Additional Information:
For over 50 years, the Northern Lakes College vision has been to increase accessibility to educational opportunities. With 25 locations across northern Alberta, program sites throughout Alberta, and a unique Supported Distance Learning model, students can access quality educational opportunities without leaving their community. Students can study from the comforts of home, work, on the road, or from one of the many College locations. Northern Lakes College offers a variety of university transfer, diploma, and certificate programs, including Academic Upgrading, Business & Administrative Studies, Health & Human Service Careers, Pre-Employment & Apprenticeship Trades, Resource Technology, University Studies, and Continuing Education & Corporate Training certificates and courses. The college supports and promotes professional development and wellness opportunities and provides employees with an attractive benefits plan and competitive salaries. The College service region offers numerous recreational activities for the entire family to enjoy!
Northern Lakes College has the following temporary position available:
Chair, University Studies
Salary: $54.14 to $69.83 per hour
Location: Slave Lake
May 11, 2026 to June 1, 2026
Qualifications:
- PhD or EdD (in progress may be considered)
- Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in post-secondary programs
- Significant experience working with rural learners
- Minimum of five (5) years’ teaching in an online environment
- A clean criminal record check prior to commencement
- A valid Class 5 driver’s license
Nature and Scope of Work:
Reporting to the Dean, Health, Human Services and University Studies, the Chair is responsible for the overall supervision, administration, and operation of the University Studies department, including university transfer programming and foundational academic pathways such as career and college preparation. The Chair provides academic and operational leadership for University Studies programming and works collaboratively with Learner Services and other units to ensure seamless, student-centered delivery of university-level coursework, and transfer opportunities.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Administration
Administration includes the following responsibilities
- Recruiting and onboarding faculty and staff
- Implementing and ensuring compliance with college policies, procedures, and regulations
- Planning, implementing, and evaluating University Studies and transfer programming initiatives
- Setting, monitoring, and assessing academic and delivery standards
- Evaluating program quality and effectiveness
- Managing student academic and program-related issues
- Preparing, monitoring, and managing departmental budgets
- Leading strategic planning for University Studies and related programming
- Preparing internal College documents such as program plans, academic reviews, quality assurance materials
- Supporting marketing and promotion of University Studies and university transfer pathways
- Preparing external documents as required for partner institutions and regulatory bodies
- Facilitating effective operations, student supports, and communication for university transfer programming delivered across multiple program and service areas
Supervision
- The Chair is responsible for monitoring and evaluating employee performance and identifying, organizing, and approving professional development opportunities
- Employees supervised may include program coordinators, full-time, part-time, sessional instructors, and administrative support staff
Corporate and Institutional Responsibilities
- Adheres to College operational policies and procedures
- Works collaboratively with other College departments and external partners, including universities and post-secondary institutions
- Participates in College-wide management and decision-making processes
- Contributes to the College’s strategic and business planning; oversees the department’s services, operations, performance, and budgets
- Provides leadership and academic direction to faculty and staff
Specific Areas of Responsibility
Leadership
- Academic and strategic planning
- Quality assurance and continuous improvement
- Technology integration in teaching and learning
- Academic leadership for University Studies and College and career prep programming
Management
- University Studies programming operations and performance
- Personnel management (faculty and staff)
- Financial management and budget oversight
- Liaison with internal College departments and external post-secondary partners
Faculty and Staff Development
- Planning, supporting, and providing professional development opportunities
- Managing the performance appraisal cycle for departmental employees
- Faculty development and supervision
Professional Responsibilities
- Participation in provincial transfer-related associations
- Ongoing professional learning in
- Program and academic management
- University transfer systems and articulation
- Adult and distance education
- Learning technologies and online learning
- Curriculum development
- Faculty development and supervision
Skills/Knowledge:
Academic Expertise
Strong expertise in, and ability to apply
- Best practices in teaching and learning
- Online, blended, and flexible delivery models
- Best practices in academic leadership
- Development and delivery of high-quality university-level curriculum
- Instructional technologies (synchronous and asynchronous)
Leadership Skills
Demonstrated ability in
- Strategic and operational planning
- Problem solving, critical thinking, and analysis
Management Skills
Functional management abilities to undertake
- Results-oriented project management
- Responsible financial management balancing sustainability and growth
- Performance management that builds teams and institutional capacity
Communication Skills
Excellent abilities in
- Technical, academic, and policy writing
- Report and proposal development
- Active listening and interpretation
- Clear oral, written, visual communication, and presentations
Interpersonal Skills
Demonstrated effectiveness in
- Leading and facilitating diverse teams
- Influencing decisions through cooperation and consensus-building
- Resolving conflict
Successful candidate must provide College or University transcripts and a clean Criminal Record Check to Human Resources prior to commencement.
Note: Northern Lakes College thanks all applicants for their interest in employment; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.
- Competitive salaries
- Vacation time ranging from three to eight weeks
- Excellent health and dental benefits
- Life and disability insurance
- Pension plans with employer contributions
- Comprehensive employee and family assistance program
- Professional development opportunities
