Vice President Academic Affairs and Dean

Leawood, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean serves as the Chief Academic Officer of Saint Paul School of Theology and provides strategic and administrative leadership for the Seminary's academic mission across its Kansas and Oklahoma locations and online learning environments. Reporting to the President and serving on the senior leadership team, the VPAAD/Dean provides leadership across faculty, curriculum, academic policy, assessment, accreditation, academic planning, and educational quality.

Working collaboratively with the faculty and through established structures of shared governance, the VPAAD/Dean advances an academically rigorous, contextually responsive, and distinctly Wesleyan vision for theological education. The VPAAD/Dean also works collaboratively with the President and other institutional leaders to align academic priorities with enrollment, financial resources, institutional strategy, and the evolving needs of the Church and communities SPST serves.

Responsibility for academic programs, faculty, academic policies and standards, curriculum implementation, academic rigor, and academic planning consistent with faculty governance and Board authority.

Leads and implements an excellent unified academic vision across SPST's Kansas and Oklahoma Campuses and online programs.

Ensures curricular excellence, innovation, and contextual relevance in graduate theological education (e.g., MDiv, MACM, and DMin degree programs), as well as Course of Study and any new academic programs that respond to the needs of the Church and world.

Promotes integration of academic study, spiritual formation, and practical ministries grounded in the Wesleyan tradition, committed to holistic theological education, and supported by rigorous engagement with Scripture, tradition, and theological diversity.

Takes responsibility for the academic calendar, course scheduling, faculty teaching assignments, academic policy publication and implementation, faculty workload, equity, adjunct faculty recruitment and supervision, academic program review recommendations, academic program and catalog matters, and academic budget planning and management.

Supervises, supports, and evaluates the faculty (and academic staff) in fulfilling their educational ministry, and actively works with them to facilitate their ongoing formation and development, with particular attention to mentoring newer faculty members.

Facilitates faculty curriculum development informed by United Methodist Ordination requirements and diverse ministries.

Supports and facilitates faculty discernment on academic policies, curricular reviews and revisions, and the implementation of changes.

Models relevant theological administrative skills and competence in maintaining and strengthening high-quality theological education and demonstrates the ability to build a collaborative community team.

Works to advance innovation in asynchronous and synchronous course offerings, as well as being intentional about contextual learning models.

Ensures the seminary's presence across UMC Conferences, especially Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Great Plains Conferences, and builds a positive, intentional relationship with the Church of the Resurrection (Resurrection), where the Seminary is housed.

Fosters a productive collaborative culture that unites the two campuses in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Facilitates self-study reports with the Director of Assessment in…