Director, Comprehensive Studies Program

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How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Summary

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan is seeking a highly motivated and creative individual with a strong background inhigher education; a commitment to access for all of the university's talentedstudents; and deep experience in administrative leadership to serve as Director ofthe Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP). This is a 100% academic/administrative leadership position that sits within LSA's Division of Undergraduate Education. The position reports to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Who We Are

Forged out of three decades of organized, direct action led by the Black Action Movement (BAM), the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP) is a learning community and academic unit serving over 3,000undergraduate students annually, many of whom identify with populations that have beenhistorically underrepresented and marginalized in U.S. higher education. CSP students are identifiedthrough the highly selective U-M admissions process and are the top students in their homecommunities. 

CSP provides comprehensive academic support to U-M students through LSA courses, holisticacademic advising, academic and co-curricular programming, and student support services thatutilize high-impact, inclusive practices to encourage student agency and engagement. While retaining a core focus on math and writing, CSP has grown to serve students across a wider, multidisciplinary curriculum, and across multiple schools and colleges. CSP also provides oversight for the University's Summer Bridge Scholars Program, and recently launched Bridge Scholars Plus, a living-learning community.

The vision of CSP is to be the national standard for anti-racist, inclusive, and accessible education. The program is dedicated to achieving parity in access to high-impact practices, closing any gaps in rates of retention and graduation at Michigan, and fostering a sense of belonging on the campus of this large, public institution by taking an asset-based approach to student success.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off, including vacation time, sick time, holiday and season days.
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

In addition, The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) offers:

• Enhanced tuition support programs for LSA courses
• Strong commitment to work/life balance.
• Flexible work arrangements with respect to campus stakeholder needs

Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.

Responsibilities*

Job Responsibilities Overview:

Lead and provide oversight for all aspects of CSP services and operations, including a multidisciplinary liberal arts curriculum, holistic academic advising and academic support services, 2 living-learning programs, human resources for 23 full-time professional staff and 60 Lecturers Employee Organization instructional staff, student recruitment, and oversight of a $4.8M annual budget. Take the lead in developing and maintaining high level collaborations with donors, alums, and key institutional partners across campus, and serve as an LSA representative on campus-wide initiatives. 

Job Responsibilities Detail:

Program Leadership, Administration and Supervision (60%)

The CSP Director provides strategic direction and leadership for this large unit consisting of staff, advisors and faculty. The director has direct supervisory reports and convenes regular meetingswith a senior leadership team. Together the team thinks strategically and plansnew initiatives and programmatic changes. The Director works closely with theLSA Finance Budget Analysts as well as the unit's Associate Director ofOperations on the unit's budget; has high-level oversight of the CSP curriculum,along with the hiring and training of Lecturers who are members of the LecturersEmployment Organization (LEO); and manages a collection of policies andprocedures that span HR and administrative issues.

Collaborative Campus Partnerships (20%) 

CSP maintains myriad partnerships that must be preserved and, where possible,deepened. The Director meets regularly with departmental chairs and faculty, withunits across the College, especially Student Academic Affairs and the LSANewnan Advising Center, and with the LSA Dean's Office. Beyond theCollege, these partnerships and collaborations extend to other schools andcolleges on campus, with admissions and representatives from Athletics,Housing, as well as Student Life and other units in both the Provost and thePresident's Offices. The new director will also join a set of dedicated leadersworking on facets of the University and College's Strategic Plan for Diversity,Equity & Inclusion.

Stewardship & Fundraising & Outreach (10%)

The Director is the public face of CSP, interacting with students, parents, faculty,staff, alumni and donors. The unit has a large and robust donor base that we areseeking to enhance. The ability to communicate about the unit's goals andsuccesses is essential. The new Director should also plan on devoting time topublic presentations of various sizes, individual meetings with donors, both on campus and at locations that will require travel.

Program Assessment & Research (10%)

CSP has increasingly moved into an era of evidence-based decision making andgeneral program assessment in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, andareas for improvement. The unit has also been developing its own models ofadvising and instruction and seeks to employ better formative and summativeassessment as well as with national benchmarking to meet CSP'sinstitutional commitment to be the 'best-in-class' student academic support program in the country.

Required Qualifications*

• Advanced degree (Masters, or equivalent education and experience) with a strong academic background in higher education issues. 
• Five to seven years' experience in program development for student success initiatives, with strong experience in academic administrative leadership, including directly managing budgets. 
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and student retention in the academy with the ability to relate to a wide range of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with and collaborate with faculty and students.
• Strong background in staff development and supervision, including demonstrated ability to create a positive and inclusive environment for a diverse group of faculty and staff.
• Experience with the special opportunities and challenges encountered by particular student populations, e.g., student athletes, transfer students, international students, first- generation students, students from rural locations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex organizations through change.
• Familiarity with program evaluation/assessment experience.
• Exemplary written and oral communications skills that inspire staff, faculty, students, donors, and collaborators.

Desired Qualifications*

• Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Knowledge of innovations and best practices in academic student success programs, advising, curricular development, and assessment.
• Investment in student success through a student-centered approach to teaching, advising, and holistic support.
• Track record of success in managing budgets of >$1M annually.
• Direct experience in working with bargained-for staff.
• Demonstrated expertise in large-scale program evaluation/assessment.
• Direct experience with donor stewardship and fundraising.
• Demonstrated ability to advocate for policies that affect the unit and its staff, faculty, and students.

Additional Information

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei .

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision .

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.