Sr. Assistant Commissioner Academic

Sr. Assistant Commissioner for Academic & Technical Education

The Senior Assistant Commissioner serves as a senior advisor to the Associate Commissioner for Academic and Technical Education and provides strategic leadership for statewide initiatives that strengthen institutional collaboration, instructional quality,faculty engagement, and long-term program planning across the Utah System of Higher Education.

Working collaboratively with provosts, deans, faculty leaders, and administrators, the Senior Assistant Commissioner helps identify emerging programmatic opportunities, facilitatescross-institutional collaboration, and develops strategies that strengthen program excellence while respecting the unique missionof each institution.

Unlike operational positions responsible for committee coordination and policy implementation, this role focuses on strategic relationships, academic and technical program innovation, institutional alignment, and long-range planning.

• Lead statewide efforts that strengthen horizontal alignment across USHE degree-granting and technical education institutionsthrough curricular alignment, faculty collaboration, transfer pathways, and program quality.
• Conduct strategic reviews of academic and technical education programs and institutional portfolios to evaluate quality,workforce relevance, student demand, mission alignment, andlong-term sustainability.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen institutional missions through collaboration, specialization, shared delivery models, and innovative program offerings.
• Analyze emerging trends in higher education, workforce needs,technology, artificial intelligence, research, and instructionalinnovation to inform statewide program planning.
• Develop strategic recommendations for the Associate Commissioner and Utah Board of Higher Education regarding programpriorities and development.
• Support implementation of Board priorities related to institutional collaboration, learner mobility, and program excellence.

• Develop strong relationships with Faculty Senate leadership andother faculty governance organizations.
• Advise the Associate Commissioner regarding emerging facultyissues, institutional concerns, and opportunities for collaboration.
• Support statewide discussions and lead initiatives related tofaculty development, shared governance, interdisciplinary collaboration, academic freedom, workload, tenure, instructionalexcellence, and program innovation.

• Support relationships with chief academic and instructionalofficers, vice provosts, deans, faculty leaders, and administratorsacross Utah's public colleges and universities.
• Build collaborative partnerships that strengthen communication between institutions and the Office of the Commissioner.
• Facilitate conversations that build consensus around complex issues while respecting institutional missions and autonomy.
• Support institutional efforts related to accreditation,continuous improvement, student learning, and evidence-based educational practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

OCHE has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and primary duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

This document does not represent a contract of employment, and OCHE reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as OCHE may deem appropriate.

• Master's degree or equivalent work experience in a related field required (one year of education can be substituted for oneyear of related work experience).
• 12 years' professional experience in a related field.
• Progressive leadership experience as a program director,department chair, dean, associate provost, provost, or equivalent in a higher education institution.
• Experience building collaborative relationships across multipleinstitutions.
• Demonstrated success leading institution-wide programmatic initiatives.
• Familiarity with technical education programs and workforce development.
• Strong understanding of shared governance,…