Edtech.com's Summary

Saint Mary's University is hiring a Vice President for Academic Affairs. The VPAA will lead academic vision, strategy, and execution across all programs, promoting innovation and sustainability while advancing the Lasallian Catholic mission. This position oversees faculty affairs, academic excellence, accreditation, budgeting, and serves as the President's principal academic partner.

Highlights

Lead academic vision aligned with Catholic/Lasallian identity and strategic plan.
Manage faculty recruitment, evaluation, and uphold academic freedom.
Oversee academic portfolio review, program innovation, and P&L management.
Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Marketing, and other university departments.
Ensure student success through holistic academic support and equity initiatives.
Steward institutional and programmatic accreditation compliance.
Develop and manage budgets and academic resource allocation.
Cultivate external partnerships and philanthropy to support academic goals.
Requires earned doctorate, progressive academic leadership, and commitment to Catholic higher education.
Salary range: $165,000 - $200,000 annually.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Full Description

Overview and Responsibilities:

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth. We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence.

Job Summary

The Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) is the University’s chief academic officer responsible for academic vision, strategy, and execution across all undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. The VPAA exhibits a spirit of entrepreneurship in education, demonstrated through agility, flexibility, and creativity in meeting the challenges of disruption in higher education. This role will proactively develop new pathways and programs that generate academic innovation, institutional vitality, and sustainable revenue.
The VPAA advances Saint Mary’s Lasallian Catholic mission and the Catholic intellectual tradition; demonstrates a deep understanding of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Ex Corde Ecclesiae, with the ability to appreciate, develop, promote, and uphold Saint Mary’s University’s Position Statement on Inclusion and Human Dignity. The VPAA embodies the university’s Catholic and Lasallian mission in both academic and administrative decision-making; ensures academic excellence and student success; leads faculty affairs; and stewards resources in partnership with the President and Cabinet. Serves as the President’s principal partner and delegate in academic as well as institutional administration, assuming a leadership role in the President’s absence and ensuring continuity of mission, operations, and communication across the university.

Salary Range: $165k - $200k

Main Duties & Responsibilities

1) Mission, Strategy, and Academic Excellence

Lead a coherent academic vision aligned to the University’s mission, strategic plan, and Catholic/Lasallian identity, integrating the Catholic Intellectual Tradition through application of Ex Corde Ecclesiae.
Champion character and virtue ethics education across the curriculum and co‑curriculum in collaboration with Mission leadership.
Drive continuous improvement in teaching, learning, assessment, and program quality, ensuring that outcomes are measurable and acted upon.

2) Faculty Affairs and Academic Administration

Oversee faculty recruitment, hiring for mission, orientation, development, and evaluation; recommend tenure and promotion decisions to the President.
Ensure fidelity to faculty handbooks and academic procedures; update and communicate policies in consultation with appropriate shared-governance bodies.
Uphold academic freedom consistent with Ex Corde Ecclesiae and institutional mission.
Leads with a collegial and unifying approach that brings together all academic units and faculty, fostering alignment with institutional mission and strategic priorities. Works collaboratively with Cabinet peers to ensure integrated planning and execution across academic, operational, and mission areas of the university.

3) Portfolio Management, Program Review, and Innovation

Lead data‑informed academic portfolio review (launch, scale, revise, sunset), balancing mission impact, market demand, outcomes, and net revenue.
Possesses a strong understanding of academic profit and loss (P&L) management, including the ability to analyze fully burdened P&L statements and make data-informed decisions that support both mission and margin. Works in close partnership with Operations and Finance to ensure that each academic unit contributes positively to the university’s overall financial health while maintaining academic integrity and quality.
Partner with Enrollment Management and Marketing in new program development, capacity planning, scheduling, and course sequencing; ensure shared accountability for enrollment, persistence, and completion.
Foster applied research, grants, and external partnerships that expand opportunities for students and faculty.

4) Student Learning, Success, and the Whole‑Person Model

Integrate Academic Affairs with Student Affairs, Mission & Ministry, and Character/Human Flourishing initiatives to promote holistic student formation.
Ensure strong academic support (advising, tutoring, accessibility, libraries, instructional technology) and close equity gaps for first‑generation and low‑income students.

5) Accreditation, Compliance, and Governance

Serve as chief steward of institutional and programmatic accreditation (e.g., HLC and professional bodies); lead self‑study, site visits, and post‑visit action plans.
Ensure that academic policies, catalogs, and records (as maintained by the registrar) are accurate and compliant; promote effective shared governance structures and consultation.

6) Budget, Space, and Operational Stewardship

Develop and manage academic budgets in collaboration with the COO and AVP for Finance; align resources with strategy and outcomes; ensure transparent, data-informed decision-making.
Recommend academic space allocation and utilization, and plan staffing and workload models in concert with deans and Cabinet colleagues.

7) Philanthropy, Advancement, and External Relations

Cultivate donors and external partners to support academic priorities.
Represent Academic Affairs with trustees, accreditors, employers, alumni, and community leaders.

Organizational Scope (Direct/Matrixed Oversight)

Academic deans (College and Schools) and academic units (department chairs/program directors).
Libraries, instructional design/online learning, assessment and accreditation, registrar/academic records.
Other academic support functions as assigned by the President.
Close partnership with Enrollment Management, Finance/Operations, Mission & Student Affairs, and Advancement.

Note: The President may adjust specific direct reports to reflect evolving organizational design and executive team composition.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

Earned doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) and a record of scholarly/creative achievement commensurate with appointment at full professor.
Progressive academic leadership with demonstrated success in faculty affairs, accreditation, budgeting, and portfolio management.
Demonstrated commitment to Catholic higher education, the Lasallian charism, and integration of faith and reason; capacity to advance character and virtue ethics education along with the university's approach to inclusion and human dignity.
Proven ability to lead in a multi‑campus, hybrid/online environment; effective collaborator with Enrollment and Finance.
Must be willing and able to travel approximately 25% of the time among the university’s three campuses and to represent Saint Mary’s at Catholic higher education conferences, partnership meetings, and advancement events. The VPAA serves as a visible ambassador of the university’s mission and values, cultivating relationships that advance academic excellence and institutional reputation.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience cultivating philanthropy and external partnerships.
Success in leading online program growth and instructional technology adoption.
Record of improving student outcomes (retention, completion, licensure, placement) and closing equity gaps.
Experience with unionized or multi‑site academic environments; change leadership and turnaround.

Leadership Attributes

Mission‑anchored, student‑centered, and outcomes‑driven.
Strategic thinker and disciplined executor; sets priorities and delivers results.
Demonstrates the ability to pivot quickly and effectively amid disruption, remaining facile, decisive, and forward-thinking in dynamic environments.
Approaches challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset—transforming disruption into opportunity—while creating innovative academic and operational pathways that strengthen mission impact and generate net revenue without missing a beat.
Inclusive team builder who recruits, develops, and evaluates talent with clarity and care.
Financially literate, data‑informed decision maker; transparent communicator and persuasive advocate.
Demonstrates a forward-thinking and proactive mindset, able to anticipate challenges and opportunities across immediate, short-term, and long-term horizons to ensure academic and business continuity.
Brings a can-do, solution-oriented approach that transforms disruption into opportunity—remaining agile, facile, and entrepreneurial in advancing institutional goals and generating new revenue streams.
Operates with such competence and initiative that the President can focus on vision and strategy, confident that day-to-day academic leadership and execution are handled with excellence and creativity.
Collegial partner on the President’s Cabinet and trusted advisor to the President and Board.

Success Metrics (Illustrative)

Accreditation reaffirmations with no material findings; on‑time closeout of recommendations.
Timely completion of the annual assessment cycle and comprehensive program reviews.
Program portfolio ROI and net‑tuition contribution; demonstrated metrics for enrollment/persistence/completion.
Faculty recruitment and retention outcomes; equitable workloads and on‑time evaluations.
Growth in research/grants/advancement aligned to academic priorities.
Evident integration of Catholic intellectual tradition, Lasallian identity, and character education across curricula.
Demonstrates the ability to forecast academic, operational, and market challenges before they arise, with measurable success shown through the timely implementation of proactive strategies that maintain academic continuity, enrollment stability, and fiscal health. Key indicators include reduced crisis response time, minimal disruption to operations, and sustained alignment between academic planning and institutional strategy and vision.
Effectively manages academic portfolios using fully burdened profit and loss (P&L) analyses to determine the true financial performance of each unit. Demonstrates measurable success by increasing net revenue across academic programs, either by (1) creating viable turnaround plans for underperforming units, (2) responsibly sunsetting non-viable programs, or (3) affirming and sustaining mission-critical programs that operate with strategic clarity and financial responsibility. Success is defined by a net-positive academic contribution margin and clear alignment between mission and margin.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work. Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Physical Hazards – Health and Safety Concerns

General office environments
Ergonomics
Driving

Application Requirements:

Appointment and Applications

This executive position serves at the pleasure of the President. Compensation and rank are commensurate with experience. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer consistent with its Catholic mission.

Apply online at https://www.smumn.edu/about/offices-services/human-resources/employment-opportunities/and include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota believes inclusion and human dignity contributes to a robust academic and work environment and is critical to achieving the University's mission in an increasingly diverse society. Individuals with expertise and diverse skills from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The successful candidate must support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary's University as a Lasallian Catholic institution.

Saint Mary’s offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending, retirement pension plan, and both undergraduate and graduate tuition remission plans.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

Original Job Description