POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Associate Provost for Access and Outreach
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1024
GRADE Unclassified
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Provost
MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR President
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Associate Provost for Access and Outreach identifies emerging, underserved, and/or unmet educational needs locally, regionally, and nationally and collaborates with employers, professional associations, and University leaders to develop courses (both for credit and noncredit), degree programs, and delivery methods that meet the learning needs of potential students, are accessible to students, and are financially sustainable. The Associate Provost for Access and Outreach directs the development, coordination, marketing, and delivery of accessible means of delivering courses and degree programs to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Alternative learning pathways allow both non-traditional and traditional students to earn degrees or increase knowledge through non- credit programs by using a variety of alternatives to traditional face-to-face classroom learning situations. These alternatives includes modalities such as interactive voice and video-equipped classrooms in distant locations, on-campus technology-supported classrooms, podcasts, blogs, social networking communities of practice, high school classes taken for college credit, repeating block courses, evening and weekend classes and degree programs, off-campus instruction, traditional classroom courses recorded and viewed on-demand via the internet, online classes, blended classes using traditional classroom instruction with online components, and other modalities and emerging technologies. The Associate Provost for Access and Outreach works with campus leaders involved in existing alternative learning programs, the Registrar, the Chief Information Officer, Deans, the Library, and other constituents on policy issues affecting the University’s ability to serve students at a distance, at alternative times, or using alternative modalities, works with colleges and academic departments on issues related to program development and delivery, and works to ensure effective services to support e-learning and alternative means of delivering courses and degree programs.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A terminal degree is required.
Experience: A history of progressively responsible leadership experience in the identification, development, and implementation of academic and support service programs to meet the diverse learning needs of students is required. Experience in market analysis, strategic planning, and program implementation of for-credit and noncredit outreach programs is required. Experience collaborating with deans and department heads to develop and implement programs is required. A successful record of teaching, research, and scholarship, including experience teaching online courses, is required.
Skills: The ability to lead in a team environment, including leading peers, is required. Exceptional interpersonal communication skills are required. The ability to successfully develop, implement, and market higher education products is required. A record of inclusive conduct and evidence of multicultural skills in the workplace is required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Provides leadership for the University-wide focus on the economic development of the state and region through an increased level of educational attainment by identifying unmet, underserved, and emerging educational needs and leading the development of courses (both for credit and noncredit), degree programs, and support services to better meet the diverse educational needs of traditional and non-traditional students.
2. Leverages technologies and modalities that enhance learning and allows students to take classes and earn degrees while continuing to work by identifying, organizing, coordinating, and effectively marketing and utilizing existing alternative teaching and learning modalities at the University and investigating, assessing, and implementing emerging modalities and technologies.
3. Works with college deans to encourage the development of existing courses and degree programs into courses and/or degree programs delivered through alternative modalities, explores the use of faculty roles and rewards to encourage the development of courses into alternative course delivery methods, and ensures that all programs have access to instructional design, media development, and other support services to ensure quality.
4. Develops and implements a comprehensive marketing plan with the local community, across the state, and nationally as well as with professional associations and major employers to identify unmet, underserved, or emerging educational needs and increase awareness and utilization of the variety and diversity of learning and degree options available at Missouri State University.
5. Develops and maintains a system for determining the costs of alternatively delivered courses, degree programs, and related services, identifies sufficient enrollment levels to create sustainable programs, creates rubrics for identifying courses and programs that meet the criteria for ongoing sustainability, and develops and implements marketing plans to obtain and maintain required enrollment levels.
6. Collaborates with University leaders to develop standards for technology, pedagogy, faculty support, student services, and assessment for alternative learning delivery modalities by working with those in academic leadership positions.
7. Assures that administrative and academic policies and procedures support online and alternative learning pathways by reviewing existing policies and procedures and recommending changes to existing policies and procedures as well as the development of new policies and procedures that encourage the use of alternative pathways to learning and obtaining degrees.
8. Coordinates the development, use, and availability of electronic platforms, learning objects, instructional design, media development, and other resources that support faculty as they integrate web-based and/or interactive features into their courses.
9. Assures coordination with information technology staff and facilitates the development and maintenance of distance education infrastructure and learning objects.
10. Coordinates the development of a portal to assure that students and prospective students have direct access to all the courses, degree programs, and supporting resources that are available through alternative learning modalities.
11. Develops new resources and coordinates existing resources that support students using alternative learning modalities, regardless of where they live and at what time they are accessing resources.
12. Actively explores and obtains external funding, such as federal grants, foundation support, corporate sponsorships, etc. to support the development of alternative learning platforms.
13. Promotes a positive image and maintains effective relationships for the Office of the Provost by representing the Provost at various meetings, communicating with University administrators, faculty, staff, and students in matters related to alternative learning pathways, and leading or serving on selected University committees and task forces.
14. Ensures that all assignments related to academic affairs are completed in the best interest of the University by accepting and accomplishing tasks which are delegated by the Provost.
SUPERVISION
The Associate Provost for Access and Outreach is supervised by the Provost and supervises staff working with Adult and Commuter Student Services, interactive video classroom support, high school dual-credit administration and support, online course support, classes available via the internet through podcasts, off-campus instruction, and technical and media development support staff.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
SEPTEMBER 2010