The Academic Office at Forman School is accountable for independently coordinating, organizing, tracking, and reporting on curricular programs at Forman.
Assigned Duties:
Reporting to the Director of Studies and Dean of Faculty, the Assistant Director will work alongside the Director to support the Academic Office to help monitor and evaluate faculty performance and student achievement. This position supports both students and faculty in making connections between their learning experiences and their academic endeavors at Forman. The Assistant Director will have a leading role in developing communication partnerships between students, administrators, and faculty.
Responsibilities:
The Assistant Director (AD) will design, manage, and support several key areas for student development and learning within the Academic Department. The AD will support students and faculty with students who are struggling or need extra support in classes. This could range anywhere from an academic plan, working in conjunction with student life, and class observations. The AD will communicate proactively with parents regarding the support plans for each student. They will serve as the leader of Student Progress meetings on a weekly basis and coordinate details regarding a student’s academic plan if they are struggling.
The AD will help to connect community needs, student interests, and faculty interests and develop programmatic resources at Forman School. The AD will support the Dean of Faculty and the Director of Studies in managing the budget for the Academic Office.
The AD provides students, faculty, and departments with information in regards to academic advising programs, and faculty communication. They act as a resource for faculty interested in developing courses and conduct classroom observations and feedback. The AD helps to coordinate weekly faculty and department meetings with the academic team. They promote wide knowledge and understanding of Forman learning goals (e.g., incorporation into course syllabi, incorporation into new student orientation, and new faculty orientation). The AD works with faculty committees and the Dean of Faculty to ensure policy development that the Forman education program remains consistent with NAIS standards and remains current regarding best research practices for students with neurodiverse profiles. They work with the Dean of Faculty to ensure the design, implementation, analysis, documentation, and funding of professional development and departmental evaluation efforts. They will also focus on the diversity of the faculty and support Forman’s DEIB and Social and Emotional Learning efforts within the faculty culture. The AD is responsible for communicating broadly the goals and accomplishments of the Forman Faculty and investigating opportunities for funding faculty via grant proposals and other professional opportunities.
Knowledge, Skill, Ability: Ability to anticipate needs of coordinating and communicating to multiple offices for student engagement, retention, and planning. The ability to help support and foster relationships within the Academic Department and beyond. Can create meaningful relationships and have professional decorum around sensitive issues. Planning, developing and evaluating academic services and programs. Academic curriculum design, course and syllabi development, and appropriate and effective teaching materials and methods. Classroom and laboratory teaching effectiveness. Research methodology and in the evaluation of academic program Effectiveness. Organizational and administrative skills. Highly developed interpersonal skills. Development and execution of strategic plans in a boarding school environment. Must be knowledgeable of Google Suite and technologically savvy. This person needs to be highly collaborative and create their own system of organizational management.
General Experience:
- Master’s degree (preferred) from a regionally accredited institution with
- Three (3) or more years as a full-time faculty member and three (1-2) or more years as an academic administrator, department chair, or a director of a specialized academic program
- 3+ years of work experience preferably at a secondary institution.
- Demonstrated experience in building relationships, working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, and forming and sustaining effective partnerships with diverse stakeholders and organizations
- Highly organized and efficient at task prioritization
- Experience in advising and mentoring faculty or within adult education
- Excellent verbal, written, facilitation, and presentation skills
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team-based environment
Other Expectations: This position is a member of a boarding school faculty. Candidates should be interested in contributing outside of the classroom and becoming fully involved in the student life program. Faculty are expected to demonstrate respect for diversity of identities and experiences, an orientation toward equity and inclusion, and cultural competency in all aspects of School life.