Description

Columbia Basin College ("CBC" or the "College") seeks a Dean for Social & Behavioral Sciences and Education to be responsible for administering and coordinating comprehensive programs of instruction for those disciplines. The Dean assists with administrative assignments within the instructional program, as required, and participates as a member of the Instructional Council in the general operation of the instructional program. This position reports to the Vice President for Instruction (VPI).

Primary Responsibilities

• Support the mission, vision, and values of Columbia Basin College through courageous and ethical leadership of the Social & Behavioral Sciences and Education Division (Division), as well as in support of other divisions of the College, and as a thought leader and team member of the College administration;
• Articulate and implement a vision and strategic plan for the Division that appropriately prioritizes and supports student access, success, and completion as it supports the mission, vision, and values of Columbia Basin College, the College’s Strategic Plan, and the Instructional Strategic Plan;
• Personify leadership that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion that is transparent, positive, visible, and ethical in terms of its service to students and in support of the College’s mission, vision and values;
• Conduct difficult conversations around employee engagement, individual performance, collective outcomes with the appropriate use of candor and principles of trust, honesty, humility and compassion;
• Work as part of the College’s administration in support of shared goals across the College, regardless of administrative unit, making generous assumptions and conducting open-minded analysis of situations that can assist all parties to learn from failures and create successes;
• Commit to a “Yes, And” culture by demonstrating the value of cohesive, intentional, and positive culture that brings out the best in all (e.g., being present and listening, making each other look good, embracing change and failure, and choosing positivity);
• Develop and recommend overall objectives, plans, and policies for the instructional programs within the Division;
• Work closely with instructional faculty in the formation, development, evaluation, and revision of courses and programs, and overall development of curriculum within the Division in support of student success and in compliance with external accreditation and state regulations, where applicable;
• Support faculty in the creation and implementation of appropriate learning environments in face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses that meet student need;
• Cooperate with all deans and directors in establishing, implementing, and monitoring offerings to meet College needs (e.g., transfer, workforce, community & continuing education, contract training, etc.);
• Develop and recommend to the VPI a division-wide annual course schedule, including faculty assignments within established parameters;
• Collaborate with Scheduling and Payroll to review and approve course assignments for all full-time and adjunct faculty in the Faculty Workload (FWL) Module within the ctcLink Campus Solutions pillar in a timely manner to ensure accurate payroll for extra-contractual and adjunct appointments (contracts) in FWL;
• Monitor enrollments and provide the VIP with enrollment reports and recommendations for adjusting the quarterly and annual schedule;
• Work in concert with the Strategic Enrollment Management team and other deans to meet state FTE expectations and College enrollment targets;
• Assume a major role in recruiting and selecting individuals who are committed to the College’s mission, vision, and values as full and part-time instructional and non-instructional staff, in accordance with College policies, procedures, and the Collective Bargaining Agreements;
• Support employees, regardless of employee type, with appropriate resources geared toward success, and evaluate faculty, exempt staff, and classified staff through the appropriate College policies, procedures and Collective Bargaining Agreements with courageous conversations in which honest, candid, and accurate feedback is provided;
• Develop a preliminary budget for the Division and be responsible for regulating expenditures within the approved budget;
• Provide status reports on activities within the Division, as requested, and support the preparation of annual program reviews for the VPI and other deans reflecting Division accomplishments, objectives for the following year, recommendations, and suggestions;
• Provide status reports to the State Board and other funding agencies as needed;
• Schedule and facilitate regular meetings of the Division and/or of discipline or area sub-groups, as appropriate;
• Arrange, when advisable, for substitutes in case of absence by faculty;
• Oversee resources and personnel assigned to the Division;
• Maintain a current file of all course syllabi for courses taught by the Division;
• Identify divisional staff to inventory, maintain, and safeguard facilities and equipment charged to the Division;
• Supervise the preparation of the material in the college catalog and other public relations material related to the Division;
• Establish and maintain contact with counterparts at other colleges and universities, post-secondary institutions, appropriate individuals at area high schools, and appropriate agencies and organizations related to the Division’s instructional programs and articulation agreements;
• Participate in local, state, and national educational / workforce development / leadership conferences and activities;
• Participate in local organizations and boards as a representative of the College and work with the Foundation on appropriate fund-raising activities;
• Play a major role in planning new instructional buildings and remodeling of existing structures;
• Cooperate with Campus Security and the Environmental Health & Safety Committee to ensure safety in the teaching and office environment;
• Assist in the development, updating, and implementation of the instructional strategic plan;
• Participate in campus-wide activities and committees, as requested;
• Develop and implement a personal professional development plan;
• May teach with the approval of the VPI;
• May have unique instructional assignments as appropriate to Division assignment and when requested by the VPI; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree from an institutionally accredited college or university;
• Three (3) years of teaching experience in higher education; and
• Supervisory experience.

COMPETENCIES:

Departmental Management: Ability to effectively and efficiently manage a department including all related administrative and supervisory functions involving personnel and budget management;

Project Management: Manage projects by focusing attention on key priorities; evaluate approaches, determine feasibility, and adjust plan as needed; develop plans, coordinate projects and teams; communicate changes and progress; complete projects on time and on budget; perform well without direct supervision; do complex work independently; follow tasks through to completion;

Quality Management: Set clear quality requirements; measure key outcomes; improve processes, products, and services;

Leadership: Lead through influence, rather than authority, and take ownership and accountability for the area of responsibility and decisions made; demonstrate confidence within area of expertise – promote a cooperative work environment; ability to appropriately apply leadership techniques to motivate, develop and guide employees;

Conceptual Thinking: Have the ability to understand a situation or problem by identifying patterns or connections, and addressing key underlying issues; use past professional or technical training and experience, creativity, inductive reasoning, and intuitive processes to find potential solutions or valuable alternatives that may not be obviously related or easily identified; think “outside the box”;

Oral & Written Communication: Speak clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations; listen and get clarification; respond well to questions; demonstrate group presentation skills; participate in meetings; structure and convey information clearly and effectively through both formal and informal documents; review and edit written work constructively; ability to tailor to audience in mind;

Student Centered: Attention, interest, activities and efforts are centered upon the best interest of students; create and support an environment that enables learners to achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals; provide courteous and helpful responses to all customers, whether they be students, general public or employees from another department;

Support for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Reflecting CBC’s mission, vision and values, support initiatives that expand the human qualities that differentiate our workplace and educational setting. Demonstrate and advocate an understanding of differences, open mindedness, compassion, sensitivity and interest in differing viewpoints given the diverse population and show a deep commitment to the involvement of colleagues, students and community members to student experience and success honoring freedom of expression as fundamental to personal, professional and organizational growth;

Accountability: Accountable for own actions, decisions, errors, mistakes and/or failures to act when appropriate; accept responsibility when given, understand what duties employee is responsible for and can be counted upon to carry out those responsibilities; and

Teamwork: Demonstrate a willingness to work with, and help others in completing job assignments, the ability to accept constructive criticism, and to cooperate with fellow employees and supervisors; demonstrate alignment with the "Yes And" culture, (e.g., being present and listening, making each other look good, embracing change and failure and choosing positivity).

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

This is a full-time, overtime exempt, administrative position. The typical work hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; however, work hours may vary due to work demands and some evening work may be required.

PROCESS NOTE:

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

Additionally, pursuant to RCW 28B.112.080, applicants must declare whether they are the subject of any substantiated findings of sexual misconduct in any current or former employment or are currently being investigated for, or have left a position during an investigation into, a violation of any sexual misconduct policy at the applicant’s current or past employer. By law, post-secondary education institutions cannot hire an applicant who refuses to declare the existence or non-existence of an investigation or findings subject to this statute.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

In the interest of providing a healthy, safe and secure educational and work environment, and in order to meet the requirements of federal legislation, it is the policy of Columbia Basin College to maintain an alcohol and drug-free workplace for our employees and students.

If you are hired, you will need to provide proof of identity and documentation of U.S. citizenship or appropriate authorization to work in this position as required by the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986.

Columbia Basin College operates under an approved affirmative action plan and encourages applications from persons of color, women, veterans and persons of disability. The Human Resources Office is accessible to those with disabilities. If you need accommodation in application or employment, contact the Human Resources Office at (509) 542-4740.

OTHER JOB ELEMENTS:

The working conditions listed below represent those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, bend, kneel, stoop, communicate, reach, and manipulate objects. The position requires mobility, including having the ability to move materials on a regular basis, such as files, books, office equipment, etc., and travel between buildings on campus. Manual dexterity and coordination are required to operate equipment such as computer keyboard, calculator, and standard office equipment.

Work environment includes office and other settings as appropriate. It is a fast paced and sometimes stressful services environment. The noise level in the work area is typical of most office environments with telephones, personal interruptions, and background noises. This position has an occasional need for travel.