Online Chair - Helms School of Government

The Online Chair is a full time, 12-month contracted administrative faculty position. The Online Chair’s primary role is to maintain the integrity of online programs and to ensure that their delivery is in alignment with the University mission and vision. The Online Chair also ensures operational excellence in relation to the administration of online programs, including faculty recruitment and retention, program administration, and student success. Essential functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the items outlined below.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Faculty and Curriculum:

• Review, assess, and maintain the integrity of online courses and curriculum delivery, ensuring all course content is in alignment with educational guidelines as well as the University mission and vision.
• Develop curriculum, meet with publishers, work with Subject Matter Experts, and monitor End of Course Evaluations (EOCs) and grade distribution.
• Communicate hiring needs and recommendations to Associate/Assistant Dean in concert with Faculty Support Coordinator feedback and assistance. Assist Associate/Assistant Dean during hiring process, including review of applicant files, participation in interviews, taking notes, and making recommendations.
• Qualify new online faculty to teach specific courses based on their transcripts and coordinate, in concert with Instructional Mentors and Faculty Support Coordinators, all online faculty training.
• Lead and mentor a team of online faculty, including Instructional Mentors, Program Directors, and Subject Matter Experts, ensuring they are utilized in a fashion that supports the educational mission of the University. Address administrative concerns and questions from faculty, cover for faculty during absences, including vacation and sickness, and coordinate, in concert with the Faculty Support Coordinator, all levels of Liberty University faculty management, remediation, and ongoing development.
• Understand and oversee online course assignment and course/pay verification processes.
• Schedule courses for online faculty in the Faculty Assignment Tool in order to meet University and Registrar deadlines and ensure that all courses are appropriately staffed with credentialed faculty. Coordinate with other Chairs whose faculty teach courses in the Online Chair’s College/School. Ensure contract fulfillment.
• Provide departmental oversight to online faculty who are teaching courses in a specific area of study, including troubleshooting issues that arise with content and technology, addressing faculty concerns, and ensuring appropriate communication to faculty members regarding policies and reminders.
• Analyze course and faculty performance to ensure that it is in alignment with scope and mission of curriculum and student experience.
• Conduct faculty assessments and evaluations based on departmental and University guidelines. Assess student experience in courses to ensure that it aligns with university mission and vision. Review and resolve student complaints, grade appeals, academic dishonesty reviews, and transfers/substitutions.
• Review departmental and University-based reports for student success.
• Other duties as assigned.

2. Administrative and Financial Affairs:

• Communicate with Faculty Support Coordinator or administrative staff regarding faculty textbook and material needs, also ensuring that faculty have appropriate access to electronic resources.
• Ensure the appropriate resolution of student complaints and appeals.
• Participate in departmental, all-faculty, vendor, and publisher meetings.
• Assist with planning annual budget for relevant area of oversight.

3. University Service:

• May periodically serve on one or more of the following types of University, College/School, or departmental committees: Faculty Senate, Faculty Senate Committees, Undergraduate Administrative and Curriculum Council, Graduate Administrative and Curriculum Council, school/department, and/or special committees.
• Attend special University events, including faculty orientation, baccalaureate, and commencement exercises, team building exercises, etc.
• Periodically work on special projects and assignments, contributing to the overall efforts of the academic division and the University as a whole.

4. Spiritual Leadership:

• Encourage a commitment to the Christian life, one of personal integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, social responsibility, and active communication of the Christian faith, and, as it is lived out, a life that leads people to Jesus Christ as the Lord of the universe and their own personal Savior.
• Support and foster Liberty University’s doctrinal beliefs.
• Support and foster the spiritual development of faculty, staff, and students, ensuring that Christian values remain the focus of our mission and purpose at Liberty University.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Does position directly or indirectly supervise other employees? ☒ YES ☐ NO

Does position supervise subordinate supervisors? ☒ YES ☐ NO

If yes, please list the subordinate supervisors (names and titles) reporting to this position.

Instructional Mentors

How many employees are indirectly overseen by this position through subordinate supervisors?

~75 online adjunct faculty

Does this position directly oversee non-supervisory personnel? ☒ YES ☐ NO

If yes, how many non-supervisory personnel are directly overseen by this position?

~75 online adjunct faculty

Does position interact with individuals/entities outside the company? ☒ YES ☐ NO

If yes, please describe: Prospective students, prospective faculty, vendors.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Terminal degree in Criminal Justice or a closely related field from an accredited institution (required)

Other Qualifications

• Evidence of effective university-level administration and faculty oversight (required)
• Evidence of effective university-level teaching and student mentorship (required)
• Demonstrated commitment to mentoring a diverse student body and fostering respectful, inclusive learning environments consistent with Liberty’s Christian mission (required)
• Evidence of academic research and/or professional leadership in the criminal justice field (preferred)
• Experience with curricular development and planning (preferred)
• Experience with technologies related to online delivery of higher education (preferred)

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOB

Communication and Comprehension

• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well-articulated information.
• Ability to understand, speak, and write English in order to convey messages and correspond in an articulate and professional manner.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Ability to contribute to a team environment and contribute expertise at appropriate times.
• Ability to show respect to colleagues and to work in a collegial manner.

Problem Solving

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• Occasionally required to travel to local and campus locations.
• Frequently required to sit for extended periods to perform deskwork or type on a keyboard.
• Regularly required to hear and speak in order to effectively communicate orally.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, and climb stairs to move about the building.
• Regularly lift 10 or fewer pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work Environment

The working environment in which one will typically perform the essential functions of this position is a climate-controlled office setting. It is well lighted, and the noise level is moderate.

This job description is designed to provide an employee with a basic understanding of the essential functions, duties, and responsibilities entailed in the performance of his or her job with Liberty University (LU). It is not intended to be all-inclusive. This description does not constitute an employment contract, either expressed or implied. Employment with Liberty University is at-will and may be terminated by either the employee or LU with or without advance notice for any reason or for no reason at all. Only the President and Chancellor is authorized to make changes to any LU policy. Job functions and responsibilities are subject to change at the discretion of management. Efforts will be made to provide advanced notice of such changes whenever possible.

Time Type

Full time

Location

Onsite

Pay Range

Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's rank, contract length, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.

The position may also be eligible for comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance.

$102,400.00 - $123,500.00

The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job. All personnel related activities such as compensation, benefits, transfers, job classification, assignments, working conditions, educational assistance, terminations, layoffs, and return from layoffs, and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including all applicable state of employment protected classes. The University is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. The University’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations (including educational institutions), and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.