Olympic College seeks a Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities. The successful applicant will have a record of inclusive, equity-minded academic leadership; program and curriculum development and assessment; and faculty mentorship. This position will be expected to maintain a regular campus presence.

About Olympic College

Founded in 1946, Olympic College is a comprehensive community college on the Kitsap Peninsula, across Puget Sound from Seattle, WA. We serve Kitsap and Mason Counties with campuses in Bremerton, Poulsbo, and Shelton. We offer academic transfer and workforce education degrees and certificates; four applied baccalaureate degrees; Transitional Studies including Adult Basic Education, high school completion alternatives, Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); and community education. Through a national award-winning partnership with the Navy, we offer an Apprenticeship School at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

Olympic College enrolls a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body of approximately 8,500 students annually, including a growing number of international students, Running Start, and students affiliated with partner institutions of higher education. Among them.

• 3% identify as African American
• 5%, as Hispanic/Latino
• 1%, as Native American/Alaska
• 1%, as Native Hawaiian/Pacific (Native)
• 7 %, as Asian (Islander)
• 59%, as White
• 15% as multiracial

Approx. 8% of the student population is active-duty military and 23% of the student population is military affiliated including, veterans, and dependents, making Olympic College home to the second largest military-connected student body of any college or university in Washington state.

The College is committed to advancing excellence by leading with racial equity to maximize student potential across all populations, including racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, sexual identity, gender identity, and differing ability. We are actively engaged in Guided Pathways reforms, with a focus on closing equity gaps. The Dean for Social Sciences and Humanities will have a strong role in this work in their division, and in the implementation of inclusive pedagogy and diversification of the curriculum. This work will maintain a focus on revamping the curriculum, program innovation, course development, and learning assessment.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a track record of employing culturally responsive pedagogy, utilizing aggregated and disaggregated data to guide instruction and budgeting, advancing faculty and staff diversity, effective collaboration with internal and external partners, and teaching and mentoring minoritized and historically marginalized student populations.

Olympic College Locations

Olympic College is ideally located in the Pacific Northwest on the Kitsap Peninsula and serves nearly 300,000 residents in Kitsap and Mason counties.

The college’s main campus is located in Bremerton, a short ferry ride from Seattle, the economic and cultural center of our state, and not far from Olympic National Park. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities centrally located close to Bremerton’s growing downtown with a thriving artistic and cultural community.

Poulsbo, located in the north end of Kitsap County, has an area of 4.5 square miles and a population of approximately 12,000 residents. Nestled in a valley between the majestic Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges, this historically Norwegian community is commonly referred to as “Little Norway on the Fjord,” and features breathtaking scenery and numerous attractions. The College’s Poulsbo Campus is situated on 20 acres of land and is conveniently located for residents of Bainbridge Island and the northern part of Kitsap Peninsula.

Shelton is the county seat of Mason County and is the westernmost city on Puget Sound with approximately 10,000 residents. Situated on 27 acres of land, the Shelton Campus offers computer labs, a media center, student services, study and social areas, and the Johnson Library.

Dean of Social Science & Humanities

Salary: $102,676 - $115,510

Classification: Administrative Exempt

Reports to: Vice President of Instruction

Position Overview

Olympic College’s Dean of Social Science and Humanities is an administrative position, responsible for providing leadership for the instructional programs and services offered through the division. The Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Division and its office support the faculty who teach, the students who take classes, and the staff who provide support within the Division. The SSH office facilitates the cooperation of the Division with other work units in Instruction and across the college and supports the OC mission in the greater community and with outside colleges, universities, and agencies. The position of Dean ensures effective communications, oversight of division budgets, and support of instructional policies, procedures, and activities related to the Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines while supervising division faculty and staff.

The duties listed are illustrative and not intended to be an exhaustive list.

• Demonstrate leadership for instructional programs and services that align with college strategic priorities and with the social justice and equity goals of Olympic College.
• Integrate data on student enrollment, retention rates, transfer rates, and student outcomes to inform decisions on class and program offerings, scheduling, curriculum development, and budgeting.
• Effectively communicate, orally and in writing, with Instruction division deans, Student Services personnel, executive team members, and a variety of individuals and groups within and outside of the college.
• Mentor faculty in the development of courses and programs with specific knowledge of inclusive pedagogy, learning assessment strategies, and high-engagement practices that serve a diverse student body.
• Identify divisional staffing needs and collaborate in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified personnel.
• Hire, supervise, and mentor division full-time and adjunct faculty, classified and part-time hourly staff, delegating tasks to staff and faculty members.
• Follow and enforce current collective bargaining agreements in the supervision of staff and faculty.
• Manage the tenure process of probationary and post-tenured faculty.
• Participate in college wide efforts and initiatives, including accreditation, guided pathways, program and discipline review, strategic planning, and shared governance.
• Advocate for a group or organizational unit while also understanding that your group or unit is one among many that support an overall institutional mission.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Degree, preferably in art, humanities, or social science discipline
• Minimum of two years of administrative experience (such as Dean, Associate or Assistant Dean, Department Chair, or Discipline Coordinator)
• Experience as full-time faculty, teaching in one of the disciplines supervised for a minimum of three years
• Experience with assessment and accreditation processes
• Experience with hiring processes and mentoring faculty and staff

Desired Qualifications

• Earned Doctorate
• Experience as an academic administrator (such as Dean, Associate or Assistant Dean, Department Chair, or Discipline Coordinator) for 3 or more years
• Experience with budget management for higher education

Competencies

• Demonstrate knowledge of Principles and practices of general management and supervision; laws and regulations governing Washington State Community Colleges; college policies and procedures; budgeting; regional accreditation procedures and reporting requirements for community college; curriculum development; teaching methods and techniques; purpose and application of student learning outcomes; requirements and prerequisites and course equivalencies; new educational technologies; various modality trends; the Mission, Vision, and Values of the College; the student population of the College's service area.
• Demonstrate ability to Plan, organize, direct, administer, review, and evaluate programs and services; exercise honesty, consistency, and sound judgment in the performance of duties; work in the interests of the College as a whole; work productively in a shared governance setting; demonstrate strong interpersonal skills; establish and maintain effective, harmonious, and collaborative relationships with a diverse population of students, staff, and community; lead, train, supervise, and evaluate assigned faculty and staff; serve as an effective leadership team member.
• Demonstrate ability to Articulate and implement an imaginative and flexible strategic plan for the division that incorporates an understanding of current and emerging technologies, integration of information literacy into the curriculum, and assessment of services.
• Commit to the values and mission of Olympic College.
• Advance high-impact and culturally responsive teaching practices.
• Effectively teach and mentor minoritized and historically marginalized student populations.
• Demonstrate cultural competence in actions and interactions with colleagues, students, administrators, and community members.
• Foster a climate of multicultural understanding and appreciation.
• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues, students, administrators, and others of various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, which includes students, whose native language is not English and whose origins may not be in the United States.
• Demonstrate commitment to student learning and implementation of innovative teaching practices.
• Function as a team player.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the community college mission, diversity, and a student-centered climate.
• Model and maintain the values of candor, openness, inclusiveness, and honesty to promote the integrity of the college. Consistently act in a way that is both trustworthy and trusting.

Terms of Employment