SelfDesign Graduate Institute: President Search
The SelfDesign Graduate Institute seeks qualified applicants for the position of President.
Interested applicants should contact Renee Poindexter to apply:
reneepoindexter@gmail.com (503) 850-4678
President Job Description
Job Title: President of the SelfDesign Graduate Institute
www.selfdesigninstitute.org
Reports To: The Board of Directors of the SelfDesign Foundation
www.selfdesignfoundation.org
Summary: The President is the chief executive officer of the SelfDesign Graduate Institute (SDGI) and provides leadership in all domains of Institute activities, in partnership with the Board of Directors of the SelfDesign Foundation (SDF). This position is ¼ time currently; equivalent to 40 hours a month.
The President is responsible for the creation and development of all Institute policies, programs, and recommendations to the Board.
In the execution of her/his duties, the President consults with, and delegates to, the Academic Dean, faculty, and administrative staff. The President is fully accountable for the administration of SDGI. His/her priorities include:
- Delegating to the Dean, faculty, registrar and other administrative staff full authority to carry out the duties of their offices, and respecting the decisions they make in carrying out their responsibilities unless otherwise warranted
- Overseeing the Implementation of sustainable recruitment strategies for qualified learners for each cohort
- Designing and implementing strategic public relations, with the collaboration of appropriate staff and Board members
- Networking with other organizations, both educational and civic, that share common values about human learning and development
- Leading the Institute with significant cultural competency as demonstrated by sensitivity to, and appreciation of, ethnic, cultural, socio-economic and social diversity
- Leading the Institute with a priority for consensus that is inclusive and collaborative, and that values, supports, motivates and develops all persons who participate in the SDGI learning community
- Nurturing a self-renewing learning community of care and respect and acknowledging and valuing diversity throughout the Institute
The President supervises the members of the administrative team:
- Vice-President for Finance
- Academic Dean
- Assistant Dean
- Registrar (currently part of the Assistant Dean’s responsibility)
- Advancement Coordinator
The President supports and supervises the Academic Dean in her/his activities to lead the faculty and nurture an engaging learning environment that rewards professional development and collaboration.
Minimum Education required: Master’s Degree in Education or MBA, MFA, Law Degree, NGO Management Graduate Degree
Preferred Education: An earned doctorate
Minimum Experience required:
- Five years of progressively responsible administrative experience at the Dean level or higher in a university, or equivalent leadership experience within a business, either for profit or non-profit
- Experience with adult and nontraditionally educated students
- Experience with leading the use of academic technology to enhance teaching and learning in an online university or business
- Demonstrated leadership experience in strategic planning and program development
- Experience overseeing, protecting, expanding, and leveraging an institution’s or organization’s fiscal resources
- Demonstrated experience in budget development and management
PREFERRED
- Experience at more than one institution and/or organization
- Experience in graduate and professional education
Statement of Duties and Responsibilities:
Academic Leadership:
- Promote quality and holistic educational vision in all academic programs
- Assist in providing strategic leadership in development in collaboration with Academic Dean, faculty, Academic Programs Committee, and Program Assessment Committee
- Ensure adherence to policies and procedures that assure high academic standards and respect for the SDGI educational model
- Ensure adherence to accreditation and licensure requirements and lead activities intended to gain and maintain accreditation and maintain state authorization.
- Attend meetings with academic faculty and other meetings as appropriate
Curriculum and Program Development:
- Support the Academic Dean in strategic academic planning
- Coordinate academic planning with overall institution strategic planning efforts
- Supervise and support the Academic Dean
- Supervise the evaluation of programs and curricula in relationship to Institute’s mission, goals and objectives
- Collaborate with other higher education institutions and appropriate agencies as required or as is of value to SDGI
- Support the Academic Dean in the establishment of priorities and plans for faculty recruitment and development
- Ensure integrity of the processes of contracting with and evaluating faculty and staff on an appropriate schedule
Academic and Student Support Services:
- Collaborate with the Academic Dean to establish initiatives to improve the quality of intellectual and workplace life for faculty
- Supervise all SDGI personnel to assure the provision of quality enrollment, financial aid, admissions, and other academic support services
- Oversee any grievance procedures involving faculty and academic support personnel, as appropriate
Business Management
- Provide leadership to the Advancement Committee in all of its activities; supervise and support the Advancement Coordinator regarding concerns activities to increase enrollment
- Develop, recommend, implement, and manage the approved annual budget for the Institute; oversee the development and management of grants
- Identify and implement appropriate cost-saving and cost-control measures to ensure that the academic programs are affordable for learners and financially sustainable for SDGI
- Evaluate and assure that the educational resources are adequate to implement the academic programs
- Supervise all administrative operations
Institutional Governance:
- Convene and lead the administrative leadership team
- Serve as ex-officio member of the Board for SelfDesign Foundation
- Serve as a member on committees as needed
Community Leadership:
- Serve as an internal and external spokesperson and ambassador for the SDGI academic mission and accomplishments
- Lead all Institute activities related to fundraising and friend-raising
- Collaborate with Chair of SelfDesign Foundation for institutional advancement on major gifts, annual giving, capital campaigns and other major advancement initiatives
- Participate in leadership roles, where possible, in mission-related professional organizations on behalf of SDGI
About the SelfDesign Graduate Institute (SDGI)
The SelfDesign Graduate Institute is a leader in integral education for adults, offering a low residency and in-person online learning program. SDGI is in its 7th year of operation and has awarded 18 graduate degrees. The Institute has a current enrollment of 35 learners, including residents of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and New Zealand. SDGI offers a Master of Arts in SelfDesign degree, authorized by the State of Washington, with three concentrations: SelfDesign; Post-Modern Schools and Integral Learning; Designing Learning Communities. The Institute is an applicant for national accreditation.
The SelfDesign Graduate Institute encourages learners to author their own lives and supports their learning and personal development as they explore their own interests and passions and generate their own aspirations and goals. The Institute is a learning community in which learners and faculty mentors co-inspire learning and the evolution of human potential.
