Associate Director, Curriculum and Special Projects - Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
About the Job
Overview
The Associate Director for Curriculum and Special Projects manages the processes and systems that produce the undergraduate curriculum. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, the Associate Director will serve as ODOC's primary point of contact for the systems that produce course offerings, track degree requirements, and advance new and revised curricular initiatives. This includes training and advising departmental staff, reviewing curricular updates and new course proposals, and leading the implementation of short- and long-term systems improvements in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar. The Associate Director oversees the curricular work of undergraduate program administrators in the University's more than 100 academic departments and minor/certificate programs, ensuring that new and revised undergraduate curricular materials are appropriately proposed, reviewed, and approved throughout the academic year.
The Associate Director will serve as the project manager for ODOC's implementation of new and revised systems that affect the undergraduate curriculum, such as the new course scheduling grid, the transition to credit-bearing independent work courses, and the upcoming adoption of Stellic for curriculum planning and student advising. In addition, the Associate Director will advance ongoing opportunities for process and project improvements, such as automating paper-based systems, streamlining course proposal processes, and identifying new efficiencies in cross-campus collaborations that concern course offerings and related systems. In addition to working closely with the Office of the Registrar, the Associate Director will be a critical link and valued thought-partner on ODOC's behalf with the Office of Information Technology and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.
Responsibilities
Serve as ODOC's project manager for new policy and system implementation for course offerings and related advising processes (30%):
- Working with the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, the Associate Dean for Academic Advising, and colleagues from the Office of the Registrar, oversee the multi-year implementation process for Stellic.
- Conceive and communicate a process for departmental staff to institute other policy and system changes, such as the new course scheduling grid and the transition to credit-bearing independent work courses.
- Engage with other stakeholders in long-range planning for other systems improvements and upgrades, including the University's transition to a new Enterprise Reporting System (e.g. PeopleSoft).
- Develop workflows and processes for managing summer and term time courses for special programs
Manage ongoing curricular business and oversee the production of course offerings throughout the year (40%):
- Receive, manage, and archive all written materials proposing changes to the undergraduate curriculum, ensuring that all course proposals and syllabi follow University policy.
- Sit with the Faculty Committee on the Course of Study and prepare the committee’s meeting materials and meeting minutes.
- For fall, spring, and summer courses, review all new and revised course proposals in the CAP and CUP curriculum management system to produce Course Offerings.
- Routinely correspond with departments and individual faculty to resolve outstanding questions about course listings, requirements, and other curricular details.
Manage the annual update of the Undergraduate Announcement (20%):
- Steward the annual update of the University's flagship publication recording departmental faculty rosters for all academic units, University-wide academic policies, departmental degree requirements and program information for minors, along with up-to-date listings of permanent courses.
- Communicate and instruct departmental staff regarding update processes and guidelines.
- Liaise with Web Development Services to negotiate the annual contract and, when necessary, anticipate and arrange for additional upgrades and enhancements.
- Supervise a copy-editor who reviews the final publication for accuracy and consistency of style in accordance with University guidelines.
Plan and lead professional development opportunities for departmental staff (10%):
- Work with the Office of the Registrar to orient and train new undergraduate administrators and program managers.
- Convene departmental staff as needed throughout the academic year for ongoing training and refresher sessions, particularly in conjunction with policy or systems changes.
- Host periodic "just in time" training on new or updated processes, such as the annual Undergraduate Announcement update or introduction of new curricular policies for undergraduate course listings.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of applicable experience in academic administration.
- Demonstrated experience leading project management in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders.
- Attention to detail and a commitment to publicizing and enforcing academic policies across the University.
- Ability to communicate with consistency, tact, and transparency among multiple constituencies, including departmental staff, faculty, and other administrators.
- Proficiency with PeopleSoft Curriculum Management, SharePoint, Microsoft Excel.
- A willingness to acquire new technological skills as University systems evolve and change.
- A strong “problem-solving” orientation that consistently looks for opportunities to eliminate redundancies, find efficiencies, and streamline routine business processes.
Preferred:
Strong preference for previous experience in an academic department or program at Princeton.
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
