Dean, School of Education

Founded in 1891, North Park University is a Christian university affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church of over 3,200 students from around the country and the world.

North Park University is located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States. It is nine miles from downtown Chicago. The North Park campus has often been referred to as an oasis in the heart of the city – a place where students from urban, rural, and suburban backgrounds alike can call home. And all of this within the major metropolitan backdrop of Chicago: one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies, renowned for its museums and music, and voted best large city in the U.S. for four years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler.

Mission

The mission of North Park University is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.

Vision

Building on our core institutional identity—Christian, city-centered, intercultural—our vision is to create a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence, where faith, learning, and service meet.

Summary

The School of Education offers bachelor’s degrees and credentialing for teaching in elementary, middle grades, senior high, and K-12 school programs; a post-bachelor’s teacher licensure program; and five approval or endorsement options in areas such as bilingual, English as a Second Language; and special education. Additionally, the School offers four master’s degrees in education; educational leadership; literacy, language, and culture; and teaching.

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean of the School of Education provides leadership and administrative oversight to the academic departments.

Responsibilities

A. Lead the School of Education (SOE) in strategic planning, program review while advancing a culture of assessment in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

• Realize the School of Education mission and vision and implement strategic planning initiatives.
• Obtain and maintain State Accreditation with the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Build and manage an advisory board • Develop collaborative partnerships within the K-12 school sector with Chicago Public Schools, charter schools, suburban school districts and private schools throughout the region.
• Establish and maintain assessment programs designed to enhance student learning.
• In cooperation with faculty and staff, ensure that plans and programs are accurately described and correctly implemented in the calendar, the catalogues, and the schedule of classes.

B. Provide leadership for the faculty and staff in program performance consistent with the mission of the University.

• In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, provide oversight for the development of quality and effectiveness indicators of existing academic programs.
• Encourage innovation and creativity in the development and improvement of majors, nurturing programs and opportunities specific to the School of Education.

C. Supervise, evaluate, and support each departmental unit in a manner that promotes excellence in instruction and research while pursuing innovative solutions.

• Articulate and monitor academic standards with balance for faculty, student, and administrative concerns.
• Supervise and collaborate with Program Coordinators in the department.

D. Serve as the chief advocate for the School of Education faculty.

• Support instruction, scholarship, and creative projects.
• Represent the School of Education in the University.
• Encourage participatory decision-making, shared governance, a spirit of collegiality, and inclusion throughout the School of Education.
• Support the historic principles of tenure and academic freedom.

E. Communicate effectively with Illinois State Board of Education:

• Approve undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Stay current with licensure requirements and changes.
• Represent the views of the North Park School of Education for policy discussions.

F. Facilitate clear communication among faculty and staff concerning the overall operations of academic programs, administrative policy, budgets, and hiring.

• Provide collaborative leadership and an effective structural link between the School of Education faculty, the administration, and other University units.
• In collaboration with faculty and administration, establish written policies and