• Mission Alignment & Strategic Vision: Champions Aurora University's mission as an inclusive, teaching-centered institution dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Provides strategic direction that integrates liberal arts and professional credentials while embracing science, health, emerging technologies and the AI era. Charts advancement of hybrid campus initiatives that balance online, in-person, and hybrid modalities to serve diverse learners. 
• Agility & Innovation: Demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking and calculated risk-taking to develop new revenue streams, innovative programs, and partnerships. Rapidly adapts to changing market demands and educational landscapes. 
• Technology Leadership: Serves as a catalyst for integrating emerging technologies (AI, data science, virtual/augmented reality, computational biology) across health, sciences and technology programs, positioning the College at the forefront of technology-enabled education. Champions the hybrid campus model by designing flexible delivery modalities that optimize both physical and virtual learning environments.
• Collaborative Excellence: Works effectively across silos with faculty, staff, students, Admissions, Advancement, Alumni Affairs, and external partners. Represents Aurora University positively with diverse stakeholders including prospective students, employers, healthcare systems, research institutions, and community organizations. 
• People and Culture: Lead with empathy, inclusion, and intellectual curiosity?fostering a culture that values collaboration, diversity of thought, and shared success. Mentor faculty and staff to integrate high-impact, student-centered teaching practices and data-informed decision-making. Promote belonging and inclusive excellence ensuring that all students can see themselves as innovators and leaders. 
• Integrity & Confidentiality: Handles all information with discretion and maintains the highest ethical standards in every aspect of institutional practice and operation.

• Lead with empathy, inclusion, and intellectual curiosity?fostering a culture that values collaboration, diversity of thought, and shared success. 
• Mentor faculty and staff to integrate high-impact, student-centered teaching practices and data-informed decision-making across all learning modalities. 
• Promote belonging and inclusive excellence in health, science and technology. 
• Optimize the student experience across online, hybrid, and in-person modalities to attract and retain diverse student populations, improve career outcomes, and align learning competencies with community needs

• Strategic Academic Portfolio Management and Planning: Proactively manages the College's academic portfolio and strategically plans its direction in collaboration with university administration and academic leaders. Develops and executes a data-informed 3-5 year strategic plan aligned with university goals, particularly the "Learn and Thrive" and "Strengthen and Expand" pillars. Leads assessment and restructuring of programs based on enrollment trends, completion rates, market analysis, and strategic fit. Creates stackable and alternative credentials that meet employer and societal needs while supporting the university's hybrid campus vision and financial strength. Maintains accountability through data informed decision making.
• Hybrid Campus Development: Designs and implements a menu of online, in-person, and hybrid course options for undergraduate and graduate programs in the College that appeal to diverse learners while addressing capacity on the Aurora campus, meeting the learning and life needs of current students, and anticipating the needs of future students. Increases offerings of hybrid programs and courses to increase flexibility of curriculum and expand access to working professionals and non-traditional students.
• Technology Integration & Innovation: Responsibly integrates emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, data science, computational methods, and digital health tools into curricula across all health, sciences and technology programs. Incorporates emerging technology into the student experience and programs across the College in all learning modalities (online, hybrid, and in-person). Positions the College as a regional leader in technology-enabled health and science education as well as core technology.
• Pre-Health: Strengthens pre-health professions pathways (pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-physician assistant, pre-veterinary, pre-dental) through enhanced advising, research opportunities, and partnerships with professional schools. Develops programs that prepare students for graduate study and careers in emerging fields.
• Strategic Planning & Vision: Strategically plans the direction of the College of Health and Sciences in collaboration with university administration and leaders of other academic units. Develops and executes a 3-5 year strategic plan aligned with university goals, particularly the "Learn and Thrive" and "Strengthen and Expand" pillars. Ensures the College's programs support the university's hybrid campus vision and contribute to Aurora University's growth and financial strength. 
• Revenue Optimization & Entrepreneurial Development: Identifies and develops new revenue opportunities through innovative programs, stackable credentials, employer partnerships, grant funding, and alternative delivery modalities. Cultivates an entrepreneurial culture that empowers faculty and staff to be calculated risk-takers.

• Supervision & Personnel Development: Supervises department chairs within the College of Health and Sciences. Develops, mentors, and evaluates personnel. Promotes teaching excellence and professional development. Creates professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to learn and use AI, augmented reality, and virtual reality technologies to innovate classroom pedagogies across all modalities.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manages overall operations including budgeting, resource allocation, strategic planning, scheduling, and program committee assignments. Deploys resources judiciously to ensure fiscal health while supporting strategic priorities.
• Enrollment & Revenue Goals: Works collaboratively with Admissions to develop and execute enrollment strategies that meet or exceed enrollment and net revenue goals for the College. 
• Facilities & Infrastructure: Partners with campus planning to assess current infrastructure and recommend technology-enabled laboratory spaces, maker spaces, simulation facilities, and collaborative learning environments that support 21st-century science education. 

• Industry & Healthcare Partnerships: Cultivates partnerships with healthcare systems, biotechnology firms, data science companies, research institutions, and employers to create internship pipelines, research collaborations, advisory boards, and employer education programs.
• Grant Development & Fundraising: Collaborates with Advancement to develop resources through grants, fundraising activities, and donor cultivation.

Required Education:

• PhD or EdD in a health sciences, STEM, or related discipline (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Public Health, Exercise Science, or related field)

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible academic leadership experience (e.g, department chair, program director, associate dean, or dean) 
• Demonstrated success in academic program development, assessment, and strategic planning 
• Proven track record of integrating technology into curriculum and/or research programs 
• Experience with online or hybrid program development and implementation 
• Track record of building industry partnerships and employer relationships

• Experience managing academic portfolio decisions 
• Experience in an HSI, MSI, or diverse institutional setting 
• Experience with pre-health professions advising or professional school partnerships 
• Experience leading hybrid campus initiatives or multi-modal program delivery

About Aurora University

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff. AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work. We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a se...nsitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

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