Assistant Dean, Office of Undergraduate Studies

Engineering a world of possibilities
The Office of Undergraduate Studies at Colorado School of Mines (Mines) is hiring for an Assistant Dean.
The Assistant Dean for Undergraduate (UG) Studies provides leadership and implementation capacity for selected undergraduate and cross-cutting academic priorities within the Office of UG Studies (OUS). These priorities span undergraduate education, student success, academic quality, compliance, instructional practice, and emerging strategic initiatives. Reporting to the Dean of UG Studies, the Assistant Dean helps move institutional priorities that have been approved through appropriate leadership and governance channels from concept to implementation by coordinating faculty engagement, cross-campus partnerships, assessment, accreditation-related work, and evidence-informed planning. The role also organizes and leads emerging work within the scope of OUS as institutional needs evolve, working closely with campus stakeholders to advance broader institutional goals and strengthen student progression, academic quality, career readiness, and operational effectiveness.
The Dean sets vision, priorities, institutional direction, and final recommendations on policy and strategy. The Assistant Dean provides the capacity to lead assigned initiatives, develops approaches needed to organize the work, builds durable partnerships, supports faculty and program leaders, coordinates implementation, assesses progress, and elevates decisions that require institutional authority action.
The Assistant Dean will develop effective working relationships with Student Life units including the Career Center and the Center for Academic Services and Advising (CASA) to connect academic priorities with career readiness, student support, and academic policy implementation. The Assistant Dean will partner with administrative and student-facing units whose roles support registration, advising, classroom operations and related implementation needs. The role will also work closely with the Trefny Innovative Instruction Center, faculty engagement, teaching and learning improvement, and accreditation-related priorities. Finally, the Assistant Dean will establish and sustain trusted working relationships with UG program directors, department leadership, faculty leaders, UG Council, and portfolio deans. These relationships are essential to building shared understanding, navigating governance and decision-making processes, and securing the collaboration needed to execute approved initiatives.
The Assistant Dean will contribute to institutional and program accreditation needs by coordinating ABET-related support with academic programs, helping organize evidence and writing for the HLC assurance argument as assigned, and serving on cross-functional committees where undergraduate curriculum, assessment, student success, and compliance intersect.
This position is campus-based and requires a regular on-campus presence to support faculty engagement, collaboration, and institutional partnerships. A hybrid work arrangement may be available with supervisor approval and in accordance with Mines policies and operational needs.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Undergraduate Curriculum Strategy, Innovation, and Program Leadership (40%)
Advance and coordinate OUS-led curriculum priorities by identifying challenges, developing practical solutions, and helping translate institutional goals into manageable plans, tools, and measures of progress that support student retention, timely degree completions, and operational efficiency in undergraduate academic work.
Analyze and evaluate curricular pathways, complexity, course demand, enrollment patterns, and instructional capacity, identifying opportunities to improve student progression and timely degree completion.
Support department-designated faculty and program leaders in using institutional data and other evidence to identify curricular gaps or barriers, evaluate alignment with learning outcomes, accreditation requirements, and approved institutional priorities, and develop actionable recommendations for improvement.
Develop practical tools, guidance, and engagement processes that help UG program directors carry out their responsibilities effectively and strengthen coordination between programs and OUS.
Translate approved priorities and faculty-generated ideas into draft frameworks, pilot approaches, decision points, and measures of progress for review by the Dean and appropriate governance bodies.
Partner with academic and administrative units on initiatives that strengthen undergraduate teaching and learning, including instructional space planning and utilization, classroom improvement, educational technology coordination, and accessibility implementation.
Identify implementation barriers, resolve routine issues, and elevate decisions requiring policy, resources, or senior leadership action.
Strategic Academic Initiatives and Implementation (30%)
Provide leadership for major strategic academic initiatives assigned to the Office of UG Studies. The current primary initiative is the development, implementation, and ongoing coordination of Mines’ institution-wide communication development initiative.
Lead implementation of a communication and professional-practice ecosystem across undergraduate education and, in partnership with Graduate Studies, support the identification and coordination of graduate communication priorities.
Maintain and advance a Mines-wide communication competency framework that includes technical argumentation, visual and data communication, collaborative and intercultural communication, professional communication, and responsible AI-enabled communication.
Convene the initiative’s faculty, graduate-student, and campus partner network and keep partners aligned around priorities, roles, timelines, and outcomes.
Work closely with academic faculty, Student Life, the Career Center, advising/CASA, the Trefny Center, the Library, Graduate Studies, undergraduate research programs, and academic departments to connect communication development with career readiness, student support, faculty development, shared resources, skill integration and assessment.
Establish assessment mechanisms and prepare regular updates on implementation, outcomes, faculty and student experience, and opportunities for improvement.
Lead other emerging strategic academic initiatives within the scope of the Office of Undergraduate Studies, building the partnerships, implementation structures, resources, and measures of progress needed to move approved priorities from concept to sustainable practice.
Accreditation Support and Policy Implementation (20%)
Lead selected OUS/AA priorities that require coordinated planning, accreditation support, policy implementation, and partnership across academic and student-facing units.
Work with faculty and administrative partners to develop, refine, implement, and evaluate UG academic policies and practices.
Coordinate initiatives involving student progression, curricular pathways, academic operations, accessibility, workforce readiness, and other OUS responsibilities.
Connect assessment findings and institutional data to specific questions, decisions, and opportunities for improvement.
Support ABET and HLC accreditation work through coordinating activities with academic programs and campus partners, helping gather and organize evidence, report preparation, and supporting continuous-improvement practices connected to student learning outcomes.
Serve on cross-functional committees with Student Life, the Career Center, advising/CASA, the Trefny Center, academic departments, and other partners where UG curriculum, student success, assessment, policy, and accreditation intersect.
Anticipate implementation challenges, resolve routine barriers, and elevate issues requiring leadership decisions.
Office Leadership and Representation (10%)
Serve as a leader in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, representing the office on campus committees and advising the Dean on operational risks, emerging priorities, and strategic opportunities.
Minimum Qualifications
Master’s degree in higher education, curriculum and instruction, assessment, educational leadership, a STEM discipline, or another relevant academic or professional field.
At least 10 years of professional experience in higher education involving curriculum, academic programs, assessment, faculty development, accreditation, or academic administration.
At least 5 years of experience leading complex projects or initiatives involving faculty and multiple institutional units.
Experience working effectively in shared-governance environments and with individuals holding differing perspectives, responsibilities, and levels of authority.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and Other Attributes (KSAOs):
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Deep understanding of how curr