Harvard University
Dean of Continuing Education (Grade 63)
Harvard University seeks nominations and expressions of interest for the position of Dean of
Continuing Education.
Background
Harvard University (www.harvard.edu) is one of the world’s preeminent research universities. Founded
in 1636, Harvard is the oldest university in North America. The University has grown from nine students
in a single College to an enrollment of more than 6,000 undergraduate students and over 12,000
graduate students in ten graduate and professional schools.
The largest division of the University is the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and comprises Harvard College and
the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including undergraduate and graduate admissions; the School
of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and the Division of Continuing Education. The FAS also
encompasses academic resources such as libraries and museums, as well as campus resources and
athletics.
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers open-enrollment courses, professional development
seminars, and degrees and professional certificates. Harvard Extension School, the largest enterprise
within DCE, was founded over a century ago to extend Harvard’s rich academic resources to the public,
locally, nationally, and internationally. DCE has since grown to include the Harvard Summer School, the
Institute for English Language Programs, and the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement.
The Harvard Extension School offers more than 650 on-campus and 150 online classes across 65 fields,
including health sciences, humanities, social sciences, computer science, management, environmental
management, writing and languages. The online courses may be taken from anywhere in the world.
English language courses are also available. Open enrollment, reasonable tuition, part-time study, and
evening classes have been cornerstones of the Harvard Extension School.
The Harvard Extension School offers several degree programs: Associate in Arts, Bachelor of Liberal Arts,
and Master of Liberal Arts, as well as professional Master of Liberal Arts programs in information
technology, sustainability and environmental management, journalism, management, biotechnology,
mathematics for teaching, and museum studies. A post-baccalaureate health careers program is also
offered.
The Harvard Summer School offer intensive sessions in liberal arts courses in Cambridge and overseas to
students of many ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. These include Harvard undergraduate and
graduate students, teachers, visitors from other colleges and universities, highly qualified secondary
school students, adult learners, and nonnative English speakers seeking to refine their language skills.
Students take summer courses to challenge themselves academically, meet degree requirements,
prepare for graduate school, gain college experience, advance their careers, and pursue personal
enrichment.
Harvard University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Harvard University
Dean of DCE Search
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DCE also programs in professional development, learning in retirement, and English language programs.
For more information, see: www.dce.harvard.edu
The Position
The Dean of the Division of Continuing Education serves as the Chief Academic Officer for all aspects of
continuing education at Harvard, including the Extension School, the Summer School, the Institute for
English Language Programs, and the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. Reporting to the Dean
of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, the Dean of Continuing Education is responsible for shaping the DCE’s
open and comprehensive academic curriculum, with courses and programs to that meet the interests
and needs of Harvard’s employees, students, and a diverse public beyond Harvard’s gates. He or she will
help lead Harvard’s efforts in online learning, distance education, and the productive use of technology
in pedagogical innovation such as EdX, Harvard’s joint venture with MIT.
The Dean oversees an academic unit with a budget of approximately $40 million and that delivers
programs to approximately 14,000 students annually.
The position manages a total staff of 100 in the areas of Undergraduate degree programs, Master’s
degree programs, Registrar’s office, Academic Services, and Academic Administration. Management
responsibilities include building a diverse and capable team, planning and delegating work effectively,
communicating performance expectations and assessing staff member performance relative to such
expectations, and providing clear feedback.
The Dean will ideally understand a mission-oriented academic enterprise and will have professional
experience that meets the criteria for professor, professor of the practice, or senior lecturer in the
Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Key Responsibilities and Opportunities
The Dean of the Division of Continuing Education will lead through a period of significant transformation
in the future of online learning at Harvard and will initiate new collaborations with faculty across the
University. Harvard’s Extension School is a recognized leader in distance education and the Dean will
lead an effort to scale this successful program while also building opportunities for innovations in online
learning across the FAS. The Dean of DCE will work with the academic deans of the divisions and schools
of the FAS to provide a unique educational experience through the integration of liberal arts, graduate
study, and professional training with international and interdisciplinary emphases, making Harvard
University an unparalleled institution of higher education.
The Dean of DCE provides leadership and vision for a dynamic unit responsible for providing exceptional
educational opportunities that meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students. The
Dean is expected to:
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Meet the demand for new and relevant programs;
Recognize and respond to rapid technological advancements and the need for program agility;
Embrace opportunities for curricular and pedagogical innovation;
Address ever-shifting student demographics; and,
Identify new income streams while operating in an environment of constrained fiscal resources.
Harvard University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Harvard University
Dean of DCE Search
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The Candidate
The successful candidate will have an established record of effective leadership in a dynamic academic
environment with diverse and complex governance structures. He or she will be a sophisticated
academic leader, a strong general manager, and a recognized innovator in pedagogy and the use of
technology in education. The critical competencies for success are:
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Organizational Capacity Building: The successful candidate will have the ability to assess an
organization, evaluate its existing capabilities in the context of the required performance levels, and
develop effective approaches for addressing the gaps where they exist. This will require the ability
to motivate and lead faculty and staff through a period of cultural and operational change, to clearly
communicate expectations in an inspiring way, and to drive accountability at both the team and
individual level.
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Tolerance for Complexity and Ambiguity: The successful candidate will be an individual who thrives
in complex environments and is energized by solving large, multi-dimensional problems. He or she
will have strong analytical skills, the capacity to understand human and organizational dynamics,
and the proven ability to move forward and make meaningful progress in the absence of perfect
information.
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Leadership: Functioning in a relationship-driven culture where intellectual acuity is highly valued,
the successful candidate will be able to provide leadership by exhibiting a combination of insight,
innovation, transparency, fairness, persuasiveness, and commitment to the institution. He or she
will have the ability to bring ideas to the table in a way that they can be understood, promote those
ideas across the broader University, and gain acceptance and support for new approaches.
Contact
Harvard University has retained Park Square Executive Search to assist in the recruitment of the Dean of
Continuing Education. To make a confidential inquiry, to receive a copy of the full position description,
or to nominate a candidate, please contact:
Jonathan Fortescue, Ph.D., Managing Partner or
Kate Cook, Senior Associate
One Broadway, 14th Floor, Cambridge MA 02142.
[email protected]
Phone: (617) 401-2982
All applicants must complete the Harvard online application process: www.employment.harvard.edu
Harvard University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.