Director for the Online Ed.D. Program - Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

University of Oklahoma; Norman (OK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Oklahoma in Norman seeks a rank-renewable Associate Professor in Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision to lead the Ed.D. Online program with a higher education leadership focus. The role includes teaching, dissertation supervision, and year-round program administration.

Responsibilities include directing the Ed.D. Online program, coordinating scheduling and adjunct faculty, ensuring policy alignment, and managing budgetary matters, while teaching in online/hybrid

Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Educational Leadership, Higher Education, or a closely related field.
• 5–10 years of experience in educational leadership, administration, or as a program director.
• Demonstrated excellence in graduate-level teaching, online or hybrid.
• Experience leading online EdD programs.
• Evidence of program direction, growth, and improvement.

Responsibilities

• Teach doctoral-level courses and chair dissertations in the Ed.D. Online program (asynchronous and synchronous formats).
• Year-round advising, program administration, and teaching.
• Direct the Ed.D. Online program: leadership, coordination, and operations.
• Oversee scheduling, adjunct hires, instructional delivery, and policies.
• Monitor budgetary matters and align with department priorities.

Skills

Educational leadership

Higher education

Online teaching

Program direction

Online program leadership

Education

Doctorate in Educational Leadership

Job description

Position description
The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education (JRCOE) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) invites applications for a rank-renewable position at the Associate Professor level in the Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision (EACS) program area, with primary responsibilities in the Ed.D. Online program (higher education leadership concentration), located in Norman. This is a 12-month full-time position with an expected teaching load of 3–3 (for fall, spring) and required 2 in summer and administrative responsibilities (see below). This position is based in Norman, Oklahoma.

OU is a comprehensive flagship research institution with a student body of approximately 31,000, committed to excellence in teaching, research, and professional service. The ELPS department (https://ou.edu/education/academics/educational-leadership-and-policy-studies) includes faculty dedicated to high-quality teaching, scholarly engagement, and service. The department offers M.Ed., Ed.D., and Ph.D. degrees in Education Studies (EDS), EACS, and Adult & Higher Education (EDAH), with most courses offered at the graduate level. The EACS program includes face-to-face graduate programs on the Norman and Tulsa campuses as well as online doctoral programs serving working professionals.

The Ed.D. Online program within EACS and EDAH prepares scholar-practitioners for leadership roles across both PK–12 and higher education contexts, with this position specifically contributing to the higher education leadership concentration and the preparation of leaders in colleges, universities, and related organizations. Additional information about ELPS and EACS is available at: https://www.ou.edu/academics/educational-leadership-and-policy-studies

Responsibilities

Rank renewable term faculty are expected to engage in teaching and service and administrative activities consistent with the OU Strategic Plan (Lead On, University! https://www.ou.edu/leadon). This is a non-tenure track position with no expectation of developing an independent research agenda or being eligible for tenure; however, engagement in professional practice, program evaluation, and applied scholarship is valued. This is a rank renewable term position and cannot be transferred into a tenure line position.

The successful candidate will teach doctoral-level courses and chair student dissertations within the Ed.D. Online program (including both asynchronous and synchronous online/hybrid formats). Teaching responsibilities will emphasize educational leadership or higher education leadership, including governance, organizational leadership, student success, policy, and innovation in education contexts. Year-round advising, program administration, and teaching are required.

We seek individuals who can teach in one or more of the following areas within education leadership (P-20, K-20 or higher education) in the Ed.D. context:

• Education administration, governance, and policy
• Leadership for student success
• Technology, innovation, and digital transformation
• Organizational leadership, change, and strategic decision-making

A critical component of the role is serving as Director of the Ed.D. Online program, which enrolls approximately 180–210 doctoral students across multiple active cohorts. In this capacity, the Director will:

• Provide overall leadership and coordination for the Ed.D. Online Program within ELPS.
• Oversee program operations, including course scheduling, interviewing and hiring adjunct faculty, instructional delivery, and program policies.
• Ensure program alignment with departmental, college, and university priorities.
• Collaborate with department leadership and faculty on program planning, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Monitor and communicate budgetary matters, including providing regular updates to the Department Chair on expenditures, funding needs, and long-term financial planning.
• Availability to teach during summer terms, including chairing dissertations

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• An earned doctorate in Educational Leadership, Higher Education, or a closely related field
• Five (5) to ten (10) years of experience in educational leadership, administration, or program director roles.
• Demonstrated excellence in graduate-level teaching, particularly in online or hybrid doctoral programs
• Previous experience leading online programs and more specifically Online EdD programs
• Evidence of previous program direction, growth and improvement
• Experience in online graduate student programming and community building
• Contributes to a culture of mutual respect, shared responsibility, and continuous improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Substantial knowledge of and connections to CPED
• Experience teaching graduate students across multiple modalities (online and hybrid), with demonstrated effectiveness in online instruction
• Experience supporting doctoral students, including mentoring, advising, and dissertation supervision
• Experience with student recruitment, retention, and persistence initiatives in graduate programs
• Ability to develop and assess graduate programs, and experience leading accreditation processes
• Demonstrated expertise aligned with one or more of the focus areas listed above