Sierra College is committed to increasing student achievement, shortening time-to-goal completion, and closing equity gaps through the implementation of Guided Pathways. In that spirit, the Executive Dean, Nevada County Campus (NCC), is responsible for ensuring NCC provides an inclusive educational environment, focused on equitable outcomes for all. This position serves as primary administrator and educational leader for NCC, developing a vision and strategies for NCC to support the District’s primary goals of increasing student success and eliminating equity gaps. Responsibilities include supervising and evaluating NCC programs, curriculum and staff; coordinating activities between the NCC and the Rocklin Campus; serving as primary contact and District representative for community relations with NCC service users; and promoting the role of NCC to continue the District's tradition of excellence and innovation and to provide for a comprehensive community college and its role in total community development. This position reports to the Vice President of Instruction.
Sierra College has a strong commitment to the achievement of equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff and students and values the rich diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. The Executive Dean must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying backgrounds. This includes former foster youth, first-generation students, persons with disabilities, undocumented scholars, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, individuals with various gender identities and sexual orientations, and other groups to ensure the District provides strategies for success and pro-active, student-centered practices and policies committed to eliminating equity gaps.
The Nevada County Campus (NCC) opened in 1996. It is located in the Sierra Foothills in Grass Valley, about an hour from both Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. It is within driving distance of ski resorts in Donner Summit and Palisades Tahoe, as well as Rollins Lake, Bullards Bar Reservoir and Bowman Lake.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
1. Provide academic, administrative, and fiscal leadership for NCC through the implementation of quality programs, campus activities, and community relations in accordance with District plans, priorities, and policies, including increasing student success and eliminating equity gaps.
2. Formulate and make recommendations to the college’s executive team regarding all aspects of the NCC site, including strategic goals and planning, site priorities, and resource needs.
3. Oversee implementation of instructional programs at NCC, including developing NCC class schedule in cooperation with appropriate division deans and department faculty; developing, implementing, and supporting new or site-specific instructional programs as appropriate; and developing and implementing a site enrollment management plan.
4. Oversee student services programs at NCC, including ASSC/Campus Life, Admissions & Records, Counseling & Career Center, Outreach/Recruitment/Onboarding, Disabled Students Programs & Services, Health Services, Learning Commons (Library, Tutoring, Writing Center, Math Center), and Veterans.
5. Oversee site facilities, including updates to the NCC Facilities Master Plan, technology needs and upgrades, building renovations and physical plant conditions.
6. Engage faculty and staff in collaborative processes to achieve goals related to creating a culture of equity and assessment including inquiry, reflection, and ongoing improvement.
7. Articulate and coordinate with other post-secondary educational institutions, high school districts, and other parts of the community to inform them of educational opportunities at NCC and district-wide, including dual enrollment.
8. Coordinate and administer overall budget process for NCC; prepare, review, and manage NCC budgets; prepare and submit applications, claims, and reports to Federal and State agencies and other internal and external entities; coordinate with other District units as appropriate to research, apply for, and manage grant funding opportunities.
9. Interpret laws, regulations, and proposed legislation impacting NCC programs and services.
10. Anticipate and determine NCC staffing needs and coordinate requests for staffing through appropriate District processes; chair or participate on District hiring committees;
11. Evaluate managers, faculty, and staff in accordance with established District processes.
12. Coordinate NCC staff orientation and training.
13. Coordinate NCC emergency preparedness and response training, activities, and resources; serve as Incident Commander on NCC Incident Response Team.
14. Administer provisions of District collective bargaining agreements.
15. Participate in student activities and organizations as appropriate. Oversee planning and implementation of NCC commencement ceremonies.
16. Serve as the primary representative of Sierra College in the Nevada City/Grass Valley community; maintain positive relationships with the community at large, including area school districts, businesses, and service and non-profit organizations. Serve as resource person to the community, including presenting to community organizations and professional groups and participating in community affairs and groups, as feasible and appropriate.
17. Serve as a member of the District negotiations team(s), as needed.
18. Maintain active membership in relevant professional associations and attend relevant conferences, trainings, and institutes to remain current in emerging trends.
19. Perform related duties as required.
Education and Experience Guidelines
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training:
A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in any related field.
Experience:
At least one (1) year of experience related to the duties of the position in order to meet the California Education Code requirements for an Educational Administrator.
License or Certificate:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver’s license.
QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Knowledge of:
• Operational characteristics of a community college in a changing society.
• Standards of academic quality and institutional integrity applicable to post-secondary educational institutions, including methods and techniques of curriculum development.
• Contemporary diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism concepts, and issues; the use of data, metrics, and analytics in a post-secondary educational institution particularly in relation to student equity.
• Effective equity, inclusion, and student success practices in an educational setting.
• Guided Pathways principles, practices, challenges, and opportunities.
• Scheduling and enrollment management techniques.
• Concepts and principles of emergency preparedness and coordination.
• Concepts of participatory governance, collaborative decision-making processes, and team management techniques.
• Personnel management processes and techniques.
• Collective bargaining practices, procedures, and techniques.
• Laws, regulations, and legislation relevant to community college instruction. Methods and techniques of faculty hiring and loading.
• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Basic computer software use (e.g.: Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.).
• Methods and techniques of community relations and engagement.
• Principles and practices of budget preparation and administration. Principles and procedures of financial record keeping and reporting.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
Ability to:
• Provide visionary educational leadership and management.
• Foster an inclusive and equitable campus environment.
• In the course of carrying out responsibilities, navigate complex issues with divergent perspectives that result in successful resolution and action.
• Promote comprehensive community college educational and other programs and services.
• Develop and administer college goals, objectives, and procedures.
• Analyze and assess programs, policies, and operational needs and make appropriate adjustments.
• Identify and respond to sensitive organizational issues, concerns, and needs.
• Plan, organize, direct, and coordinate the work of assigned staff.
• Delegate authority and responsibility as appropriate.
• Select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Prepare clear and concise administrative and financial reports.
• Prepare and administer large and complex budgets.
• Work cooperatively with other departments, college officials, and outside agencies.
• Effectively represent NCC to outside individuals and agencies to accomplish the goals and objectives of the site.
• Respond tactfully, clearly, concisely, and appropriately to inquiries from the public, press, or other agencies on sensitive issues in area of responsibility.
• Meet critical deadlines while working in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Approach all duties of the position with an equity-minded perspective that supports and promotes inclusion and diversity while supporting effective calling in practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting with regular travel between NCC and main campus to attend meetings.
Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally walk, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.
Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.