ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Institution:                             Cleveland State Community College

Department:                          Academic Affairs

Reports to:                             Vice President of Academic Affairs

Campus Location:                Cleveland, Tennessee

Moving Allowance:                N/A

Cleveland State Community College is a comprehensive, two-year post-secondary institution, located in Cleveland, Tennessee. Cleveland State is committed to providing open access and quality education to all students. A Tennessee Board of Regents institution, Cleveland State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). At Cleveland State, our mission is to build strong minds, careers and communities through exceptional teaching and learning, workforce development and service. We wish to hire individuals with similar values who can help us accomplish those goals.

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

To be considered for a position at Cleveland State, you must complete an online application. Your skills, abilities, qualifications, and years of experience will be evaluated solely based on the information provided in your application. Any work experience not included will not be considered for meeting the minimum requirements or determining compensation for the position.

Please note the following: 

• Attaching a resume does not substitute for completion of the application form.
• Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% of full-time experience. 

JOB SUMMARY

The primary objectives of the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs (AVPAA) are to assist the Vice President of Academic Affairs in supporting the vision of Academic Affairs to advance academic excellence within the College. In alignment with the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the mission and vision of the institution, this role will advance the development, review, and assessment of all academic student pathway and success strategies at the College.

This work involves supporting the development of educational partnerships with K-12, university partners, industry & community partners, internal academic student success and engagement strategies. The Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs (AVPAA) will have direct oversight of academic affairs related policies, committee structure and be heavily involved with daily Academic Affairs operations. This can include but is not limited to working with academic advising, program accreditation, High Impact Practices (HIPs), contracts, course scheduling, Prior learning Assessment (PLA) and streamlining pathways for students. This position will be a member of the Academic Council (Academic Affairs Leadership Team) and is expected to partner with campus leaders across divisions to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff the college and the community.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICIATIONS

• Master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven years’ experience in higher education at a regionally accredited university and/or community college with increasing leadership responsibilities that must include:
• At least two years of teaching experience in higher education.
• At least two years of direct supervision experience of individuals.
• Remaining years of experience must be relevant to teaching & learning, academic affairs, student affairs or other related areas within higher education.

• Proven collaboration with academic leaders and key institutional partners to advance quality initiatives.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Academic Affairs Operations (40%)

• Assist in leading cross-divisional collaboration to advance the academic vision and strategic plan of the College by ensuring the student academic pathway experience supports student success through prior learning assessment, work-based learning, and course access & availability.

• Policy and committee structure oversight. Provide leadership in the facilitation and implementation of academic & student support policies, and co-curricular initiatives that align with the College's mission and strategic plan.

• Assist with institutional and program accreditation processes, ensuring full compliance with relevant standards and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Ensure projects are completed and submitted on time to the appropriate stakeholder (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). 
• Serve as a member & co-chair of the Curriculum & Standards committee (CAS).
• Develop and implement robust quality assurance procedures for academic programs, establishing clear mandates, timelines, and responsibilities for stakeholders.
• Teach one course per semester as part of the First Year Seminar (FYS) or within credentialed discipline as workload in other assigned duties permits.
• Lead and coordinate institutional accreditation processes, including reaffirmation, substantive change requests, and compliance reporting.
• Oversee operations of the College’s off-site educational centers and serve as liaison at locations where courses are offered within the college’s service area.
• Advance policies and practices in digital teaching & learning and student support.
• Provide analysis, interpretation, and reporting of academic policies, and co-lead policy implementation committees.
• Develop and administer a college budget to support individual areas of responsibility.
• Under the guidance of Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), collaborate with deans, faculty, and university leaders to ensure that academic offerings are relevant, high-quality, and aligned with student success outcomes and workforce needs.
• Assist in establishing budget priorities for Academic Affairs, track spending, and optimize resource allocation.
• Coordinate and maintain Academic Affairs master calendar, ensuring thorough and timely completion of all projects within the College, Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) or other entity.
• Build and nurture relationships to serve as a resource for the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) and act as point of contact as designated for key constituents to resolve complex issues.

Collaborative Leadership (30%): 

• Facilitate and lead cross interdivisional and interdivisional projects, discussions and initiatives related to the Colleges mission, strategic plan and student success.
• Work in close collaboration with the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) to support and advance the College's vision of integrated Student and Academic Success.
• Lead initiatives that deepen the integration of academic and student affairs, prioritizing instructional excellence, comprehensive support structures, and enriching co-curricular opportunities to dismantle barriers to student success. Assist in designing and supporting the assessment of academic, student services, and co-curricular programming (High- Impact Practices (HIPs) and Academic Teams).
• Partnership Development: Collaborate with internal stakeholders (faculty, staff, and administrators) and external partners (local school systems, community-based organizations, four-year universities, and employers) to create pathways that sustain student engagement and success. Partner with Workforce Development to promote short-term credentials and non-credit to credit pathways.
• Work closely with academic leaders and key internal and external partners to foster a seamless and integrated framework for academic quality assurance and enhancement.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate effective collaboration and communication across departments to align stakeholders with common quality and improvement goals.
• Lead, mentor, and guide fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Represent the College as needed on regional teaching & learning and/or accreditation committees.
• Provide leadership in the development of a culture of assessment at the College.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs administrators on student and academic initiatives.
• Provide leadership for coordinating College-wide disciplines and encourage the infusion of technology into the teaching and learning process.
• Provide leadership support in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating college resources, initiatives, and programs that impact instruction and student success.
• Work collaboratively with Workforce Development, and internal & external stakeholders on various workforce, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and pathway related institutional initiatives.
• Represent the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) in various college, professional, community and Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) functions.
• In collaboration with the appropriate areas, curate the resolution of concerns and challenges brought to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA’s) attention and daily emerging matters that call for a response and/or action.

Strategic Enhancement and Continuous Improvement (25%)

• Foster a culture of strategic enhancement by implementing data-informed approaches that drive academic quality and program excellence.
• Assist with and facilitate continuous program review processes, incorporating feedback loops and evidence-based strategies for ongoing improvement.
• Develop structured processes for collecting, managing, and analyzing data to support accreditation efforts and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evidence-Based Reporting: Ensure that data collection and analysis provide actionable insights for periodic reviews and strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with deans, directors, success coaches and faculty to provide academic advising and mentoring support and training to ensure the student support network is robust (“It takes a Village Model”).
• Work with the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness to use comprehensive data systems that track student success metrics to identify achievement gaps and develop targeted interventions.
• Analyze and evaluate data on students who are not retained. Produce reports with assessments about reasons for departure and provide recommendations for addressing gaps in the student experience.
• Lead or contribute to special projects as assigned by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, addressing emerging needs or strategic priorities.
• Develop, plan, coordinate, support, and/or lead strategic and special initiatives and projects for the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA).
• Provide strategic advice to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) and keep the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) apprised of significant issues.
• Serve as a liaison and provide coordination support to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA’s) other direct reports.
• Collaborate and partner alongside the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), and Academic Council members to build strategic and institutional goals.
• Serves as an informed and trusted thought partner for actualizing institutional outcomes and impact.
• Support the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) in facilitating academic council team effectiveness and advancing Academic Affairs wide initiatives.

Non-Essential Functions (5%):

• Serve on various college committees.
• The Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs (AVPAA) will be required to meet those standards now required or which may be required by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
• Participate in ongoing professional development activities to stay current with trends in higher education administration and academic affairs.
• The appointee may be required to achieve additional skills, knowledge, or credential levels.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Excellent interpersonal communication: demonstrated ability to establish and develop productive and collegial relationships, collaboration, and communication with campus constituencies (e.g., staff, faculty, students, managers, external college and community partners etc.).  Build effective teams as needed.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, execute, and assess multiple initiatives and meet established deadlines.
• Proven track record in academic quality assurance, accreditation processes, and strategic enhancement within higher education is preferred.
• Exceptional leadership and project management skills, particularly in establishing quality assurance mechanisms. Leadership qualities include motivation, supervision, delegation, mentoring, planning, and assessment.
• Advanced analytical and data interpretation skills for evidence-based decision-making.
• Demonstrated expertise in applying current best practices in student development theory.
• Ability to collect, compile, analyze, evaluate, and present information.
• Ability to work with confidential and sensitive information and records, commit to the highest ethical standards, and participate in evening and weekend commitments as necessary and/or required.

WORK ACTIVITIES & EQUIPMENT

Work activities routinely involve work with personal computers and peripheral devices. Photocopy, facsimile, and other standard business machines are frequently used.

JOB LOCATION

The position is an on-site role at Cleveland State’s main campus in Cleveland, TN. This will be the primary workplace, with occasional travel to off-campus sites within the five-county service area and state-wide travel for Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) initiatives and state affiliate meetings as needed.

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Applicants may be subject to a background check and credit check.

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Cleveland State offers a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to the following:

• Insurance: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability (long and short term), FSA/HAS
• Wellness Incentive Program (if enrolled in health)
• Educational Assistance: Fee Waiver, Spouse/Dependent Discounts, Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Longevity Pay
• Retirement Options: State of TN Pension (TCRS), 401a, 401k with $50 match, 403b, and 457
• Fourteen (14) Paid Holidays/Year
• Sick and Annual Leave
• Sick Leave Bank
• State Employee Discount Program with over 900 merchants

If you are interested, click on the link to apply. 

Applications can be assured full consideration if submitted by September 27, 2025. 

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Human Resources Office
Telephone: 423-478-6203; FAX: 423-478-6257
Email: humanresources@clevelandstatecc.edu

Website: www.clevelandstatecc.edu

The following link will direct you to a reporting section of the college’s website:  How Do I Report