WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
POSITION DESCRIPTION
ADMINISTRATIVE TITLE: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer
NAME OF ADMINISTRATOR:
RANGE ASSIGNMENT: 14
POSITION CONTROL NUMBER: 00794235
POSITION PURPOSE: To provide administrative and innovative leadership to Winona State University’s Office
of Academic Affairs. The Chief Academic Officer provides vision and direction that strengthens the academic
environment while advancing the strategic goals of Winona State University.
Signature of Employee
Date
Signature of Supervisor
Date
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Education: Doctoral degree from an accredited institution
Professional Licensure/Certification: None
Type and Length of Experience: Minimum ten years of demonstrated successful and progressively significant
leadership experience in higher education.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT
Knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform duties and responsibilities:
 Strong leadership competency
 Excellent communication skills; effective public speaking, written communication, and interpersonal
communication skills
 Demonstrated knowledge of academic leadership and management
 Experience with alternative instructional environments (e.g. distance education, experiential education,
travel study, use of educational technologies)
 Demonstrated skills in budgeting, office management, affirmative action practices and personnel
management in a collective bargaining environment
 Demonstrated knowledge of political and academic trends and issues in higher education
 Demonstrated ability to work within a culturally diverse setting; commitment to diversity
 Ability to guide assessment and outcome measures needed by accrediting and licensing agencies
 A record of research and publication or other scholarly or creative achievements
 Successful teaching experience
 Experience in working with two year institutions and four year institutions to develop and support joint
academic programming and successful transfer



Experience in securing and managing external grants and other sources of funding
Ability to work with other academic administrators, members of the President’s Cabinet and leadership of
campus constituency groups (including faculty and staff bargaining units and student association), to
guide the development of the university
Knowledge and understanding of faculty development, curriculum development
Physical Requirements: N/A
DIMENSIONS:
Budget Authority: ~$70,000,000
Clientele/Relationships:
 WSU community
 Academic Leadership team
 prospective students
 parents
 regional organizations
 MnSCU institutions
 Office of the Chancellor
 Foundation representatives
 national and international organizations and partners
 accrediting and licensing agencies
Direct supervision
# FTE Employees: 10
# FTE Students (3 students = 1 FTE): 0
Supervisory Accountability:
# FTE Employees: 650 +/# FTE Students (3 students = 1 FTE): 175 +/Position assigned to work: Full-time, 12 months per year
REPORTABILITY:
Reports directly to the President
CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
% of time Description of duties and responsibilities
15
Participate with the President and other Vice Presidents in overall management of the
university; serve on the President’s cabinet and work closely with other members of
Cabinet to address campus-wide and community issues.
30
Provide overall academic leadership, direction, and management of faculty, staff and
students within the university
 Plan, evaluate and exercise responsibility for academic programs, policies and
standards
Essential Y/N
Y
Y

20
10
5
5
5
5
5
Plan, recommend, and monitor utilization of financial resources for academic
services
 Advise the President on all matters related to Academic Affairs and academic
personnel
 Evaluate faculty and make recommendations to the President regarding retention,
promotion and tenure; evaluate staff as appropriate
 Recruit, select and supervise academic deans and leadership
 Leadership responsibilities for Deans’ council, IFO Meet and Confer and other
committees/organizations related to academic administration
Supervise and guide the Academic Affairs leadership team and Deans as they carry
out their responsibilities to plan, propose and monitor budgets, recruit and hire
faculty/ staff , and pursue the university’s activities in the five academic colleges
(both in Winona and on the Rochester campus)
Provide direct guidance of information and communication technologies, program
outreach, international programs, institutional research and planning, grants, faculty
development, and assessment.
Implement and monitor locally the provisions of the IFO and ASF Agreements and
respond to grievances at Step I
Ensure the progress of the university’s accreditation activities and the continuation of
institutional self-studies
Represent the university to local, regional, national, and international communities
Serve on the President’s behalf when the President is absent from campus
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of
positions that will be given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and
responsibilities of any particular position shall be it is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any
supervisor to assign, direct and control the work of employees under her/his supervision. The use of a particular
expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of
similar kind of level of difficulty.