Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Company: GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: November 22, 2021

Job Description:

Job Details

Level
Experienced

Job Location
San Francisco - San Francisco, CA

Position Type
Full Time

Basic Function & Scope of Job

Position Profile

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Golden Gate University seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost/VPAA). This is a unique opportunity for a transformational leader to effect change at both the school and university levels by bringing innovative ideas for structure and growth to a long-standing institution with a commitment to quality and serving a diverse student body, including a substantial number of working learners.

For 120 years, this accredited, non-profit university has been helping students achieve their personal and career goals by providing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in business, law, public service and related areas. Lauded by the New York Times as "a model for how other institutions can adapt to the newer, older face of American college students," GGU provides students with knowledge and skills that are immediately applicable in rapidly evolving professions.

GGU rests on two educational pillars. The first pillar is that of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs that are focused mainly on working adults. The second pillar is that of a law school with a strong social justice conscience that now serves primarily traditional law students, but which began as the first evening law school in California. Today, it is expanding its footprint to further meet the needs of working adults with innovative "hybrid" programming. Together, our adult-focused undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, as well as the traditional full-time law school, constitute the foundation for a unique university that has successfully met the needs of career-minded students for more than a century.

GGU remains highly attuned to the needs of the local market, shaped by its location in the heart of one of the world's most dynamic and innovative economic regions, and it draws upon the practical experience and academic expertise of its full-time faculty and scholar-practitioner part-time faculty.

This is an exciting time at the university, with new, innovative programs in law, undergraduate, and graduate business and public service; a recently-launched initiative to significantly enhance the experience of veterans and active-duty military students; a revamped brand platform to be rolled out in the coming year; and a rich array of faculty-generated and employer-connected professional development opportunities. These further expand our high-quality educational offerings to meet the growing demand of part-time working professional students, as well as more traditional full-time international and law students.

I. Golden Gate University History and Context

Golden Gate University (GGU) is a private, nonprofit university that traces its roots back to the founding of the San Francisco YMCA in 1881, which included a "YMCA night school." Beginning in 1901, the school offered the first evening law school program in California, and in 1908 began the first four-year accounting program on the west coast. GGU moved to the YMCA Golden Gate Avenue location in 1910 and became the "YMCA Law School." It was incorporated in 1923 as Golden Gate College. In 1959, Golden Gate University received its initial Western Association for Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation as a specialized institution in the fields of business administration, law, and related curricula.

At its inception, and for decades afterward, GGU's educational model was exclusively focused on providing working adults access to transformative education. In the 1960s, it added a full-time Law program to what had been a part-time evening JD program. Golden Gate University's mission has remained consistent and focused while periodically refreshed to reflect current times: "to prepare individuals to lead and serve by providing high-quality, practice-based educational programs in law, taxation, business, and related professions as a nonprofit institution in an innovative and challenging learning environment that embraces professional ethics and diversity." Golden Gate University leverages the innovation and dynamism of the San Francisco Bay Area and the region's embrace of social and cultural progress to be a model for all higher education institutions seeking to promote social mobility and career advancement.

GGU is governed by an engaged, 18-member board of trustees which meets four times a year and maintains an active committee schedule. The Provost/VPAA will serve on the president's cabinet along with the Chief Financial Officer and the Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Direct reports will include the Dean of the School of Law, the Dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies, the Dean of the Schools of Graduate Business (Braden School of Tax, School of Accounting, and Ageno School of Business) along with additional administrative leaders responsible for academic support, enrollment, and student services.

GGU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and currently offers degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. GGU's Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association. The School of Undergraduate Studies offers: one AA, six bachelor's degree programs, and twenty undergraduate certificate programs. Graduate programs in Business, Tax and Accounting include: one Doctorate of Business Administration (currently not accepting new students), 16 master's degrees, three Estate Planning and Taxation degrees, one dual degree in Estate Planning/Tax and 24 graduate certificates. Degrees in the School of Law include the JD (full time and part-time modalities; same degree), seven LLMs and one SJD.

As of this writing, undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in business, psychology, and public administration are taught by 29 full-time and 337 adjunct faculty. Law courses are taught by 31 full-time and 65 adjunct faculty.

Law students in the full-time JD program typically attend the university full-time during the fall and spring terms. In Fall 2020, the Law School launched an innovative JD-Flex program, enabling students to complete their JD degree by attending classes year-round, with online learning taking place between in-person classes in downtown San Francisco scheduled every other weekend.

In the Undergraduate and Graduate Business areas, as well as with its evening JD program and new JD Flex program, GGU prides itself in creating educational offerings for students who need to work and/or care-take full-time or part-time while completing their degrees or professional certificates. Courses are offered to students year-round both on-site, hybrid and online (asynchronous and synchronous).

Golden Gate University currently enrolls approximately 3,430 students, 964 undergraduate students, 1,893 graduate business students and 573 law students. Of the total number of undergraduate and graduate business students, 43% are full-time and 57% are part-time (Fall 2020); 42% are women and 58% male; 52% are students of color. The Law School student body is currently 76% full-time and is one of the most diverse in the country: overall, 57% of the law school are students of color, and the Fall 2020 incoming class was represented by 53% first-generation college students; 86% first-generation law students; and 20% identifying as LGBTQ+.

II. Primary Responsibilities of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

The newly created position of Provost/VPAA will play a vitally important leadership role in shaping the future of Golden Gate University. This officer will oversee approximately 160 employees and manage an operating budget of $32M.

Ensure Academic Quality

The Provost/VPAA will-first and foremost-assure the quality and integrity of GGU's academic programs. This includes the alignment of academic curricula and co-curricular support services with faculty-defined student learning outcomes, as well as career-advancement goals, at the program and university-wide level. Working with faculty, program administrators, academic and student deans, as well as administrative leaders, this position will strengthen the university's capacity for evaluating the quality of academic programs against shared standards of academic excellence, and will advocate for essential resources and support where needed. The position also entails improving the quality of the student experience overall and ensuring that GGU retains students until they earn their desired degree or credential.

Strategic Vision, Program Portfolio and Enrollment Management

In addition, the Provost/VPAA will lead the collaborative development of a compelling strategic vision for GGU's academic enterprise and design and deliver an implementation plan to make this vision a reality. To ensure the long-term vitality and sustainability of the academic enterprise, it is expected that this strategic vision must include significant growth in enrollment and resources. The Provost/VPAA will collaborate with faculty, deans and senior leaders to establish a process to strategically manage program portfolios (assessing the financial impact of current and new programs to determine how best to allocate investments) and integrate this process with an enrollment management plan that will fulfill GGU's mission and promote the university's long-term fiscal sustainability.

Promote Culture of Innovation and Adaptability
..... click apply for full job details

Keywords: GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY, San Francisco , Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive , San Francisco, California