Executive Director, Kent State Online 

BASIC FUNCTION:

To provide leadership, vision, direction, and coordination of efforts for the various academic programs and courses being developed and deployed online at the university. To establish a robust offering of fully online programs that are key to University strategic efforts in online learning. To develop university-wide training and support for faculty. To provide direct supervision and leadership to staff supporting Kent State Online. To coordinate and communicate with academic departments and other offices at the university involved with online learning. To be responsible for establishing quality standards for Kent State Online. Reports to Associate Vice President for Continuing and Distance Education.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Plan, direct, and provide leadership and execute special projects.

Work with the Associate Vice President of OCDE to develop and implement strategic plans for Kent State Online.

Communicate with Deans, Chairs, and Directors within the university to identify course and program development needs, including faculty support and training needs. Ensure that related online course delivery activities are carried out in accordance with industry best practices.

Provide direct supervision of Instructional Designers and Educational Technologists from various units in the university.

Fulfill responsibilities of human resource management including equal opportunity employment, affirmative action and employee development for Kent State Online as part of the Office of Continuing and Distance Education.

Provide oversight in budget monitoring, resource reallocation, and resource deployment.

Communicate, plan and coordinate Kent State Online goals with university departments and units including library services, Information Technology, Student Accessibility Services, Teleproductions, Faculty Professional Development Center, and other units

Provide oversight in multiple campuses, colleges, and departments to ensure that communication with faculty is effective, and that faculty concerns are at the forefront of planning.

Provide oversight in the creation and delivery of presentations, workshops, and training materials for faculty and departments related to course design and development.

Assist in the development and implementation of distance learning goals, policies, and procedures.

Provide oversight in maintenance and support for online courses in all Kent State colleges.

Serve as the key escalation point for faculty and staff who are designing and building online courses and programs, as well as topics related to online pedagogy and teaching, and online research.

Serve on university, community, or divisional committees, as requested.

Perform related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s degree in instructional design, instructional technology, education, communication, user experience design or a related field of study. Six years experience in a combination of areas such as: instructional technology, instructional design, faculty development, institutional or curriculum assessment, higher education instruction, higher education online instruction, online pedagogy, web applications/multimedia development, related fields; to include four years of administrative experience to include experience with managing multiple projects and directing staff.

Preferred Qualifications:

Quality Matters training; experience teaching online.

Knowledge Of:

Instructional design, online pedagogy, Quality Matters, assessment and evaluation processes
Strategic planning
The business aspects of developing and delivering online distance education programs
Staff development procedures and processes
Research and innovations in education
Technical support and management issues
Distance learning technologies and processes
University structure; academic programs, budgeting; strategic planning; higher education issues; and personal computer applications

Skill In:

Developing and implementing a strategic plan
Developing online courses and programs
Building strong and productive relationships with cross-functional partners
Written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
Recognizing and addressing design and implementation problems
Organizing information and projects
Adhering to deadlines

Ability To:

Provide guidance for instructional design efforts
Provide leadership and direction
Research, design, and implement complex learner-centered online courses
Analyze and develop a variety of problem solving techniques to assess needs and the ability to determine alternative viable courses of action
Implement staff training and problem solving
Work independently and as part of a team
Possess considerable attention to detail and maintain a high customer-focus with contacts
Multi-task while managing multiple projects and assignments to meet deadlines within budget

Assessments:

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

Value Statement