Department Head - Learning and Information Studies (Remote)Virtual, USA

The University of Arizona Global Campus; Arizona; Remote; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Arizona Global Campus seeks a Department Head for Learning and Information Studies to guide online programs, faculty workloads, scheduling, and development. This role provides strategic leadership to foster excellence and collaboration across the department.

The position emphasizes faculty success, curriculum integrity, and partnerships with college leadership, ensuring effective contracts, budgeting, and ongoing program review in a fully remote environment.

Qualifications

• Earned doctorate degree in a discipline aligned with the academic program.
• Experience in academic leadership, including faculty development, curriculum oversight, or departmental operations.
• Experience contributing to or leading strategic planning and implementation in academic programs.
• Familiarity with best practices in teaching and learning, including curriculum development assessment strategies, especially in virtual environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary and strategic leadership to guide academic programs and faculty toward institutional excellence.
• Oversee faculty workload planning, performance evaluation, and development within an online workforce academic environment.
• Oversee scheduling, faculty contracts, and resource allocation with precision and fairness.
• Lead programmatic initiatives, mentor faculty, and foster continuous improvement.
• Coordinate efforts with student success, student affairs, library, and career services to support holistic student development.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Faculty workload planning

Scheduling

Performance evaluation

Online instruction

Communication skills

Education

Doctorate degree

Job description

Remote

Full time

R26-0086

The Department Head, Learning and Information Studies provides strategic and operational leadership for the academic department, guiding its faculty, programs, and initiatives toward excellence while shaping the department's vision and fostering a shared understanding of faculty success through leading efforts in faculty workload planning, scheduling, and performance. The position's main accountability is faculty success while also contributing to student and curriculum success. In collaboration with faculty and administrative teams, the Department Head ensures effective scheduling, facilitates faculty contracts, addresses faculty concerns, and supports continuous growth and faculty development.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Duties and Responsibilities

Administrative Service

• Collaboratively creates a vision and shared aims for the department.
• Supports college leaders in developing relationships with external partnerships and relationships.
• Reviews departmental success metrics through the lens of faculty outcomes and creates a strategy for continuous improvement.
• Develops, organizes, and monitors outcomes of faculty success initiatives.
• Mentors and supports faculty in helping them achieve their goals and desired career outcomes.
• Engages in and organizes regular review of faculty teaching quality and development plans.
• Supports and contributes to curriculum success initiatives and strategic plans at the divisional level.
• Attends and actively participates in department, college, and university meetings.
• Engages in shared governance activities and committees.
• Work with faculty to create contracts and establish workload.
• Oversees faculty scheduling in the department.
• Leads search and hiring committees and makes departmental hiring decisions.
• Works with college leadership to create and monitor the departmental budget.
• Oversees program review, accreditation, and licensure efforts.

Learning Leadership

• The UAGC online educational model is built around a \"quality at scale\" approach, in which a centralized, expertly designed curriculum ensures consistency, rigor, and excellence across all course sections.
• All faculty teach from a shared course shell, allowing them to focus on delivering high-impact instruction and individualized support.
• Develop and improve courses and innovative teaching practices in collaboration with instructional designers, assessment specialists, and other experts.
• Implements ideas and initiatives focused on enhancing student learning and success outcomes related to UAGC's institutional goals (retention completion, and value).
• Develop and improve course materials including texts, media, assessment tools, and other innovative instructional modalities.
• Review, support, and mentor instructional quality of associate faculty.
• Leads continuous improvement of curriculum and instructional design, with a focus on relevance, rigor, and accessibility.
• Leads and supports the department in coordinating efforts with student success, student affairs, library, writing center, access and wellness, academic advising, and career services to create, monitor, and improve initiatives for a holistic student support experience.
• Monitors, organizes, and reports out on initiatives related to students' sense of connection to the university in an online environment.

Teaching

• Department Heads demonstrate a passion for helping students achieve their goals, applying disciplinary and professional knowledge in effective practices in teaching, assessment, and student engagement for online, asynchronous courses.
• Deliver high-quality, engaging online instruction.
• Connect the learning experience to workforce skills and professional advancement.
• Foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment for adult learners.
• Prioritize student learning, achievement, and timely feedback.
• Maintain strong communication with students and respond promptly to inquiries.
• Ensure academic integrity and uphold university policies.
• Collaborate with academic support teams to enhance student experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to provide visionary and strategic leadership to guide academic programs and faculty toward institutional excellence.
• Skill in managing faculty workload planning, performance evaluation, and development within an online workforce academic environment.
• Ability to oversee complex academic operations, including course scheduling, faculty contracts, and resource allocation, with precision and fairness.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills to support the efficient and responsive operation of academic departments.
• Ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships across faculty, program leadership, and administrative teams.
• Skill in resolving faculty concerns and promoting a healthy and productive academic environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a capacity to foster student engagement and clarity in a remote learning context.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines and balance competing responsibilities within a flexible, evolving work environment.

Additional Information

Recommendations for appointment and faculty rank are made by department faculty and the College Dean and approved by the Vice Provost for Global Campus Academic Affairs, guided by standards of achievement in teaching and service at each rank, including the the following expectations:

• Global Campus Associate Professor (terminal degree and 4 years full-time college teaching experience)
• Global Campus Professor (terminal degree and 8 years full-time college teaching experience)

Distribution and expectations of duties, including teaching load, vary annually depending on department needs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned doctorate degree in a discipline aligned with the academic program.
• Experience in academic leadership, including faculty development, curriculum oversight, or departmental operations.
• Experience contributing to or leading strategic planning and implementation in academic programs.
• Evidence of experience demonstrating adequate training, depth of knowledge in a particular specialty, and capacity to undertake high-quality teaching and service.
• Familiarity with best practices in teaching and learning, including curriculum development assessment strategies, especially in virtual environments.
• A collaborative and student-centered approach to leadership and instructional support.
• Demonstrated ability to lead programmatic initiatives, mentor faculty, and foster continuous improvement.
• Familiarity with scaling innovative teaching practices and supporting holistic student development in online learning environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Applied professional experience in the field.
• Experience teaching in on-ground and online higher education, including experience in faculty development, instructional design, and continuous improvement.
• Experience contributing to a strategic vision, increased student success, and growth.
• Experience working with adult, non-traditional, post-traditional learners.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

Rate of Pay

$95,000-$130,000

Compensation Type

Salary at 1.0 Full-Time Equivalency (FTE)

Compensation Type

Salary at 1.0 Full-Time Equivalency (FTE)

Compensation Guidance

The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

Career Stream

Chapter 4 Service Professional

Level

Chapter 4

Job Function

Service Professional

Job Family

Academic Services

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) ( https://clery.arizona.edu/asr ) for each of the University's campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at [e-mail].

For more information regarding this position, please contact us at [e-mail].

Where higher education meets technology - that's The University of Arizona Global Campus. At UAGC, students discover relevant degree programs, innovative technology, and cherished tradition. UAGC offers associate, bachelor's, and master's online degree programs. The mission of UAGC is to provide high-quality, accessible, lower cost, and innovative, educational programs that meet the diverse needs of individuals pursuing advancement in their lives, professions, and communities. For more information, please visit www.uagc.edu , Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UniversityOfArizonaGlobalCampus/) , Instagram (https://https://www.instagram.com/uazglobalcampus/) , LinkedIn (https://https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-arizona-global-campus/) or Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/UAZGlobalCampus) .