AddressThe South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE), located in Columbia, South Carolina, seeks nominations and applications for the agency’s Director of the Office of Academic Affairs and Licensing. The Director will be an experienced leader, one who understands thoroughly the higher education landscape and can envision and implement creative solutions to ensure the state’s higher education system remains innovative, of high quality, and committed to student success. The Director will be a thought leader with experience in higher education or comparable senior-level administrative or management experience to provide strategic academic leadership for the state’s public education system. The Director will understand the CHE’s mission as both an oversight entity on behalf of the General Assembly and an advocate for the citizens of South Carolina as they seek opportunities to improve their lives, and those of their families, through higher education. The Director will support the CHE’s goals of increasing educational attainment statewide, providing all South Carolinians with access to affordable postsecondary education opportunities, ensuring more students complete credentials of value, and strengthening the state’s workforce and economy.
Responsibilities: Reporting directly to the President and Executive Director and operating under limited supervision, the Director of the Office of Academic Affairs and Licensing (OAAL) has primary responsibility for implementing and monitoring public policies related to the CHE's statutory responsibilities associated with academic programs and the licensing of non-public institutions, as well as providing forward-thinking and effective management of the OAAL itself. The Director effectively manages the review of Academic programs, maintains the state's academic program inventory. provides leadership and counsel to the OAAL team and supervises the Office's workload and workflow. The Director is the CHE's first point of contact with institutions' chief academic officers, serves as a key member of the agency's executive management team, participates in the decision-making process for the agency’s management, advises the agency head and board members about academic program matters, participates in the planning and implementation of policies, rules, and procedures, and other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: Doctoral degree from an accredited institution (or foreign equivalent) desired; terminal degrees in other fields will be considered. Five years of managerial/supervisory experience, preferably, but not limited to higher education. Also required are excellent analytical and communication skills, the ability to synthesize information concisely, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and a willingness to take initiative and work in a team environment. Candidates with experience in working closely with senior academic officers, leading and supervising teams, and demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships across diverse groups will be given priority.
