Vice President of Academic Affairs

General Summary
Under the direction of the President, the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) serves as the College’s chief academic officer, providing visionary leadership for academic programs, policies, and personnel. The VPAA is responsible for ensuring that all educational initiatives align with the mission, vision, cultural ways of being, and accreditation standards of Salish Kootenai College (SKC).

As a strategic leader, the VPAA collaborates with Academic Deans, faculty, staff, and other administrators to ensure the highest quality of instruction and foster student success. The VPAA plays a critical role in planning, implementing, coordinating, and assessing academic programs to meet the diverse educational and vocational needs of students, community members, and tribal partners.

The VPAA is responsible for leading:

Academic Excellence: Overseeing the development, delivery, and evaluation of high-quality academic programs, ensuring accountability to accreditation standards and alignment with SKC’s Core Themes, Four Cs, and strategic goals.

Innovation in Learning: Developing and implementing multi-modal course delivery methods to improve access and flexibility for learners, including online, hybrid, and place-based and culturally-sustaining approaches tailored to tribal and rural communities, with an emphasis on the Séliš, Ksanka, and Qlispe’ people of the Flathead Reservation.

Career and Technical Education (CTE): Expanding and enhancing CTE programming to align with workforce needs and community priorities, building pathways to economic mobility and professional growth for students.

Equity and Inclusion: Promoting a culturally inclusive environment that integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with an emphasis on the Séliš, Ksanka, and Qlispe’ values, diversity, and supports equitable outcomes for all students.

Faculty Development: Recruiting, mentoring, and retaining distinguished faculty who are committed to academic excellence and the College’s mission.

Community Engagement: Building strong partnerships with tribal, regional, and national organizations to enhance academic offerings, research opportunities, and student success initiatives.

Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging technology and learning analytics to inform academic strategies and improve institutional effectiveness.

The VPAA will also ensure accountability for academic personnel and programs to uphold the College’s responsibilities including, but not limited to the mission, vision, and accreditation. Through collaborative leadership, the VPAA will support the integration of culturally sustaining, place-based practices into all academic initiatives while fostering a learning environment that empowers students to meet their personal, educational, and professional goals.

Serving as a champion for student achievement and institutional integrity, the VPAA will play a pivotal role in advancing the College’s mission and preparing students to lead and serve in their communities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA):

Provides strong, dynamic academic and administrative leadership, fostering a collegial environment which encourages scholarship, teaching, and learning excellence;

Provides innovative, effective, and successful academic leadership and vision in academic instruction and educational program development;

Responsible for actively leading a shared collaborative vision that guides the college’s academic programs into the future, working effectively with community groups, educational entities and Tribal organizations to develop partnerships which result in improved academic offerings and related service to students and to the community. This includes, but is not limited to, building or enhancing distance education opportunities and overseeing the curricular and academic alignment of contract and community education programs administered under EMSA (e.g. Dual Enrollment, CEU’s, and Academic Success Workshops);

Inspires collegial engagement with constituencies through meaningful support of the mission and vision of Salish Kootenai College;

Collaboratively works with administration and faculty leadership to actively contribute to decisions consistent with the Institution’s mission and goals;

Advocates and promotes quality instruction, student success, integrated planning, and the expansion of Student Learning Outcomes to meet the educational needs of students in a Tribal college environment;

Collaboratively works with the instructional staff, faculty, Department Chairs, and Deans in the development and improvement of all educational programs, including the maintenance and accountability of standards and assessment;

Ensures the compliance and accountability of instructional staff, faculty, and faculty leadership to administer and manage grants, budgets, and financial best practices;

Ensures the compliance and accountability of instructional staff, faculty, Department Chairs, and Deans to all Office of Institutional Effectiveness requests that support the institution, including but not limited to accreditation, course scheduling, academic course reviews, academic program reviews, data collection, and student success assessments;

Ensures faculty collaboration in efforts to provide student centric scheduling to accommodate the largest population of students;

Collaborates with all institutional entities to ensure effective implementation and oversight of Student Learning Outcomes;

Provides guidance to the Deans, Department Chairs, and the Curriculum Committee regarding the planning, implementation and review of academic programs, services, activities and related matters;

Participates in the planning of new facilities for the purposes of instruction and related student services;

Provides oversight and supervision of library services and personnel;

Collaborates with HR, Deans, and Department Chairs to ensure effective recruitment and selection of faculty, and make recommendations for employment to the President;

Understands and promotes the effective role and use of technology and online programming in the instructional environment to meet student needs and provide the best pedagogical deliveries to ensure success for today’s students;

Within the Academic Affairs area, reviews, distributes, and actively supports new grant opportunities and their implementation, administration, and proper reporting.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES.

The Vice President, Academic Affairs will have:

Knowledge and experience in student learning outcome assessment, development, and implementation;

Knowledge of computers and computer applications that support management systems and business office functions;

Knowledge and experience in curriculum development and innovation;

Knowledge and experience in accreditation self-evaluation and service on an accreditation evaluation team; Knowledge and experience in collaborative leadership, teamwork, and strength-based approaches to facilitate student success.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION ARE:

Master’s degree in education (or closely related discipline), Doctorate preferred, with at least 5 years’ experience in educational supervision and commitment to earning a doctorate from an accredited institution within 5 years;

Three years teaching experience in higher education with a demonstrated student-centered philosophy of education;

Understanding of the mission and vision of Salish Kootenai College, the role of Tribal colleges, and their educational and financial issues;

Demonstrated experience with strategic planning and data-driven decision-making;

Experience with meeting accreditation standards, implementing institutional policies and procedures, and abiding by federal regulations;

Demonstrated record of fiscal responsibility and accountability;

Demonstrated ability to facilitate collaborative advocacy to address the needs of underprepared, first generation, and low-income students;

Demonstrated commitment to academic quality and standards for post-secondary education;

Knowledge of or experience with both academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and services including contemporary issues or trends;

Knowledge of post-graduation career placement trends;

Demonstrated ability to enhance the development of personnel and maintain accountability standards and best practices while fostering a professional and supportive environment (preferably in an educational setting);

Demonstrated ability to work effectively and cooperatively with all students, staff, faculty, and faculty leadership with understanding of the unique needs, culture, and heritage of Native Americans in an educational environment;

Demonstrated support for and encouragement of faculty and student scholarship;

Demonstrated ability to work with administration, staff, faculty, and faculty leadership to achieve goals in a supportive and inspirational manner

This is a full-time, 12-month position and must be willing to work on campus (not remote).

To apply you must submit an SKC application, resume and applicable transcripts to Human Resources, P.O. Box 70, Pablo, MT 59855or email venessa_sandoval@skc.edu. Your application must include evidence that you have the skills, experiences and abilities indicated in this announcement (IE:
cover letter, resume and transcripts). Information you provide will be used as deciding factors in our employment process.

Work Schedule:

Weekdays (8-5)

[Apply Now](https://www.skc.edu/employment/)