Job Description

Who is Saint Louis University? Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities. SLU, which also has a campus in Madrid, Spain, is recognized for world-class academics, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service.

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Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education

Executive Director

The School of Education at Saint Louis University invites applications for the position of Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education. The Executive Director will set an innovative vision for the Center, oversee the implementation of the Center's strategic plan, and hold administrative responsibilities and teaching responsibilities within the Catholic Leadership and Teacher Education programs in the School of Education. This is an open-ranked search with a long-term externally funded appointment. The successful candidate will be qualified to be appointed as a non-tenure track faculty member within the School of Education.

The successful candidate will have a full-time 9-month faculty appointment with a 12-month administrative appointment in the School of Education, starting in fall 2024.

Mission: The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education promotes the academic and professional development of Catholic school educators and leaders, advances the research and dissemination of knowledge related to the critical issues facing Catholic education, and serves the larger educational needs of the Catholic Church.

Objective: The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education, by bringing together several existing Catholic-centered programs, would create several potential benefits:

• Communicate the important Catholic-centered work already being done within the School of Education at SLU.
• Engage fundraising opportunities for these existing programs where financial support is needed (some of the existing programs are already well-supported, but others would benefit from additional support).
• Enhance pathways for collaboration, including joint strategic planning, among existing programs via their participation in the larger Catholic Center.
• Create a leadership structure that would support the existing programs and be well-situated to develop new programs.

Position Summary: Faculty and staff in the School of Education at Saint Louis University are seeking a colleague to lead a core of faculty and staff members focused on Catholic education. Our team works with current and aspiring arch/diocesan leaders, school leaders, teachers, and students. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to launch the Center and work with colleagues to implement a recently developed strategic plan.

The Executive Director will have specific leadership and administrative responsibilities related to all Catholic leadership, teacher preparation, research, and local and global community outreach programs. These programs include:

• Access Academies, a high school and college access program which provides academic support and scholarships for students in urban Catholic middle schools (established 2005; serves approx. 460 students per year).
• Billiken Teacher Corps, a Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification program that forms the next generation of Catholic school educators through an academically excellent, spiritually-guided, service-learning community (established 2015; enrolls approx. 10 students per year).
• Catholic Educational Leadership Degree programs provide affordable and accessible Master's degrees and Doctoral degrees for educators preparing to serve as archdiocesan/diocesan or K-12 Catholic school leaders (enrolls approx. 60 students per year).
• There are also opportunities to collaborate with the Prime Center in the SLU School of Education and Belize 2020, a global outreach program through Jesuit schools in Belize. Additionally, the Center would like to develop and expand in the areas of research and global outreach.

Responsibilities: The successful candidates will have an opportunity to:

• Set an innovative vision for the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education and collaborate with faculty and staff to implement that vision.
• Raise funds for the sustainability of the Center and its programs; expand internal and external resources to support program goals.
• Build and expand partnerships with national and local organizations, archdioceses/dioceses, religious orders, and Catholic school networks across the country.
• Launch the center by developing and implementing the Center's structure, standard operating procedures, and roles and responsibilities.
• Provide leadership to enhance existing programs and develop new programs that are responsive to the needs of leaders, teachers, students, and communities.
• Create innovative educational programming to serve the Catholic school and diocesan educators' professional and spiritual development needs in the Central Southern Province region and beyond.
• Support researcher/practitioner conferences related to Catholic school education and leadership so that SLU can become a national locus for scholarship and its application for Catholic schools in the U.S. and beyond.
• Teach graduate students in Catholic educational leadership and teacher education, based on areas of expertise.
• Oversee recruitment of graduate students and, along with the Dean and Associate Dean, support strategic initiatives in the School of Education and the St. Louis community.

Qualifications and Experience for the Executive Director:

Required

• Earned doctorate (or equivalent) in Educational Leadership, Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Two or more years of full-time P-12 leadership and/or teaching experience.
• Two or more years of experience as a faculty member at a college or university.
• Demonstrated commitment to developing leaders and teachers in the Catholic, and preferably Jesuit, tradition.
• Demonstrated commitment to innovation and social justice, along with our other School of Education values: Cura Personalis, trust and integrity, social justice, growth and transformation, and reflective practice.