Associate Head for Teaching and Learning

THE UNITED WORLD COLLEGES (INTERNATIONAL); Colorado; On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

UWC-USA is seeking an experienced Associate Head for Teaching and Learning to lead curricular innovation and faculty development across the IB program and the school's educational divisions.

The role partners with the President to ensure an excellent, equitable, and inclusive teaching and learning environment, while stewarding strategic planning, budget, and policy in service of the UWC mission.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 10+ years in leadership roles across two international or boarding schools.
• Strong identification with the vision, mission and values of UWC-USA.
• Experience advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access within curricula and programs.
• Tenure in the IB Diploma Programme and related curricular leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise theTeaching and Learning Department and curricular coordinators.
• Collaborate with the President and educational leaders to shape strategy, budget and policy.
• Advance inclusive, equitable, and sustainable teaching and learning across the program.
• Oversee implementation of curriculum policies, assessment practices, and faculty development.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum development

Diversity & Inclusion

IB Diploma Programme

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Master’s Degree

10+ years of leadership experience in international/boarding schools

Job description

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Associate Head for Teaching and Learning

Job title:Associate Head for Teaching and Learning

Location:UWC-USA, Montezuma, USA

Working pattern:Full-timeDuration of contract:12-month contract

Enquiries: [e-mail]

View other vacancies at UWC-USA

Founded in 1982, the United World College-USA is one of 18 United World College (UWC)
campuses worldwide and the only campus in the United States. The UWC movement seeks “to
make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable
future.” As such, UWC-USA values and promotes all manner of inclusion, diversity, equity, and
access as part of our fundamental mission to bring people together across differences in service of a more peaceful and sustainable world. With the IB at the center of our academic program, and a strong focus on experiential learning including in a multinational/multicultural boarding environment, UWC-USA stretches its students, faculty and staff to learn and grow in a
multi-perspectival community dedicated to democratic processes as reflective of our country
location and traditions

Our participation in the UWC movement and our philanthropy-based educational model
distinguish UWC-USA among international boarding schools. As a UWC two year school, we
recruit students through more than 150 National Committees worldwide. Our philanthropy-based model makes our educational program widely accessible to students from families with modest financial resources, no matter where they live in the world, with more than 80% of UWC-USA students receiving a financial award to attend the school. Together, these two advantages allow us to bring together students whose identities, experiences, and ideas create a microcosm of the world on our campus, which is located in rural Northern New Mexico.

What are the key details?

• 27 teaching faculty and another ~30 total education staff
• 220 students in grades 11 and 12, admitted on the basis of merit, promise and potential through over 150 National Committees worldwide and a Global Selection Process run as a partnership between schools and UWC International
• 1:8 faculty to student ratio, with class sizes ranging from 8-18 students
• Roughly twenty-five percent of the students come from the U.S.; the remainder represent more than 80 countries
• 80%+ of UWC-USA students receive a financial award to attend the school
• Diversity and the value placed on it is paramount, with national diversity only scratching the surface; racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious, sexual, gender, and socio-economic diversity all figure large in the opportunity and challenge to work, learn, and live within our diverse community; cultural competency and sensitivity, combined with a willingness to learn and to grow, is a must at UWC-USA

UWC-USA is looking for an experienced Associate Head for Teaching and Learning.

The Associate Head for Teaching and Learning contributes to the school’s mission across the
full program. Within the IBDP, the Associate Head for Teaching and Learning supports the
leadership of the President by creating the conditions for an excellent, equitable, and inclusive
UWC mission- and values-aligned teaching and learning environment. The Associate Head for
Teaching and Learning partners with the President in leading and innovating within the
education division, specifically managing curricular innovation, integration, and implementation;
providing pedagogical resource development and coaching; recruiting, reviewing, growing and
retaining mission- and values-aligned faculty; and stewarding the conditions for student
achievement. The Associate Head for Teaching and Learning administers the curriculum (IB
subjects and IB core) in keeping with UWC mission and values, UWC-USA’s strategic plan and foundational documents, IBDP authorization, ISAS accreditation, best practices in experiential education, and collaboration with the NM Public Education Department.

As the leader of teaching and learning, the Associate Head models excellence in leadership,
teaching, and learning. As a member of the Educational Leadership Team and the Student
Success Team, the Associate Head supports and contributes to an integrated student and
faculty experience across the academic, experiential, and residential curricula. As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), the Associate Head for Teaching and Learning contributes to the ongoing development and implementation of the school’s strategy, budget, and overall institutional ethos goals while working across the school with the Board, President, SLT colleagues, direct reports, faculty, staff, and students. As the face of UWC-USA’s commitment to
teaching and learning, the Associate Head for Teaching and Learning models to staff and students excellence in leadership, commitment to the UWC mission and values, and a clear grasp of UWC-USA’s strategic and communal commitments including especially our focus on integral sustainability and constructive engagement of conflict.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Consults closely with and advises the President on matters integral to faculty excellence and student experience in the curriculum
• Collaborates with President and Heads of Faculty to plan and execute full faculty meetings and assemblies for students and/or faculty
• Leads Heads of Faculty, IB Coordinator, and the Registrar to coordinate the academic program in fulfillment of the IB Diploma and UWC-USA High School Diploma
• Leads on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access measures related to teaching and learning
• Leads on sustainability and constructive engagement of conflict as pertains to teaching and learning
• Oversee and manage cross-departmental interfaces, focusing on initiatives that impact the student experience.
• Leads hiring for academic faculty in consultation with the President on final hiring decisions
• Provides pedagogical leadership across the program, with support from other designated curriculum coordinators (e.g., Heads of Faculty, IBDP Coordinator, Director of Co-curricular Learning)
• Serves on the Strategic Leadership Team
• Serves on the Educational Leadership Team
• Serves on the Student Success Team
• Serves on the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees
• Represents the school at monthly or monthly meetings of the Academic Leads from other UWC campuses
• Serves as an Administrator on Duty (AOD) on a rotating basis
• Serves as an active, visible, and engaged convening presence in the everyday life of UWC-USA and at school activities and events
• Solves problems that emerge in the Educational Division through consultation and examination of best practices follows up with policy revision where needed
• Collaborates with advancement leadership on strategic initiatives that cut across that division and the educational division [e.g. external interfacing (marketing/ communications), alternative revenue, fundraising (campaign), etc.]
• Leads or collaborates on special initiatives assigned by the President
• Together with Associate Head for Student Life, acts in place of the President when the President is away from campus and unavailable

Administration (Please see job description on UWC-USA's website for more details)

• Manages the Teaching and Learning Department
• Coordinates implementation of the curriculum and policies among faculty
• Coordinates implementation of the curriculum and policies among students
• Supports and develops mission-aligned faculty
• Maintains timely and effective communication with key stakeholders

Supervision

• The Associate Head for Teaching and Learning provides direct supervision of IBDP Coordinator, Heads of Faculty, Registrar, and the Research Support Specialist, to include mentoring them and guiding them through a thorough program-wide performance review cycle and recommending retention decisions to the President.
• The Associate Head also has supervisory responsibility for the faculty and includes the IB Teaching Faculty.
• Supervises the Director of Future Pathways and University Counseling:
  • Oversees the management of the department by the Director of Future Pathways and University Counseling.
  • Consults with the Director regarding their department budget and reviews budget requests
  • Ensures that universities receive IB results in a timely manner
  • Ensures that the Director implements a performance review process and professional development program that is consistent with wider program practices
  • Works with the Director to prepare department reports needed to inform decision-making by the President and Board

Skills and preferred experience

Required Education/Experience

• Master’s Degree
• 10+ years of experience in a minimum of two schools, in a position of leadership or significant involvement in educational leadership and supervision in an international, boarding, or diverse context.

Required Qualifications

• Strong identification with the vision, mission and values of UWC-USA and ability to articulate and translate them in strategic and day to day implementation of programs
• Knowledge of best practices in diversity, equity, inclusion and access and the requisite skillfulness to support student and staff growth in this area and to facilitate critical conversations in the design of inclusive curriculum and programs; demonstrated commitment to such practices
• Five or more years of administrative experience in secondary education
• Ten or more years of successful teaching in a multicultural school and in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• Knowledge of curricular practices, research and methodologies for secondary prep or independent school environments
• Knowledge of instructional strategies used in the enhancement of curricular programs
• Knowledge of standardized and performance-based assessment practices
• A proven track record of supporting student and faculty performance and retention
• Commitment to learning and modeling constructive engagement of conflict among colleagues and students
• Commitment to learning and modeling personal, communal, and environmental sustainability
• General familiarity with relevant laws and regulations that govern educational institutions
• Ability to use good judgment in establishing priorities and assessing and engaging difficult situations
• Exemplary discretion and confidentiality
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues within the profession, including within the larger UWC movement
• Empathetic leadership style; open, accessible, and collaborative
• Outstanding organization and communication skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Required License

• Must be eligible for a U.S. driver’s license, and must be insurable by the school’s insurance carriers

Desired Qualifications

• Experience implementing curricular innovations
• Experience as an IB examiner, site visitor or workshop leader
• Theoretical and practical background in experiential education
• Independent, international and/or boarding school experience

Safeguarding and inclusivity

Those who work at UWC-USA understand that they are more than employees at a world-class institution: they are integral members of a campus community. Whether they teach, maintain the campus, or work in an office, each person recognizes the crucial role they play in educating tomorrow’s transformational leaders.

UWC-USA is committed to equal employment and volunteer opportunities without regard to age, ancestry, disability, national or ethnic origin, race, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, political belief, or veteran status.