Director of First Assistant Professor

Position: Director of First-Year Experience + Assistant Professor
Location: Denver

Director of First-Year Experience + Assistant Professor

Location:

Lakewood, CO or Remote | Must reside in AZ, CA, CO, FL, NY, VA, or TX

Target Salary: $65,000 - $75,000 per year

Position Summary

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) seeks a forward-thinking administrator and educator to serve as Director of the First-Year Experience (FYE), with a teaching load. Reporting to the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, this administrative role provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive curricular and co-curricular roadmap for all first-year students.

Rooted in RMCAD's "Students Come First" mission, the Director will bridge the gap between academic departments, and the student's transition into a professional art and design community. You will be responsible for creating a "sense of belonging" while ensuring students hit critical milestones in their first 8-week terms and beyond.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities

First-Year Experience Leadership (Director Component):

* The First-Year

Roadmap:

Develop and execute a comprehensive "roadmap" for the undergraduate journey, identifying critical milestones from orientation through the transition to the second year.

* Peer Mentoring & Cohorts:
Launch and manage a robust peer-mentoring program (e.g., peer-led workshops or "masterclasses") designed to help faculty and students navigate RMCAD's first year.

* Retention and Assessment:
Track and measure success metrics (persistence, engagement, and learning outcomes). Use data to identify "at-risk" students and implement early-intervention strategies.

* Cross-Departmental

Collaboration:

Partner with Admissions, Advising, and Marketing to ensure coherent messaging during the recruitment-to-enrollment transition.

* Collaborate with Career Services to integrate career-readiness and professional development into the first-year curriculum.

* Work with Student Affairs to integrate Orientation and co-curricular activities with credit-bearing coursework.

Curricular Leadership and Teaching (Faculty Component):

* Instruction:
Teaching load as assigned.

* Core Curriculum Integration:
Collaborate with department chairs and faculty to ensure First Year courses support the "Core" needs of art and design students.

* Instructional Mentorship:
Provide peer-to-peer coaching and support to part-time faculty, ensuring consistency in teaching quality and student engagement across all FYE sections.

* Scholarship:
Maintain an active research agenda or professional practice, ideally focused on student success, pedagogy, Liberal Arts, higher education, or other relevant scholarship.

Program Operations:

* Administrative Oversight:
Manage the FYE budget, schedule first-year seminar sections, and coordinate program-related events (e.g., first-year exhibitions or academic symposia).

* Research and

Innovation: Introduce students to undergraduate research and professional practice opportunities, and interdisciplinary "incubators" that prepare them for advanced studio work.

Required Qualifications

* Graduate Degree: MA, MS, or PhD in a Liberal Arts discipline, Higher Education Leadership, or a related field.

* Leadership

Experience:

2+ years of experience in academic leadership, curriculum coordination, or student success programming.

* Teaching

Experience:

2+ years of postsecondary teaching with a proven track record of engaging first-year students and online teaching.

* Collaboration:

Demonstrated ability to work across "silos" (Faculty, Student Affairs, and Enrollment Management).

Preferred Qualifications

* Terminal Degree:
PhD or MFA in a relevant academic field.

* Retention Expertise:
Experience using data analytics to improve student persistence and success.

* Creative Fluency: A deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by art and design students.

* Technical Proficiency:

Experience with a LMS and AI-driven tools as pedagogical aids.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

* Student-Centered Philosophy: A commitment to facilitating a "sense of belonging" for a diverse student body.

* Communication:
Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire curiosity and motivation in new learners.

* Autonomy:
Ability to take initiative on complex, multi-departmental projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Application Required Materials

* CV and Cover Letter (specifically addressing your vision for the "First-Year Roadmap").

* Teaching Statement (including your approach to mentoring first-year students).

* Professional Evidence: A portfolio or PDF containing examples of program assessments, curriculum designs, or scholarly research.

* 3-5 Professional References.

About RMCAD

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) is an innovative, rigorous, and community-oriented global learning environment that inspires passion for critical thinking and prepares learners to be forces of change in the creative industries, our communities, and the world. RMCAD was established in 1963 by Philip J. Steele, who had a vision to provide students with a quality higher…