NORTHWEST NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Description of Position

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) seeks a relational academic professional to serve as Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). This senior administrator will play a key role in leading the institution toward fulfillment of its mission and vision. As the university’s chief academic officer, the VPAA will work with the University President, the Faculty, other campus academic leaders, and the President’s Senior Leadership Team.

The VPAA will lead efforts to strengthen NNU’s traditional undergraduate liberal arts program, expand adult and graduate offerings, and foster the education of the whole person across the entire curriculum. Candidates must be committed Christians whose beliefs align with the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and preferably be members of the Church of the Nazarene.

The VPAA will lead the various academic sectors of the institution in mission fulfillment, maintaining university-wide values and outcomes, while being aware of the uniqueness and importance of each discipline and delivery mode. This role requires vision casting, strategic goal setting, and plan implementation within a collegial, collaborative campus culture.

This is a full time, 12-month, Exempt position and reports to the University President.

Essential Functions, Roles and Responsibilities

As the chief academic officer, the VPAA:

• Leads and advocates for all academic programs, personnel, and priorities, ensuring alignment and support across the university’s academic domain.
• Works with the President in overseeing all matters of mission articulation, academic and shared governance, program review, assessment, revision, and new program development.
• Works with the faculty and guides the collaborative work of other academic leaders in their respective areas to foster and promote the NNU academic community.
• Recruits, orients and develops intellectually talented, spiritually vital and collegially committed faculty who are committed to the university’s mission, vision and values.
• Maintains administrative oversite of policies and systems for faculty development, review, rank promotion, tenure and sabbaticals.
• Analyzes and reviews NNU’s academic organization and academic governance and contributes to the university’s ongoing refinement of shared governance.
• Works with general and specialized accrediting bodies, harmonizing the institution’s mission and priorities with these programmatic commitments and priorities.
• Provides direct oversite to the university’s central academic service departments including the Registrar’s office, accreditation and academic regulatory compliance, library services, institutional research, and the Center for Academic Success & Advising.
• Offers proper oversite, provision and allocation of resources, including operational budgets and personnel, needed to achieve the university’s academic vision.
• Works with the President and serves on the Senior Leadership Team to provide academic vision, set strategic goals, and develop operational plans that advance NNU’s scope, quality, and depth of curricular and programmatic offerings.
• Demonstrates a commitment to intellectual rigor while integrating faith throughout the curriculum and classroom experience.
• Upholds the university’s mission and its commitment to the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.
• Encourages faculty and students to impact the world for Christ as His positive change agents.
• Collaborates with Student Life to promote and enhance student thriving.
• Chairs and serves on academic commissions and committees.
• Performs other duties which may be reasonably required of the position.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervision of Registrar, Director of CASA, Associate VP of Institutional Research, Associate VP of NNU eCampus, VPAA Executive Assistant, and all Academic Deans.

Minimum Qualifications

The VPAA should bring a wealth of personal and professional experience and ability to the position, and must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or appropriate terminal degree in field of study
• Committed Christian, aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness Tradition, with a history of being a committed church member
• A history of appropriate scholarship in chosen field
• A passion for the role of Christian higher education in the church and society
• If not already a member of the Church of the Nazarene, a willingness to join, embrace and actively participate in the Church of the Nazarene
• Accomplishments as a teacher, scholar, and academic administrator, with evidence of leadership in academic program development
• Personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
• An appreciation for, and model of, servant leadership
• A student of higher education with understanding of current trends and movements
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, interpersonal and communication skills
• Vital, energetic, relational, and collegial leader, able to nurture the morale of faculty, students, staff and administrators
• An ability to foster a cohesive and comprehensive academic vision for NNU’s traditional and non-traditional undergraduate programs, as well as the university’s master and doctoral programs
• An ability to foster the integration of intellectual rigor with the spiritual dimension, while supporting an institutional commitment to discipline-appropriate scholarship
• An ability to work with a variety of internal and external constituencies:  faculty, administrators, trustees, alumni, church, donors, community, accreditors
• Commitment to shape and guide the development of a mission-appropriate, pervasively Christian, intellectually prepared, diverse student body
• Awareness of and interest in being an informed, global educator and Christian
• Foresight and understanding in higher education issues, trends, and best practices
• A catalyst for meaningful change, empowering others through collaboration and innovation. 
• Willing and able to make decisions in complex or evolving situations and in a timely manner
• Willing and able to make difficult decisions in a timely matter
• Ability to perform the Essential Functions of this position
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality
• Experience with PC software, especially Microsoft Office applications, and the ability to learn new software
• Willingness and ability to travel for work
• Ability to view a computer screen for extended periods of time
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time

Additional Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the above Minimum Qualifications, preference will be given to candidates possessing the following qualifications:

• A current member of the Church of the Nazarene
• Extensive administrative experience, including experience in matters of recruiting, hiring, orienting, promotion and tenure
• Entrepreneurial spirit with ability to execute
• Demonstrated experience in proactively implementing vision via strategic fiscal management, programmatic/staffing creativity and administrative advocacy

Compensation

Salary will be determined by the educational background, experience, preparation, and comparative peer institution data. (of each applicant.)  Full-time personnel will be offered access to a benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance for employee and family, life and disability insurance, flexible spending plan, tuition benefits, annual leave, sick leave, opportunities for professional development, and a retirement program.

Application Process

Northwest Nazarene University is sponsored by the Church of the Nazarene and seeks to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the body of Christ in its faculty, staff administration and students. All those interested are encouraged to apply and will be evaluated equitably.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To be considered for this position, a complete application packet must be received, including all of the following:

• Letter of interest
• NNU application form
• Resume
• A statement of personal Christian faith
• A statement of personal view on the integration of faith with teaching and scholarship.  
• Responses to the NNU Christian Mission requirements 
• Letter of reference from two professional associates
• Letter of reference from current pastor
• Transcripts (unofficial acceptable for the hiring process, official required upon hire)

Please do not contact the President or the President’s office directly; they will not respond to email inquiries or voice messages. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Employment at Northwest Nazarene University is contingent upon the results of an independent background check.

Northwest Nazarene University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an educational institution operating under the auspices of the Church of the Nazarene, Northwest Nazarene University is permitted, and reserves the right to prefer employees on the basis of religion (Title VII, sections 702-703, United States Civil Rights act of 1964 as amended.)