Description
Jackson College
Job Description
Job Title:
Dean (Academic)
Department:
Educational Services / Deans’ Office
Administrative Supervisor:
Chief Academic Officer
FLSA Status:
Exempt
Updated By:
Dr. Benjamin Valdez
Date:
April 8, 2026
Grade:
Administrator Grade 3
Status:
Full-Time
Bargaining Unit:
None
POSITION SUMMARY
The Dean provides academic and administrative leadership for assigned instructional pathways and departments. Responsibilities include program quality and effectiveness, academic planning, resource management, faculty leadership and development, and ensuring that curriculum, assessment, and student success efforts align with the College’s strategic priorities. The Dean represents assigned areas internally and externally and collaborates with college colleagues to support student access, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes. The Dean sets and reinforces clear expectations that all instructional teams and related processes align with Jackson College’s Maroon & Gold Standards and the Total Commitment to Student Success (TCSS) principles.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership and Strategic Direction:
Serve as a member of the Chief Academic Officer’s Academic Leadership Team and contribute to college-wide planning, policy development, and innovation.
Provide leadership for assigned instructional pathways and related departments, supporting alignment with institutional goals and community needs.
Collaborate with peer deans and campus leaders to ensure consistent academic standards, equitable student outcomes, and coordinated operations.
Lead and/or support committees, task forces, and special projects as assigned.
Maintain professional currency through ongoing development and appropriate regional/national engagement.
Establish and reinforce the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS principles as the operating expectations for faculty and staff work, including course design, instruction, assessment, and improvement.
Lead with a student-success-first mindset by ensuring department goals, meeting agendas, professional development plans, and resource decisions visibly connect to TCSS priorities and measurable student outcomes.
Model and expect a culture of care and accountability: high expectations for students, timely support, clear communication, and consistent follow-through.
Academic Planning, Program Quality, and Continuous Improvement:
Provide oversight for program development, modification, and evaluation using transfer expectations, workforce/community needs, and student success data as appropriate.
Lead and support curriculum development and review processes in collaboration with faculty, department chairs/program directors, and instructional support units.
Ensure programs and courses meet applicable accreditation, licensing, certification, and regulatory expectations and that public-facing documentation is current and accurate.
Participate in development, execution, and evaluation of the Academic Master Plan for assigned areas.
Implement outcomes assessment practices that promote instructional effectiveness and continuous improvement.
Ensure every program and course demonstrates alignment to the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS principles through documented practices (clear outcomes, intentional student engagement, and timely feedback).
Set expectations that student learning outcomes assessment is routine, meaningful, and used for improvement (closing the loop), with results communicated and incorporated into curriculum and teaching refinements.
Monitor course success, retention, completion, and equity gaps; require action plans to address barriers and improve outcomes in alignment with TCSS.
Promote evidence-based instruction and assessment methods that emphasize application of learning, academic integrity, and authentic demonstrations of competency.
Faculty and Staff Leadership:
Recruit, select, onboard, mentor, and support a highly qualified and diverse faculty and staff in collaboration with Human Resources and academic leadership processes.
Supervise and evaluate assigned faculty and staff; promote a collaborative culture focused on teaching excellence, student success, and accountability.
Ensure appropriate faculty evaluation, professional development, promotion/advancement processes, and compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and related procedures.
Support faculty in curriculum implementation and outcomes assessment, including appropriate use of instructional technologies and evidence-based teaching practices.
Communicate and operationalize common expectations for faculty performance grounded in the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS (engagement, responsiveness to students, academic rigor, inclusive practices, and consistent use of college systems).
Ensure onboarding, mentoring, and professional development for full-time and adjunct faculty explicitly include the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS expectations, with coaching and follow-up to support consistent implementation.
Incorporate Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS-aligned indicators into goal setting, observation feedback, and annual evaluation processes, consistent with contract and college procedures.
Student Success, Engagement, and Academic Operations:
Partner with Student Services and other college units to strengthen student access, advising, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes across modalities and locations.
Address student concerns and complaints in a timely, fair, and student-centered manner, collaborating with faculty and leaders as appropriate.
Ensure adequate staffing and scheduling to deliver assigned courses and programs effectively each term, including planning for full-time/adjunct capacity.
Coordinate admissions/program entry processes for restricted or selective programs as applicable.
Partner with Student Services to ensure TCSS-aligned supports are integrated into the student experience (early alert, advising collaboration, tutoring, accessibility resources, and retention interventions).
Expect predictable, student-centered instructional practices that reflect Maroon & Gold Standards (clear course structure, timely grading and feedback, and consistent communication).
Use scheduling, modality planning, and staffing decisions to improve access and completion while maintaining instructional quality consistent with Maroon & Gold Standards.
Ensure student concerns are addressed in a student-centered manner that reflects TCSS values while upholding academic standards and due process.
Budget, Resource, and Compliance Management
Develop and manage the annual budget for assigned areas and ensure responsible stewardship of resources.
Collaborate on budgeting, purchasing, facilities/equipment planning, and resource prioritization.
Use data to support required reporting tied to grants or categorical funding when applicable.
Support institutional compliance expectations relevant to assigned areas, including accreditation and applicable federal/state regulations.
Prioritize resources that directly strengthen TCSS outcomes and Maroon & Gold instructional expectations (faculty development, instructional support, learning resources, tutoring integration, and teaching/learning technology).
Use data to justify resource requests and evaluate whether investments improved student learning, course success, retention, and completion.
Community and Partnership Engagement:
Represent assigned programs to external stakeholders, including employers, advisory bodies, transfer partners, K-12 partners, community organizations, and governmental/regulatory bodies.
Develop and sustain partnerships that strengthen program relevance, work-based learning, transfer pathways, and community impact.
Represent Jackson College’s commitment to the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS in external partnerships, reinforcing expectations for program relevance, quality, and student success outcomes.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervises assigned faculty, department chairs/program directors (as applicable), and support staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with College policy and applicable laws, including hiring recommendations, training, work assignment, performance evaluation, coaching, and progressive discipline as appropriate.
CONTACTS AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS
Internal: Students, faculty, department chairs/program directors, staff, and administrators to coordinate academic operations, student success, compliance, and continuous improvement.
External: Employers, advisory committee members, transfer partners, K-12 partners, community organizations, governmental/regulatory bodies, and accrediting agencies to support program quality, alignment, and partnership outcomes.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
Demonstrates consistent leadership behaviors that advance the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS across assigned areas.
Uses student success and learning data to drive decisions and holds teams accountable for improvement plans and results.
Ensures instructional quality is consistent across sections, modalities, and locations (including adjunct-delivered sections).
Promotes a culture where student engagement, academic integrity, and high-quality feedback are standard practice.
Actively reduces barriers and addresses equity gaps through targeted, measurable interventions.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience
Master’s degree required; earned doctorate preferred.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education, including supervision of faculty and/or academic staff.
Demonstrated experience in academic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, and outcomes assessment.
Demonstrated ability to lead academic teams using institution-wide expectations and student success frameworks, translating them into measurable practices, coaching, and outcomes.
Skills and Attributes
Demonstrated leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to build trust and maintain productive working relationships.
Ability to analyze data, set priorities, and manage multiple projects to completion.
Commitment to a culture of continuous improvement, equity, and student-centered decision-making.
Proficiency with common administrative and instructional technology systems and the ability to support effective technology adoption.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and use hands to feel, finger, handle or feel. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
Ability to work at a computer for extended periods and participate in meetings, presentations, and events.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
“This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required and shall not be construed as declaring the specific duties and responsibilities. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his or her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.”
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience
Master’s degree required; earned doctorate preferred.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education, including supervision of faculty and/or academic staff.
Demonstrated experience in academic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, and outcomes assessment.
Demonstrated ability to lead academic teams using institution-wide expectations and student success frameworks, translating them into measurable practices, coaching, and outcomes.
Skills and Attributes
Demonstrated leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to build trust and maintain productive working relationships.
Ability to analyze data, set priorities, and manage multiple projects to completion.
Commitment to a culture of continuous improvement, equity, and student-centered decision-making.
Proficiency with common administrative and instructional technology systems and the ability to support effective technology adoption.
