Position descriptions
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The School of Natural Resources and Extension is seeking a Director of Academic programs.
The SNRE offers Bachelor’s of Science, Master’s of Science, and Professional Master’s degrees
in Natural Resources Management and a PhD in Natural Resources and Sustainability. The B.S.
degree includes coursework from several disciplines and the graduate degrees allow a student to
focus on a wide variety of topics. Thus, this position requires an understanding of a wide
breadth of disciplines related to natural resources such as agriculture, soils, forestry, economics,
policy and sustainability. The person in this position will direct the functions of the academic
programs, evaluate the programs, and guide future directions of the programs. The successful
candidate will demonstrate a clear vision for the future of education in natural resources, and for
the SNRE NRM program in particular.
This position will report to the Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach. It will be a nonrepresented faculty position with 51% administrative workload. The remainder of the workload
will comprise faculty duties. For FY16 the position has been planned as a 12-month, full-time
position. However, if funding reductions from the Legislature are substantially greater than
those in the Governor’s budget, some adjustment could be necessary.
Duties
1. Recruitment, hiring, and retention of adjuncts and term-funded instructional faculty.
Make recommendations to the Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach concerning
recruitment, hiring authority, and retention of tripartite positions.
2. Appoint faculty to academic committees.
3. Advocate for SNRE’s academic programs and build partnerships, including working with
the SNRE Board of Advisors.
4. The director will collaboratively review and revise as necessary faculty workloads, with
the Director of Research and AFES and the Cooperative Extension Service Director/Vice
Provost for Extension and Outreach. The Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach will
have final authority over faculty workloads.
5. Evaluate the teaching component of faculty members’ annual performance reports. This
evaluation will be attached to the evaluation by the Vice Provost for Extension and
Outreach.
6. Represent SNRE on the Dean’s Council.
7. Oversee curriculum development, including distance delivery of courses.
8. Provide innovative leadership in new student recruitment.
9. Conduct and share with faculty results from exit interviews with graduating seniors.
10. Signature authority over academic affairs including petitions, graduate theses and
appointments of affiliate faculty.
11. Authority over academic budgets. The total amount of the academic budgets will be
decided by the Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach after consultation with the
Director of Academic Programs.
12. Appointment of graduate teaching assistants, provided that the financial commitment,
together with others necessary for the administration and delivery of academic programs,
falls within the allocated academic budget.
13. Appointment of graduate research assistants, after the approval of a funding source by the
Director of Research and AFES.
14. Participate in budget decisions for SNRE as a whole.
15. Supervise the SNRE academic recruiter and other academic support staff.
16. Coordinate with the SNRE Director of Research and AFES regarding research that
involves graduate, undergraduate and postdoctoral students.
17. Consult with SNRE Director of Communications and Outreach on the relevancy of
website, social media related components as related to academics.
Qualifications
1.
2.
3.
4.
PhD or equivalent in field of study related to Natural Resources Management.
Demonstrated success in teaching at a 4-year college/university.
Evidence of successful mentorship of graduate students.
Experience with interdisciplinary academic programs.
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY EXPERIMENT
STATION
The Director of Research and the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will be
responsible for overseeing the research programs of faculty with a research component in their
workload and the McIntire-Stennis and Hatch formula funds. The person in this position will
strengthen the research capacity of SNRE by working with individual faculty members to
develop their research programs, fostering integration in research among researchers within the
school, and developing a long-term strategy for research.
This position will report to the Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach. It will be a nonrepresented faculty position with 51% administrative workload. The remainder of the workload
will comprise faculty duties. For FY16 the position has been planned as a 12-month, full-time
position. However, if funding reductions from the Legislature are substantially greater than
those in the Governor’s budget, some adjustment could be necessary.
Duties
1. Hiring and retention of term-funded research positions. Make recommendations to the
Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach concerning recruitment, hiring, and retention of
faculty in tripartite positions.
2. Advocate for the SNRE research program.
3. Build and maintain partnerships with federal and state agencies, commodity groups,
industry, and other stakeholders.
4. Actively engage with other UAF and external research communities, building and
maintaining relationships that strengthen UAF programming.
5. Seek and inform faculty and staff of grant opportunities and needs, and respond to needs
of the community regarding identified research.
6. The director will collaboratively review and revise as necessary faculty workloads, with
the Director of Academic Programs and the Cooperative Extension Service Director/Vice
Provost for Extension and Outreach. The Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach will
have final authority over faculty workloads.
7. Evaluate research component of faculty members’ annual performance evaluation. This
evaluation will be attached to the evaluation of the Vice Provost for Extension and
Outreach.
8. Represent SNRE on the Provost’s Council.
9. Signature authority over research affairs including grant proposals submitted by faculty
members, except as otherwise provided in this document.
10. Provide leadership and oversight for research projects associated with SNRE.
11. Authority over McIntire-Stennis and Hatch formula funds, in consultation with the Vice
Provost for Outreach and Extension. Expenditures must be consistent with faculty
workload assignments.
12. Approval of graduate research assistants, provided that expenditures committed are
consistent with available formula, grant, or contract funding, and that the appointment is
approved by the PI of any grant or contract that is a source of funding.
13. Attend national meetings related to McIntire-Stennis and Hatch formula funds and
Experiment Station Directors as appropriate.
14. Participate in budget decisions for SNRE as a whole.
15. Consult with the SNRE Director of Communications and outreach the relevancy of
website, social media related components as related to research.
16. Represent SNRE on the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs.
17. Oversee and direct the Fairbanks Experiment Farm, the Matanuska Experiment Station,
and the Forest Soils Lab. The Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach will have final
authority over all SNRE facilities.
Qualifications
1. PhD or equivalent in field of study related to Natural Resources Management.
2. Demonstrated success in research at a 4-year college/university.
3. Familiarity with McIntire-Stennis and Hatch research programs.