Academic jobs in Canada

Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is a unique Indigenous Institute, recognized by community, government, and institutions of higher learning, as a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Knowledge. SNP offers postsecondary, secondary, trades education and training. SNP has formal partnerships with nine publicly funded Ontario Universities and Colleges and collaborates with six Ontario-based Indigenous owned and controlled post-secondary Institutes.

For more information, visit www.snpolytechnic.com

Function and Overview

The Dean, Language, Culture and Lifelong Learning is a core member of Six Nations Polytechnic’s (SNP) Senior Leadership Team and SNP’s Academic Governance Team. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO), they are a senior academic officer, leading and embodying the academic mission and vision of Six Nations Polytechnic. Responsible for the planning, development, administration, and integrity of all academic affairs within their Division including but not limited to, strategic initiative implementation, academic program development and delivery, academic quality assurance, academic governance, and partnership development, they steward an educational environment that fosters student learning and intellectual growth. The Dean is required to perform all duties consistent with the governance values and operating policies of Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) while fostering positive relations with staff, students, stakeholders, and the community; contributing to a culturally supportive teaching, learning and work environment consistent with Hodinǫshǫ:nih/Rotinonhson:ni values of Ga’nigohi:yo:/Kanikoriio (Respect and the Good Mind). The Dean has oversight responsibility for Deyohahá:ge, Indigenous Knowledge Centre, the Centre for Teaching and Learning and for all the Academic Units within their Division.

Duties

The duties of the Dean – Language, Culture and Lifelong Learning include, without limitation:

Strategic Planning

• Collaborating with the COO and senior leadership to coordinate and oversee the overall mission of SNP; advancing the academic core of their Division within the overall strategic plan; collaboratively implementing and continuing the development of a shared academic governance model; and supporting the achievement of mutual goals between Academic, Registrarial, Student Affairs and Operations Services units at SNP;
• Facilitating the creation and execution of a shared Academic Plan for the institution, that embeds Hodinǫshǫ:nih/Rotinonhson:ni culture, language, knowledge, and overall quality assurance and community voice;
• Advancing SNP’s strategic and academic plans internally with educational partners, accreditation agencies, community-based organizations, business and industry, and governmental bodies;
• Maintaining existing institutional/academic partnerships and leading efforts to explore new partnership opportunities;
• Monitoring academic performance measures and working with Associate Deans to coordinate academic initiatives and developments within their Division;
• Supporting resource planning that addresses current academic plans while anticipating future growth needs;
• Supporting the Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) process, based on a strong functional understanding of SEM planning; and, working in partnership with the Registrar, commit to advancing a SEM-informed agenda in academic leadership and across all operational Units; in response to the Six Nations Community Plan and regional learning and employment needs, both practically and academically;
• Ensuring the integration, consistency, and feasibility of proposed new programs and provide oversight of the academic development function within their Division, including final approval of new program portfolios; coordinating academic program development to ensure curricular quality metrics, community orientation, responsiveness to labour market trends and both present and future student needs and interests, as well as the satisfaction of the highest delivery standards in Indigenous pedagogies;
• Oversee and provide strategic direction to Deyohahá:ge: The Indigenous Knowledge Centre to advance multi- and transdisciplinary Indigenous scholarship at SNP and to support research initiatives at SNP;
• Oversee and provide strategic direction to the Centre for Teaching and Learning to advance professional development for Faculty and other staff at SNP;
• Providing prudent leadership in maintaining institutional integrity across the institution;
• Safeguarding the currency, relevancy, and legislative compliance of all signature programming related to language and culture by overseeing accreditation and self-evaluation policies, procedures, and tools, building from SNP’s unique, community-grounded quality assurance mandate as well as its diverse regulatory and delivery environment; and steering clear implementation plans to ensure that results are used to improve the academic quality of SNP;

Quality Assurance

• Working with all internal constituencies to ensure SNP fulfills its responsibilities with accrediting bodies through the implementation and management of institutional quality assurance processes;
• Facilitating efforts to systematically review, interpret, and analyze data related to academic affairs and the institution at large to frame quality assurance efforts and academic planning;
• Overseeing academic units within their Division in preparing program proposals for review and approval;
• Supervising cyclic self-studies of all academic portfolios within their Division in delivery and producing recommendations based on the findings of program self-studies;
• Ensuring that the recommendations arising from quality assurance reviews are reviewed and implemented, as appropriate;
• Oversee the development of a comprehensive professional development plan for Faculty utilizing expertise of the Centre for Teaching and Learning;

Program Planning and Curriculum Development

• Working with the Registrar, Student Affairs and other offices, to promote liaison between academic units and student services units to enhance delivery of SNP’s academic programs and the learner experience overall;
• Facilitating the development of new programs, and associated curriculum, in areas of strategic need identified by SNP and the broader regional community;
• Developing and recommending 18-month academic program plans to the Academic Governance Table and the COO;

Academic Governance

• Supporting, promoting and coordinating academic governance processes at SNP;
• Leading the development, periodic revision, and continual implementation of academic policies, processes, rules and regulations;
• Facilitating the implementation of relevant academic and operational polices across all academic units within their Division;
• Resolving student, faculty, and staff concerns in collaboration with other stakeholders;
• Supporting the COO as required in annual, quarterly, and ad-hoc reporting to the Board of Directors;

Staff and Faculty Management

• Fostering an academic environment in which staff are motivated to design and implement a leading- edge curriculum that attracts and challenges students and promotes the highest quality education and utmost professional competence;
• Mentoring a high functioning Academic leadership team, including the University Department, Centre for Teaching and Learning and Lifelong Learning, as well as, Deyohahá:ge, Indigenous Knowledge Centre;
• Managing staffing and oversee the drafting and updating of job descriptions for all positions in the academic units within their Division;
• Supporting the coordination of academic units through the maintenance of the roles & responsibilities matrix, mapping the interrelationships between all positions, and assigning program and project portfolios;

Leadership & General Administration

• Demonstrating sound fiscal management and data-driven decision-making by overseeing development, budgeting, and facilities for all academic and academic support units within their Division; and wisely stewarding resources to address current institutional needs and in anticipation of future growth;
• Facilitating and fostering partnerships with other educational institutions; utilizing partnerships to promote student mobility;
• Supervising all full-time permanent academic management staff within their Division; authorize overtime, and evaluate and endorse requests for personal and vacation time; review and approve year-end leave allowance calculations and monthly time sheets; and generate annual time tracking workbooks, as needed;
• Managing and coordinate performance reviews for all full-time permanent academic management staff within their Division;
• Knowing, understanding, and following existing SNP policies and processes and support the collaborative development and effective implementation of new and emergent policies and processes;
• Serving as ex-officio member of administratively appointed academic working groups, committees, and other ad-hoc advisory, project-oriented, and decision-making bodies;
• Serving as an advocate for the academic integrity and excellence of SNP in communications with government, the public, the Indigenous Institutes sector, and the Six Nations of the Grand River community; contribute to the overall effectiveness of SNP through contact with and participation in councils and other bodies operating within these spheres;
• Providing accurate, timely and comprehensive information and guidance on all pertinent matters within their jurisdiction to the COO, President and CEO, institutional governance bodies, and associated committees;
• Collaborating with the SNP advancement office to help facilitate an academic lens on the outreach and public affairs mission of SNP;
• Participating in maintaining a supportive and healthy environment conducive to learning and working at SNP; and
• Performing additional functions as delegated by the COO and as needed.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree and/or Doctorate with specialization in a field directly relevant to Indigenous higher education, knowledge, languages, and/or governance;
• Minimum 5 year’s experience as a senior academic administrator, including responsibility for budget, personnel, recruitment, retention, and evaluation;
• Experience supporting curriculum development and program implementation in Indigenous higher education settings; and
• Experience in developing and implementing strategic and operational plans to achieve academic goals, and successfully managing the related resources.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge and abilities in supporting academic program development, best practices in teaching and learning, and academic assessment;
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and continuous learning;
• A general and current knowledge of strategic enrolment management (SEM) and program planning;
• A general and current knowledge of Hodinǫshǫ:nih history, culture, values, contemporary issues, community priorities, and stakeholders;
• Demonstrated commitment to the promotion of Indigenous research, education, and language revitalization;
• Familiarity with the development of and challenges faced by contemporary educational institutions, together with a demonstrated understanding of the philosophies of post-secondary education, emerging instructional technologies, the sociology of teaching and learning, engaged community scholarship and knowledge mobilization, and the application of these to Indigenous postsecondary environments in particular;
• A genuine interest in students, at all levels, with a commitment to fostering access and success, and a willingness to become personally and visibly involved in the campus community;
• Sound judgment, with an ability to foresee the broader institutional impact and potential political implications of recommendations and actions;
• A creative and entrepreneurial approach to key accountabilities, entailing developing new ideas and taking advantage of emergent opportunities;
• Ability to deliver innovative and relevant academic leadership that enables continued agility required to respond to emerging opportunities, and bring about change with all the required consulting, listening, planning, and implementing skills;
• Proficiency in strategic planning, change management, program assessment, and policy development to enhance academic units within an educational institute and with accrediting bodies;
• Strong familiarity with the postsecondary education system in Ontario, especially the regulatory environment; and knowledge of the Indigenous Institutes sector in particular;
• Excellent communication skills with an emphasis on written expression (i.e., faultless spelling and grammar, and professional style);
• Sound interpersonal skills including communication, organization, negotiation, and professional judgement;
• Ability to work under pressure and manage schedules, portfolios, and timelines, to meet demanding deadlines;
• Capacity to work both independently and in a team setting, demonstrating Hodinǫshǫ:nih/ Rotinonhson:ni values of Ga’nigohi:yo:/Kanikoriio (Respect and the Good Mind); and
• Demonstrated familiarity with standard desktop computing programs, including spreadsheets, word processing, and database applications, on the Microsoft operating system.

At Six Nations Polytechnic, we are committed to diversity and inclusion as we continue and expand our efforts to become a more inclusive, safe and respectful workplace. Human Resources will accommodate any needs under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Recruitment processes will be modified to remove barriers to accommodate those with disabilities, as may be requested.

Applicants from Six Nations and other Indigenous communities will be given preference to deliver programs and services in a First Nations community.

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Job Type: Permanent

Benefits:

• Company registered pension plan
• Dental care
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• Paid sick and personal time

Schedule:

• 7.5 hours shifts
• 37.5 hours/week