DIRECTOR, TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost at Mount Saint Vincent University invites applications for the position of Director, Teaching and Learning.

A leader in online and experiential learning, Mount Saint Vincent University takes a personalized approach to education to nurture socially responsible global citizens. With equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility at the fore, MSVU has been challenging the status quo since its founding over 150 years ago (1873) and today prioritizes access and impact for all underserved groups. MSVU has been recognized for its programs in Arts, Science, Education and Professional Studies; for providing students early access to valuable research opportunities, including applied research; for its legacy in the advancement of women; and for facilitating critical advancements in food security, healthy aging, literacy, nutrition, childhood development and more. MSVU is located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq People. msvu.ca

Mount Saint Vincent University is strongly committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within our community and encourages applications from all qualified candidates including women, persons of any sexual orientations and gender identities and/or expressions, Indigenous persons, African Canadians, other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and other groups that would contribute to the diversification of our campus. Candidates who identify as being from any of these groups are encouraged to voluntarily self-identify in their application materials. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply; however, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Reporting to the Vice-President Academic and Provost, the Director, Teaching and Learning provides strategic direction and leadership to the Teaching and Learning Centre at MSVU in ways aligned with the university's commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. The Director leads faculty professional development programming to support student learning and success, develops expertise in emerging pedagogical issues to support campus development in these areas, and fosters an on-campus and online learning environment that builds on the University's academic programs and reflects its mission and values. Working with the Deans, the Director supports the development and delivery of online courses and programs.

The Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) is an academic support unit that works with administration, departments, faculty members, and staff to support the development, delivery, and advancement of inclusive and accessible learning opportunities. The Director will work closely with faculty members, the Deans, University Librarian, and other administrators to develop priorities that support teaching and student learning, both online and in the classroom. The Director will advocate for the teaching and learning activities internally and externally, including that University's mandate in access (e.g., distance learning). The Director will position the Centre as a resource for research and best practices in teaching and learning, foster research to support the improvement of teaching and learning, and encourage the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The Director oversees the Centre's processes and procedures related to professional development in teaching and learning, continuing education, and modes of delivery (including distance learning). The Director also supports the activities of MSVU community members connected to quality assurance, curriculum development, and program development. The Director leads the recruitment, hiring, development, and evaluation of staff members. The Director is also the University's representative for teaching and learning and serves on relevant local, regional, and national organizations.

Qualifications

The ideal Director, Teaching and Learning is a strategic, dynamic, solutions-focused leader who is deeply familiar with instructional design principles and well-experienced in all areas of teaching and learning, including relationship management, learning management systems, team leadership, and communications. Possessing and championing an inclusive leadership style, this person will provide leadership to all areas of the teaching and learning function. The Director will demonstrate flexibility and a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusive excellence, recognizing and responding to the diverse strengths, experiences, and needs of MSVU's student community. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to accessibility and equity, recognizing and responding to the diverse strengths, needs, and experiences of MSVU's student community, which has a long history of welcoming mature learners, first-generation university students, and distance learners.

The Director, Teaching and Learning is an experienced team builder who can provide strategic and operational leadership in ways that inspire, grow, and mentor staff, while building engagement both within and external to the University. The Director will be skilled at fostering trust, navigating diverse perspectives, and working collaboratively across academic and administrative units. Building positive relationships with and among faculty members, staff, and students is a key element of success in this role. Further, the Director will liaise with students, for example, with the Students' Union, to understand student perspectives on matters related to teaching and learning at MSVU.

The Director will foster a culture at MSVU that celebrates and recognizes teaching success and supports research in the scholarship of teaching and learning higher education. Further, the Director will promote an approach within the Teaching and Learning Centre, that facilitates knowledge exchange and translation about pedagogy and high impact university teaching practices.

The Director will support policy development, training, and collaboration in ways that strengthen teaching and learning at MSVU and support the implementation of university's Strategic Enrolment Management plan. The Director will consult emerging policy and practice areas, including Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity.

Required Education

• Completion of a Master's degree, PhD preferred

Required Experience

• Leadership experience in teaching and learning environments in a post-secondary environment, university preferred
• Previous experience working in a university teaching and learning centre
• Teaching experience at the university level
• Successful supervisory experience of staff

Required Skills

• Knowledge of current research in teaching and learning, best and leading practices, and standards of teaching, including that related to emerging technologies
• Demonstrated competence in working collaboratively with university personnel, students, and professional peers
• Demonstrated ability to communicate diplomatically and effectively with a diverse group of faculty, administrators and staff both individually and in group settings
• Superior communication skills, both oral and written, and the ability to collaborate with multi-functional teams
• Evidence of innovation and creativity, as well as excellent organizational and critical thinking skills
• Demonstrated commitment to student success and learner support
• Strong knowledge of learning outcomes at both the course and program levels
• Ability to support equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and Truth and Reconciliation in the learning environment
• Familiarity and understanding of faculty member roles and expectations
• Exceptional relationship-building, facilitation, and communication skills across diverse stakeholders
• Knowledge of current and emerging academic approaches with student retention and persistence as they relate to Strategic Enrolment Management
• Demonstrated ability to plan and implement pedagogical workshops through university partnerships and develop/lead workshops as needed
• Demonstrated competencies in supervising others
• Ability to work independently and as a team member, manage time well, and communicate effectively in multiple ways
• Demonstrated skill in the use of educational technologies, including emergent technologies.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities/accountabilities:

• Build strong partnerships with faculties, academic leaders, and student support units to advance teaching and learning priorities and support student success
• Lead the design and delivery of professional development that promotes innovative, technology-enabled teaching practices
• Foster innovation and effective integration of emerging technologies, such as Generative AI, and show a willingness and ability to develop expertise in emerging topics in teaching and learning
• Serve as a member of committees within the University's governance structure that support teaching and learning (e.g., Senate Committee for Teaching and Learning)
• Oversee instructional development initiatives, including continuing education
• Manage the Centre's budget and resources, ensuring effective allocation and alignment with strategic and financial goals
• Work strategically with relevant plans (e.g., University Strategic Plan, Strategic Enrolment Management Plan, Accessibility Plan) in support of the scholarship of teaching and learning, curriculum (re)design and assessment of learning, interdisciplinarity in teaching, and academic integrity
• Advance Truth and Reconciliation via decolonizing approaches in teaching and learning collaboratively with a variety of university constituents
• Use collaborative and facilitative approaches, to foster and support teaching and learning initiatives that promote EDIA, including inclusive learning environments, attitudes, and actions that advance equity in educational experiences
• Work with other key units to support academic integrity at MSVU, including via training, awareness, and promotion
• Collaborate with academic units to support the growth and success of experiential learning at MSVU

Examples of Duties

• Program Development and Management
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the TLC including programs, activities, communication, budget and staffing
• Collaborate with the Deans, University Librarian, Faculties, and departments to support new and continuing faculty access to pedagogical tools to enhance teaching effectiveness and student success
• Initiate, create, and develop teaching and learning programming for enhancing student success for a diverse student population
• Promote and integrate the scholarship of teaching and learning into the TLC's activities and amplify evidence-based teaching practices that support student success
• Lead a relevant and evolving robust faculty development program, including workshops, series, and guest speakers on topics that include academic integrity, experiential learning, artificial intelligence, UDL, and culturally responsive pedagogy
• Provide support and leadership in high impact pedagogical and assessment practices for in-person and online venues
• Plan and administer an annual Teaching and Learning Symposium
• Support faculty members in effective teaching and in the scholarship of teaching and learning
• Provide leadership for mentoring programs/approaches within Faculties for new and continuing faculty (in collaboration with Deans, Chairs, and Coordinators)
• Create orientation programming in collaboration with other units, and offer new faculty orientation
• Provide a range of opportunities for faculty development of pedagogical best and leading practices and instructional design (workshops, training, etc.) as guided by an annual plan
• Contribute to and support faculty and programs in ongoing reflection and assessment for curricular development and curriculum renewal
• Work with educational developers, faculty members, and others to deliver programming and strategies for assisting faculty in linking student success outcomes to their teaching practices
• Liaise and collaborate with constituents across the campus to ascertain prevalent faculty professional development topics and aspirations, and academic students' teaching and learning priorities
• Develop and implement ongoing assessment plans for the TLC activities.
• Prepare and oversee annual results-based planning, operational plans and budget reports
• Develop and manage budgets in concert with the expectations of senior leaders
• Collaborate with IT&S for transformative digital strategies that support high-quality teaching and learning
• Provide teaching and learning leadership with academic quality assurance activities, including program development and review in collaboration with academic planning and Faculties
• Lead development of appropriate and relevant policy and procedures through a consultative process
• Participate in and coordinate with regional groups and experts in Teaching and Learning
• Contribute to the provincial (and national as applicable) leadership of teaching and learning supports for effective and scholarly teaching
• Foster and maintain a collaborative team-based work environment with TLC and within and across academic and senior leadership
• Engage in outreach activities that celebrate teaching and learning successes

Classification: Full-Time, Director I Level
Salary: $111,355 per annum
Start Date: ASAP