Dean of Academic Pathways and Partnerships

Location : Berea
Job Type: Full-Time
Division: Provost
Department: Academic Vice President-Office
Opening Date: 10/30/2026
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Salary Grade: TBD
Labor Supervisor?: No

Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position.
Description:

The role of Dean of Academic Pathways & Partnerships provides institutional leadership for curricular pathways, course offerings and enrollment management, and the academic supports that help students thrive in their academic programs. Overseeing a student's academic experience from enrollment at the College to their eventual career or graduate school acceptance, the Dean collaborates with the Academic Affairs leadership team, academic departments, and student-facing offices to ensure Berea's curriculum is responsive to the needs of our students and of a mission-oriented liberal arts college.

The Dean reports to the Provost and supervises the Registrar and the Library. Working with academic departments, the Dean designs and stewards degree pathways that promote timely completion while preserving the breadth of a liberal arts education. The position pairs curricular vision with data-informed judgment, tracking enrollment trends, course viability, and student progression. The Dean will also build partnerships on and beyond campus as Berea strives to connect the curriculum to dual enrollment programs, experiential learning opportunities, the Work College Program, and strong career and graduate school outcomes. As a collaborative leader, the Dean advances academic innovation while honoring shared governance and Berea's mission of educational access and excellence.
Your Key Responsibilities:
1. Curricular Leadership & Innovation (50%)

• Lead the design,review, and development of academic programs and degree pathways, including majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, interdisciplinary courses, stackable credentials, and microcredentials, in partnership with academic departments, supporting timely completion while preserving Berea's liberal arts mission.
• Use data-informed approaches to evaluate curriculum effectiveness, equity gaps, and student progression patterns and identify opportunities to improve curricular efficiency and integrate interdisciplinary learning.
• Oversee institutional processes for curriculum approval and revision and evaluate and improve approaches to transfer credit, independent majors, and summer courses.
• Supervise the Director of Library Services, providing leadership and support for the Hutchins Library.
• Partner with Experiential Learning Labs, the Work College Program, Internships & Career Development, and other campus programs to embed career readiness competencies across curricula.

2. Course Viability and Enrollment Management (25%)

• Supervise the Registrar, providing leadership and support for the Registrar's Office and its functions.
• Collaborate with academic departments to optimize course offerings and scheduling, including course rotation, consolidation, or redesign, with attention to enrollment, faculty workload, curricular sustainability, and efficient use of institutional resources.
• Partner with Institutional Research and relevant offices to monitor enrollment trends and forecast curricular needs.

3. Committee Leadership and Student Success Initiatives (15%)

• Serve on and/or chair key institutional committees related to curriculum, academic policy, and student success.
• Partner with the NEST: Student Success Central and work closely with committees focused on retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes to align curricular practices with institutional goals.
• Facilitate collaboration among faculty governance bodies to ensure transparency and shared ownership of curricular decisions.
• Contribute to strategic planning efforts that advance student achievement and academic innovation.

4. Faculty Collaboration and Support (10%)

Serve as a resource and liaison among faculty, departments, faculty governance, and Academic Affairs leadership on curricular design, innovation, policy, and direction, fostering collaboration and ensuring faculty perspectives inform institutional academic priorities.

What You'll Bring:

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• Terminal degree in an academic discipline

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• 8+ years' experience administrative/leadership experience in higher education.
• 5+ years' supervisory experience.
• 8+ years of significant experience teaching at the collegiate level.
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum development, program review, and/or assessment
• Strong understanding of student advising and mentorship practices in a small liberal arts college context
• Experience with data-informed decision-making related to curriculum and student success
• Academic administrative or leadership experience at the institutional level
• Direct experience engaging issues of access, equity, and inclusion in higher education

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Understanding of and ability to function in the distributed authority structure of shared governance as it is constituted at Berea College
• Strategic thinking and systems-level perspective on curriculum and student success
• Knowledge of the challenges, trends, and emerging developments in the higher education landscape
• Exemplary analytical and problem-solving skills
• Collaborative leadership and strong interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students
• Commitment to Berea College's mission of educational access and excellence
• Ability to maintain confidentiality

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• N/A

Physical requirements:

• Ability to navigate campus/public buildings and grounds
• Ability to travel independently by car and/or plane

Environmental conditions:

• Professional office environment with interruptions and noise due to frequent visitors, students, staff and faculty
• Occasional travel required for meetings, conferences, etc.

Ability to operate the following vehicles or equipment:

• Standard office equipment: computer, fax, phone, etc.

Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 17,000) lies 40 miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at

Our Benefits:
Berea College offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees and their families including health care, dental, vision, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability and an Employee Assistance Program. The benefit package also includes access to the for children of College Staff, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, Membership, Staff Development Funds and Tuition Reimbursement.

Eligible staff employees also receive paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

Part-time employees who work an average of twenty-four hours per week over the course of a year, receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.

To learn more details, visit our benefits page at