Dean of Graduate Programs

JOB OVERVIEW

The Dean of Graduate Programs provides strategic, operational, and academic leadership for Unity Environmental University’s graduate program portfolio within Enterprise Education. This position is responsible for the long-term viability, growth, quality, and market responsiveness of graduate offerings, ensuring programs align with workforce demand, institutional mission, and the evolving needs of modern learners.

The Dean serves as an entrepreneurial academic leader responsible for program sustainability across graduate education. The Dean oversees academic planning, curriculum strategy, faculty leadership, assessment, scheduling, and continuous improvement while working collaboratively to support enrollment growth, market expansion, and student success.

The Dean works closely with institutional leadership, recruitment, marketing, learning design, retention, workforce partnerships, and Enterprise Operations to ensure graduate programs remain academically rigorous, financially viable, and professionally relevant. This position plays a critical role in identifying emerging market opportunities, supporting strategic partnerships, advancing external visibility of graduate offerings, and collaborating on grant development and sponsored opportunities aligned with institutional priorities.

The Dean of Graduate Programs is responsible for maintaining high-quality academic offerings while supporting the broader goals of the Enterprise Model through innovation, scalability, and cross-functional collaboration.

POSITION SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for graduate program operations, academic quality, and portfolio management.
• Support the identification, development, and launch of new graduate programs, credentials, and academic partnerships aligned with workforce and industry demand.
• Work collaboratively to support recruitment strategy, market positioning, and enrollment growth initiatives.
• Partner with Advancement to identify and pursue grant opportunities, sponsored initiatives, and workforce-aligned funding opportunities.
• Oversee graduate curriculum development, assessment, faculty engagement, academic scheduling, and program review processes.
• Ensure graduate programs remain aligned with accreditation standards, institutional priorities, and employer expectations.
• Support the strategic vision and operational planning for graduate education offerings.
• Develop and monitor academic portfolio performance metrics to ensure program viability and scalability.
• Lead graduate program assessment and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the development of innovative learning pathways, stackable credentials, immersive experiences, and workforce-aligned academic offerings.
• Oversee graduate faculty recruitment, supervision, development, and performance management.
• Ensure academic integrity, rigor, and compliance across graduate offerings, including accreditation-related requirements.
• Participate in institutional strategic planning, governance, and academic leadership initiatives.
• Collaborate with Learning Experience Design and academic operations teams to ensure high-quality delivery across modalities.
• Utilize data-informed decision-making to guide program planning, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Support student success initiatives through collaboration with advising, retention, career services, and academic support teams.
• Professionally represent Unity Environmental University through conferences, scholarship, outreach, and industry engagement.
• Develop and deliver curriculum as assigned.
• Be knowledgeable in the appropriate delivery of the content in an online format, field stations, and low residency expeditions.
• Teach up to 60 student contact hours per calendar year as assigned.
• Use different learning modes and types of technology to engage students in a various learning environments.
• Guide capstone projects in assigned programs as needed.
• In collaboration with Student Success, develop materials and provide support for student advising as needed, and help inform effective retention efforts.
• Participate in DE governance as assigned.
• Demonstrate a high degree of commitment to customer service and quality education.
• Ensure students are successful in their courses by providing them with resources and tools to succeed.
• Collaborate with the program faculty, leadership, and other SEBUS staff on student learning issues and scheduling needs.
• Become knowledgeable and articulate about Graduate Programs, market niche, strategies and procedures.
• Understand how to work with place-bound adult learners.

Proactively communicate opportunities, challenges, risks, and operational needs to leadership.

Required:

• Terminal degree with 3-5 years online or administrative experience.
• Direct experience in successful, productive online or distance education programs.
• Possess a sophisticated understanding of the tenets of retention and recruitment plus demonstrated success creating and executing academic programs.
• An understanding of the national and global nature of the distance education marketplace and strategies for being competitive in this market.
• An entrepreneurial spirit is desired – a person dedicated to building an institutional enterprise.
• Excellent project management skills and proven supervisory and staff development skills to effectively manage teams, inspire quality performance, and enhance morale.
• Strong analytic, problem-solving, written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Positive attitude, flexibility, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations.
• Work irregular hours and weekends as needed, to ensure maximum student, faculty and staff support.
• Passion for Unity’s mission.
• Ability to function effectively within a matrix organizational structure, maintaining open lines of communication while being discreet, courteous and well poised.

Preferred:

• Academics in the following fields will be given priority status: PhD in STEM fields, JD, or MBA in Sustainable Business

UNITY ENVIRONMENTAL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Stay open to counterintuitive ideas and direct feedback. Unity employees are expected to think creatively and remain open to approaches that challenge initial instincts or traditional methods. Taking direction, seeking clarity, and executing with precision are critical to moving innovative work forward.
• Work confidently with AI, digital tools, and emerging systems. As a technology-enabled institution, Unity expects all employees to adopt a growth mindset around digital tools. This includes using AI systems to enhance productivity and decision-making, as well as learning new platforms and processes with curiosity and accountability.
• Deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Agility, resilience, and follow-through are essential. Employees must remain focused on outcomes even as priorities shift, iterating quickly and adjusting to change without losing momentum.
• Communicate with clarity and consistency. Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability and willingness to engage professionally by phone, video, and digital channels is essential. Employees must document decisions, convey key information clearly, and support alignment across teams.
• Model integrity and professionalism in all aspects of work. Every employee is responsible for upholding high ethical standards, demonstrating sound judgment, and maintaining an ownership mindset when it comes to their role and results.
• Own the accuracy of your work. While Unity equips employees with advanced systems and AI-enhanced tools, the responsibility for quality, precision, and correctness rests with the individual. Attention to detail and proactive error-checking are non-negotiable.
• Demonstrate a commitment to sustainability in all aspects of work. This includes responsible stewardship of resources, strategic decision-making, and ensuring long-term institutional impact.
• At Unity, we encourage input, feedback, and collaboration from all employees, your perspective matters. However, once a decision has been made, employees are expected to act as an extension of their supervisor’s bandwidth, carrying out directives with clarity, consistency, and precision. We do not operate in independent silos; instead, we emphasize cross-functional collaboration and shared accountability.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WORK SCHEDULE / AVAILABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Work hours are specific to the requirements of this position and can include days, evenings, and weekends as scheduled by their supervisor to best support students. Working extended hours required as needed. Must be flexible and cooperative in fulfilling responsibilities and meeting the Institution’s needs. Although Unity Environmental University employees are generally scheduled to work at their specifically assigned locations, there are times when travel is necessary, and employees are required from time to time to attend events, meetings, or work temporary assignments at any Unity Environmental University location.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, it is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand or walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The use of either hand for repetitive movements such as grasping, grasping and turning, and fine manipulation is required as is the ability to use the telephone for internal and external communications.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Work is performed mostly in an office setting. The noise level in the work environment is normally moderate. Exposure to changes of temperature or humidity 1-33% of the time.