POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Chief Academic Strategy Officer
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 0026
GRADE Unclassified
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
Immediate Supervisor Provost
General Function
The Chief Academic Strategy Officer (CASO) is part of the academic affairs leadership team and assists in Office of the Provost operations. Areas of responsibility include developing and addressing academic strategy in the following: addressing interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary curricular programming, nurturing curricular delivery mechanisms, crafting the university’s future research agenda, managing academic-related data, and addressing accreditation/improvement and systematizing the processes therein. The CASO oversees provost fellows, assessment and accreditation, and institutional research. The CASO also advises the provost on tenure and promotion applications, provides oversight of academic integrity-based issues and student appeals and serves as a liaison to Faculty Senate.
The CASO must be highly collaborative; forward-thinking, action-oriented and service-minded as well as being focused on institutional culture, performance, and student success via interfaces with faculty, staff, students, and external partners. The CASO must be a dreamer and a doer.
Minimum Acceptable Qualifications
Education: A doctoral degree is required.
Experience: Progressively responsible and successful academic leadership. A record of success in teaching, research and service along with curriculum development and delivery. Practice in strategic planning and execution, record of change management and grounding in data use and insights for data-informed decision-making. Experience in addressing strategies for curricular offerings and varying types of modalities.
Skills: Demonstrated leadership ability, including capability to work effectively and collegially with University administrators, faculty, staff and students. Outstanding communication skills along with an eye toward critical analysis and use of digital tools. Experience with personnel management and inclusion and engagement skills in the workplace.The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.
Other: A demonstrated commitment to the comprehensive university mission and public affairs. An understanding of federal and state legislation and compliance issues that affect personnel issues and the delivery of quality educational programming and services.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
1. Develop and execute academic strategy in conjunction with the provost; this includes curriculum/teaching, research and service components connected to the institution’s long-range plan and in support of current and emergent institutional key performance indicators. This requires extensive collaboration across institutional areas. It also includes helping shape academic advocacy, branding and visibility in collaboration with the likes of academic deans, Marketing and Communication and the MSU Foundation.2. Manage and use data, information and knowledge management – in conjunction with varying offices (e.g., Assessment and Accreditation, Institutional Research, Information Technology, Enrollment Management, etc.).
3. Provide oversight of institutional and program-specific accreditation.
4. Provide review of promotion and tenure applications subsequent recommendations to the provost.5. Provide oversight of issues related to academic integrity and student appeals.
6. Serve as liaison to Faculty Senate.
7. Lead provost fellows, assessment and accreditation and institutional research.
8. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
9. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed by the supervisor.
10. Contributes to the overall success of the office by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Provost.
11. Other duties as assigned.Supervision
The CASO reports to the provost and supervises professional and support staff.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED 03.24.23