves, retention, degree completion) 

Faculty Leadership 

• Recruit, hire, and maintain a roster of exceptionally qualified faculty using a variety of sources 
• Conduct regular faculty meetings to promote coherence in curriculum implementation and sharing of best practices 
• Provide ongoing support to faculty 
• Evaluate faculty performance by reviewing instructor or course evaluations, observing classes, and monitoring professional and scholarly productivity.  

Curriculum Leadership 

• Create, update, and maintain a rigorous curriculum and coursework that reflects research and professional practice in the discipline  
• Ensure that faculty are teaching from approved syllabi and using updated technology, along with the university LMS system

• Monitor the development and approval of all syllabi for all courses 
• Conduct program reviews and course observation at least every three years 
• Maintain curricular relevance through ongoing connections within the discipline/industry including formal advisory committees and various environmental scanning approaches 
• Implement ongoing assessment of student achievement of program outcomes 
• Develop new programs and/or instructional approaches in accord with standard university processes 

Experience and Education Requirements

• A doctoral degree in an education related field is required. 
• At least five years of leadership experience.  
• Experience in higher education which includes teaching, program development, and/or administration

Preferred qualifications include:

• Minimum of three years of experience in academic administration in higher education   
• Experience with Canvas learning management system
• Experience with data-driven program assessment  
• Strong recruitment and enrollment experience  

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Academic and professional expertise in the program’s discipline 
• Excellent communication, organizational, and multi-tasking skills with proven ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills with adult learners, faculty and other professionals in academic settings and with community partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to the profession through service to professional associations, governing boards, or accrediting bodies.  
• Understanding of online education and how to effectively engage students to maximize their online learning experience.  
• Professional decorum and ethical decision-making.
• Creation/maintenance of a collegial spirit among students, faculty, and colleagues.  
• Effective interpersonal and supervisory skills in recruitment, performance management, and coaching/counseling

Physical Demands

• Sedentary work. Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Physical Hazards – Health and Safety Concerns

• General office environments

Apply online at https://www.smumn.edu/about/offices-services/human-resources/employment-opportunities/ and include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota believes inclusion and human dignity contributes to a robust academic and work environment and is critical to achieving the University's mission in an increasingly diverse society. Individuals with expertise and diverse skills from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The successful candidate must support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary's University as a Lasallian Catholic institution.

Saint Mary’s offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending, retirement pension plan, and both undergraduate and graduate tuition remission plans.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.