Associate Dean

About Kent

Kent Institute Australia (Kent) has been providing quality training and education to students for over 30 years and continues to grow and innovate. Today, Kent is officially recognised as a leading provider of government-accredited Vocational (VET) and Higher Education courses, offering education to both local and international students. Kent is proud to have helped over 10,000 local and international students get started in their career.

The Role

The Associate Dean is responsible for supporting the Executive Dean in planning and implementation of student-centered learning and teaching to ensure quality student outcomes. This position requires the ability to monitor a broad range of academic courses in relation to current curriculum relevance and compliance; and to work with a diverse and dynamic team of academic and professional staff using an adaptive and strategic management approach to ensure a high quality of learning, teaching and support services are delivered.

Key Responsibilities: 

Academic Leadership 

• Actively contribute and provide academic leadership advice regularly to the Executive Dean and Kent’s senior executive as required, with particular focus on key activities identified in Kent’s Teaching & Learning Plan.
• Maintain regular communication and efficient reporting to the Executive Dean, other senior management and academic staff on all academic issues.
• Monitor the current Teaching & Learning Plan to enact identified key priority activities related to various academic operational areas as designated in the expected timeframes at the discretion of the Executive Dean.

Academic Management 

• Ensure students receive qualified and accurate academic advice each Trimester to enable good academic progression through their course of study, including effective oversight of ‘intervention strategies’ in compliance with Kent’s Academic Monitoring and Intervention Policy & Procedures.
• Oversight of student course credit application assessment in compliance with Kent’s Course Credit and Articulation Policy and Procedures.
• Contribute to Kent’s marketing and promotion strategy in liaison with the Executive Dean.
• Attend and participate in relevant professional development, academic meetings and scholarly activities.
• Undertake a minimum lecturing load of two classes per trimester or as negotiated with the Executive Dean

Key Tasks

Curriculum Compliance and Accreditation 

• Work with the Course Co-ordinators to co-ordinate all aspects of academic curriculum, compliance and accreditation.
• In consultation with relevant stakeholders, review, implement and maintain processes to ensure best practice curriculum teaching material is regularly reviewed and managed adhering to Kent Policy & Procedures.
• Ensure and lead academic accreditation criteria that is evidenced in practise and meets TEQSA standards.
• Collate information and supporting documentary evidence to enable Key Performance Indicator reporting against Academic Unit Operations and any other Implementation Plans in a timely manner to ensure timelines are met as required for any meeting reports and/or governance committee level submission papers.
• Maintain currency of knowledge in relation to quality assurance principles and practices and provide input to the development and collation of supporting evidence for an annual report to Academic Board in compliance with the Kent Course Monitoring and Review Policy & Procedures.

Curriculum Development 

• Support the Executive Dean in contributing to curriculum development and processes for the development for new courses.
• Provide targeted support for course and unit refresh, in the context of curriculum design and constructive alignment in adherence to Kent Policy & Procedures.
• Design resources and training materials to support curriculum design initiatives approved by the Executive Dean.
• Provide Postgraduate Co-ordination for emerging Postgraduate Courses, including specialist teaching contributions.

Teaching and Learning Practice

• Advise the Executive Dean on teaching staff quality matters, related to teaching and learning.
• Ensure the individual teaching Units have a strong teaching and learning engagement focus.
• Assist in evolving wider use of new technologies and enhanced learning methods with the academic staff.
• Contribute to developing robust assessment practices providing effective feedback allowing students to improve their learning and progression.

Scholarship Development

• Develop and support strategies to assist in teaching innovation and scholarship.
• Develop mechanisms to promote staff scholarship development within a working group model.
• Support professional development through coordinating and developing scholarship opportunities for staff.
• Assist the Executive Dean in leadership of scholarly outcomes across the academic staff cohort.

Governance

• Development and review of academic policies, procedures and forms to ensure sound internal controls and compliance with all regulatory requirements to be endorsed by the Executive Dean.
• Under Kent WHS guidelines and policies; consult with team members regarding Health and Safety policies, provide any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect team members from risks to their health and safety and ensure plant/systems/work environment are monitored to protect team members from risks to their health and safety.

Person Specification/Selection Criteria

Qualifications and Experience:

Tertiary qualifications, preferably at doctoral level, are required, as is considerable senior academic experience in a Higher Education Institution. Demonstrated success in implementing exceptional student learning support services and experience in dealing with specific needs of NESB students is required. Demonstrated and proven leadership of a diverse team and a record of scholarly productivity, strategic and financial management essential. Record of accomplishment in research/scholarly activity.

Attributes:

• Superior interpersonal, organisational skills, problem solving and decision making
• Outstanding leadership and strategic management skills
• Conflict management resolution skills – Ability to moderate/mediate disputes and resolve conflict
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Highly developed IT skills; namely Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to build and maintain relationships

Apply today 

Please submit your application via SEEK by clicking on the “Apply” button.  Please ensure your application includes a one-page cover letter detailing your suitability for the role and a copy of your resume. 

Should you require further information about the position please contact Srujal Patel - Executive Dean - Email: srujal.patel@kent.edu.au

Please note - only successful applicants will be contacted.