Director and Chair of Education Programs

Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Chatham University, a coeducational institution with a nationally recognized women’s college at its historic heart, seeks an ambitious, dynamic, and accomplished academic leader to serve as Director and Chair of Education Programs. Offering the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education & Early Childhood Education, and secondary certification in a wide range of disciplines, Chatham’s Education programs are key to both the University’s history and its future. All degree programs have robust, high-quality course offerings that incorporate practical field experiences at all levels. Chatham students are sought-after by districts both regionally and nationally, and passing rates on the PRAXIS exams are consistently very high.

The new Director and Chair will assume leadership during a time of exceptional promise and opportunity to expand education programs and to build on their broad appeal and reputation for excellence in preparing teachers who are grounded in both evidence-based practice and the core values of the liberal arts. S/he will seize upon opportunities and developments both on and off campus, including the development of Chatham’s new 338-acre Eden Hall Farm campus, the recent achievement of university status, and the increasing demand for doctoral programs to train education leaders throughout the state and the nation.

In addition to strong administrative, management and communication skills, the successful candidate will have a broad, substantial record of accomplishment within the profession, including successful experience leading programs within an institution of higher education. The new Director and Chair will have an earned doctorate and a strong record of teaching, scholarly accomplishment and service suitable for appointment at senior rank. A record of success in curriculum and program development, establishing links to public and private school systems, the management of accreditation processes, and the solicitation of external funding is strongly preferred. S/he will be a decisive and collaborative leader who has a vision for Chatham’s unique identity, history, and potential, with particular focus on student and faculty recruitment, program development, quality assessment, community outreach, and marketing strategy.

This search is being conducted with the assistance of Katherine Jacobs and Allison Kupfer of the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. Please direct nominations, inquiries and application materials in confidence to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

HISTORY AND MISSION OF CHATHAM

Chatham University was chartered on December 11, 1869, under the name Pennsylvania Female College. It was founded to provide women with an education comparable to that which men could receive at the time at "colleges of the first class." The founders were somewhat ahead of their time: 1869 was the year that the National Association of Women's Suffrage was established, and the year John Stuart Mill published The Subjection of Women. Pennsylvania Female College occupied what was then the largest private residence in Allegheny County - the George Berry mansion atop Fifth Avenue in Shadyside. Fifteen faculty and just more than 100 students occupied the 11-acre campus. In 1890 the name of the institution was changed to Pennsylvania College for Women, and in 1955 the name was changed again to Chatham College. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted university status in 2007, which was officially announced on May 1, 2007 and marks Chatham's newest tradition, University Day.

Now home to almost 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students, Chatham’s Shadyside Campus includes the beautiful and historic, rolling 39-acre Woodland Road arboretum campus, as well as Chatham Eastside, an office complex one mile away that allows the University to expand several successful programs, including interior architecture, landscape architecture, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and physician assistant studies. On May 1, 2008—one year after having been granted University status by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—Chatham received a gift unequaled in its history: the Eden Hall Farm Campus from the Eden Hall Foundation. Originally a farm and retreat for the working women of Pittsburgh, Eden Hall Farm will be an academic eco-campus accessible to Chatham students and also a community resource for the residents of Pittsburgh’s North Hills. The nearly 400-acre campus will be a living laboratory for environmental programs, both undergraduate and graduate and will support a variety of educational, environmental, women’s leadership and community programs.

Today, Chatham is academically comprised of three colleges, including: Chatham College for Women, which offers baccalaureate degrees to women only; the College for Graduate Studies, offering master’s and doctoral degrees and teacher certification to both women and men; and the College for Continuing and Professional Studies, offering undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education online to both women and men. With the advantages of a beautiful, historic setting nestled in a vibrant major city, Chatham prepares students, bachelors through doctoral level, to excel in their professions and to be engaged, environmentally responsible, globally conscious, life-long learners, and citizen leaders for democracy.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Chatham’s education programs are deeply rooted in Chatham’s liberal arts tradition. The program is guided by the following convictions:

• That narrow vision and intolerance can be overcome through an understanding of the realities presented by the liberal arts, and through the testing of ideas and methods;

• That one must learn how to identify problems, evaluate evidence, and pursue solutions;

• That one must learn to judge ideas critically and express them effectively;

• That in pursuit of learning, imagination is as important and useful as reason.

Bringing these convictions into practice and the training of tomorrow’s exceptional teachers, the program today consists of both graduate and undergraduate offerings.

Undergraduate: The Teacher Preparation Program offers teacher certification programs in early childhood education (N-3), elementary (K-6), secondary (7-12), art education (K-12), and environmental education (K-12). The program involves both classroom study and extensive field experiences, culminating in a 14-week Student Teaching experience.

The Liberal Arts Majors in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education offer a comprehensive preparation program for teaching young children predicated on a foundation in the liberal arts. Students in elementary and early childhood are required to complete a minor in an academic discipline as well as the sequence of professional preparation courses.

Students in secondary and K-12 certification areas must complete a major in the academic discipline: English, mathematics, history, physics, biology, chemistry, art, environmental science. Students also complete professional education coursework and field experiences, and candidates complete student teaching in grade levels representative of the candidate’s license.

Graduate: The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree is designed for women and men planning careers in the teaching profession at the early childhood (N-3rd grade), elementary (K-6th grade), or secondary levels (7th-12th grade, in the areas of English, social studies, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics), and special education, and environmental education (K-12th grade).

The program is based on the premise that successful teachers will need a strong liberal arts education, in-depth knowledge of a chosen discipline, and mastery of current educational theory, practice, and technology. All undergraduate requirements for certification in a given area need to be completed before a student is fully accepted into the M.A.T. program.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEW DIRECTOR AND CHAIR

In the first 12-18 months of his or her tenure, the Director and Chair will be expected to:

Identify and build upon new program opportunities. Chatham’s new campus focused on sustainability represents just one of the wonderful opportunities the Director and Chair will have to build new and cross-disciplinary program elements into Chatham’s Education offerings. Similarly, there is increasing demand for doctoral-level programs to prepare education leaders to transform districts, close the achievement gap and train graduates for 21st century careers. The new Director and Chair will develop new programs, partnerships and initiatives that capitalize on Chatham’s unique assets and history, positioning it to compete successfully for both new students and additional support.

Develop and maintain relationships that ensure Chatham is keeping abreast of, and is able to adjust quickly to, state-level policy changes that impact education programs. Recent and continuing shifts in state certification standards require that the Director and Chair stay in constant touch with the state capital and make the necessary adjustments to the curriculum, assessment and accreditation plans to ensure that programs are current and preparing all students and graduates to best serve students across the state and the nation.

Promote the successful pursuit of external funding. In recent years, the Pennsylvania state budget has become increasingly strained and less able to keep pace with salaries and operations. The new Director and Chair is charged with leveraging relationships through alumni, partners, and private and federal foundations to define and aggressively pursue synergistic relationships and opportunities for financial support of the department’s priorities. An ambitious bid to the National Science Foundation is currently underway to support programs that would help scientists transition into classroom teacher positions. The Director and Chair will strategically guide additional such outreach for support.

Recruit, mentor, and support dedicated and distinguished faculty in the education program. The new Director and Chair will have the unique opportunity to impact the education program’s development through recruiting new faculty to Chatham. S/he will drive systematic faculty-guided assessments of student learning and will work collaboratively with faculty to identify new requirements and opportunities for successful accreditation, positioning the program for expanded student recruitment nationally.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The new Director and Chair will be an accomplished teacher/scholar and an experienced administrator who can provide strategic and operational leadership to the education programs at Chatham. S/he must be skilled in managing programs under changing policy conditions and possess a broad, sound knowledge of the education field. A doctoral degree from an accredited institution and a record of distinguished scholarship are required, and a record of success in soliciting and managing external funding is strongly desired.

While no individual will embody all of them, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following professional assets and personal qualities:

• Experience as a teacher, scholar and administrator with a broad understanding of the disciplines across the relevant fields; an academic record and standing commensurate with senior rank;

• Ability to apply vision and creativity to the collaborative development and implementation of new programs and initiatives in an academic setting; an energetic & entrepreneurial leadership style;

• Demonstrated ability to adapt rapidly to policy changes at the state level that impact education programs, ensuring that they serve the evolving needs of students and communities;

• Commitment and ability to sustain and enhance high quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels; keen understanding of and commitment to the processes and strategies related to program assessment and accreditation;

• Experience within a small, liberal arts academic setting; a track record of successful academic management at the departmental level; responsibility for a diverse and substantial portfolio; the ability to inspire, motivate, develop, and mentor faculty;

• A thorough, first-hand understanding of academic research and a record of success securing funding for scholarly work;

• Strong financial and management skills; a solid understanding of the financial complexities of a medium-sized private university;

• A self-driven, collaborative, collegial, and open style; an ability to partner effectively with other leaders in areas of joint responsibility; a record of proactively working with colleagues, keeping them professionally engaged, and striving to develop and nurture their success;

• Leadership, presence, and interpersonal skills to promote the University’s education programs and increase their statewide and national visibility;

• Outstanding communication skills to inspire a full range of constituencies and external audiences;

• A demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity at all levels;

• A reputation for integrity and the highest standards of moral behavior; and

• A healthy sense of humor.

LOCATION

Named the “Most Livable City in the U.S.” by The Economist in 2009, Pittsburgh offers all the excitement of a metropolis - an eclectic music scene, dozens of museums and galleries, professional sports teams, great restaurants and shopping, plenty of bookstores and coffee shops, and a thriving cultural community. It's a bustling hub of business with six Fortune 500 companies, more than 300 foreign-owned firms, two of the largest banks in America, a health system ranked in the nation's top ten, and the busiest inland port in America. Pittsburgh is also a model for sustainability and green space among American cities, with among the highest number of LEED-certified buildings and the most acres of park per capita of any major city.

TO APPLY

More information about Chatham may be found at: http://www.chatham.edu.

Applications and nominations are requested as soon as possible, but no later than October 15, 2010. Applications including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), salary history and where you learned of the position should be sent to: Chatham-C@nonprofitprofessionals.com. In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.

Chatham University is a committed EEO/AA institution.

Minorities, women, persons
with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.