Executive Director OF Academic Programs

UC Center Sacramento

Executive Director of Academic Programs

Since 2003, the University of California Center Sacramento (UCCS) has given students the extraordinary opportunity to live, learn, and intern in the state's capital. As UCCS settles into its new building mere steps from the Capitol, the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) is excited to see UCCS fill that space, literally and figuratively.

To that end, we seek applications for the position of Executive Director of UCCS Academic Programs (with a planned start date on or before September 1, 2025). Reporting to the University of California Provost and Executive Vice President and the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of UC Davis, the new Executive Director of Academic Programs' overriding charge is to make UCCS a platform that draws UC students' and scholars' talent, energy, and expertise from campuses to the capital.

While the possibilities are limitless, and the path ahead will draw heavily on the new Executive Director's vision, success in this role means building new programs and partnerships, not to mention drawing broader UC student participation. We are looking for substantial enrollment growth, a natural reflection of the innovative imagination of the new director and the effort to build more intentional linkages with all of the campuses.

The Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley is poised to inaugurate a Master's Degree in Public Affairs in the Fall of 2025 at UCCS; the Executive Director will work with relevant administrators to support this exciting development, the first of what we hope will be a number of graduate programs in residence.

While it is anticipated that the selected candidate will be a current Senate faculty member at one of the ten University of California campuses, highly qualified individuals from outside the UC system are also encouraged to apply and will be fully considered.

The appointment is for a four-year renewable term.

Essential qualifications:

• A UC Academic Senate member in good standing with tenure or security of employment OR a full professor, or academic credentials and scholarly distinction that would qualify the candidate to be appointable as a full professor who is a member of the UC Academic Senate.
• Research and teaching experience in public policy and/or related fields such as economics, political science, sociology, and/or public health.
• Interest in public scholarship and/or the application of basic and applied research to problems of significance to the state of California, the nation, and the international community.
• Strong scholarly and curriculum development credentials.
• Experience with UC shared governance.
• Commitment to strengthening ties between the UCCS program and the campuses, as well as commitment to increasing recruitment of students in all disciplines, particularly in science, arts, and humanities.
• Evidence of strong management and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence. Experience integrating such commitments into the workplace and classroom.
• Passion for the academic mission of UCCS and experiential learning for a broad spectrum of majors.
• The expectation is that the new Executive Director will be in the office, or traveling on behalf of UCCS, 80% of their committed time.

Preferred qualifications:

• Familiarity with UC policies and practices with respect to academic courses and program development, faculty hiring, and assessment.
• Experience building and sustaining collaborative teams and/or networks.
• Experience in partnerships and networks involving more than one UC campus.
• Experience successfully working with and/or supervising staff in pursuit of common goals.
• Ability to build strong relationships with and between faculty, staff, and students.
• Ability to 'think big,' run with nascent ideas where appropriate, and build coalitions across institutional boundaries within the university and between UC and external groups.
• Good business acumen and a taste for innovation that is fiscally sound.
• Ability to recognize and solve problems of varied kinds quickly and effectively.
• Ability to work collaboratively with the Office of the President, UC Davis, and advisory and governing boards that oversee academic programs, financial matters, and governance.
• Leadership skills and administrative experience, including program management, designing and/or managing curricular programs, overseeing a program budget, and dealing with student welfare issues.
• This position is expected to be the primary focus of the Executive Director's work.

Leading UCCS will constitute the Executive Director's primary work during his/her time as Director, though we recognize UC faculty will have other commitments as well. Thus, the exact time commitment is negotiable (between 50-100% time) and can vary across the years.

The salary range for this position is determined by the underlying academic appointment. A reasonable estimated annualized full-time salary range for this position, inclusive of any possible stipend or summer salary, is $175,000-$293,333, based on experience and accomplishments. Faculty administrators with less than a full-time appointment are normally compensated with stipends and/or additional summer compensation, consistent with policy.