Who is Saint Louis University? Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities. SLU, which also has a campus in Madrid, Spain, is recognized for world-class academics, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service.

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Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education

Executive Director

The School of Education at Saint Louis University invites applications for the position of Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education. The Executive Director will set an innovative vision for the Center, oversee the implementation of the Center’s strategic plan, and hold administrative responsibilities and teaching responsibilities within the Catholic Leadership and Teacher Education programs in the School of Education. This is an open-ranked search with a long-term externally funded appointment. The successful candidate will be qualified to be appointed as a non-tenure track faculty member within the School of Education.

The successful candidate will have a full-time 9-month faculty appointment with a 12-month administrative appointment in the School of Education, starting in fall 2024.

Mission: The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education promotes the academic and professional development of Catholic school educators and leaders, advances the research and dissemination of knowledge related to the critical issues facing Catholic education, and serves the larger educational needs of the Catholic Church.

Objective: The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education, by bringing together several existing Catholic-centered programs, would create several potential benefits:

Communicate the important Catholic-centered work already being done within the School of Education at SLU.
Engage fundraising opportunities for these existing programs where financial support is needed (some of the existing programs are already well-supported, but others would benefit from additional support).
Enhance pathways for collaboration, including joint strategic planning, among existing programs via their participation in the larger Catholic Center.
Create a leadership structure that would support the existing programs and be well-situated to develop new programs.

Position Summary: Faculty and staff in the School of Education at Saint Louis University are seeking a colleague to lead a core of faculty and staff members focused on Catholic education. Our team works with current and aspiring arch/diocesan leaders, school leaders, teachers, and students. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to launch the Center and work with colleagues to implement a recently developed strategic plan.

The Executive Director will have specific leadership and administrative responsibilities related to all Catholic leadership, teacher preparation, research, and local and global community outreach programs. These programs include:

Access Academies, a high school and college access program which provides academic support and scholarships for students in urban Catholic middle schools (established 2005; serves approx. 460 students per year).
Billiken Teacher Corps, a Master of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification program that forms the next generation of Catholic school educators through an academically excellent, spiritually-guided, service-learning community (established 2015; enrolls approx. 10 students per year).
Catholic Educational Leadership Degree programs provide affordable and accessible Master’s degrees and Doctoral degrees for educators preparing to serve as archdiocesan/diocesan or K-12 Catholic school leaders (enrolls approx. 60 students per year).
There are also opportunities to collaborate with the Prime Center in the SLU School of Education and Belize 2020, a global outreach program through Jesuit schools in Belize. Additionally, the Center would like to develop and expand in the areas of research and global outreach.

Responsibilities: The successful candidates will have an opportunity to:

Set an innovative vision for the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education and collaborate with faculty and staff to implement that vision.
Raise funds for the sustainability of the Center and its programs; expand internal and external resources to support program goals.
Build and expand partnerships with national and local organizations, archdioceses/dioceses, religious orders, and Catholic school networks across the country.
Launch the center by developing and implementing the Center’s structure, standard operating procedures, and roles and responsibilities.
Provide leadership to enhance existing programs and develop new programs that are responsive to the needs of leaders, teachers, students, and communities.
Create innovative educational programming to serve the Catholic school and diocesan educators’ professional and spiritual development needs in the Central Southern Province region and beyond.
Support researcher/practitioner conferences related to Catholic school education and leadership so that SLU can become a national locus for scholarship and its application for Catholic schools in the U.S. and beyond.
Teach graduate students in Catholic educational leadership and teacher education, based on areas of expertise.
Oversee recruitment of graduate students and, along with the Dean and Associate Dean, support strategic initiatives in the School of Education and the St. Louis community.

Qualifications and Experience for the Executive Director:

Required

Earned doctorate (or equivalent) in Educational Leadership, Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field from an accredited institution.
Two or more years of full-time P-12 leadership and/or teaching experience.
Two or more years of experience as a faculty member at a college or university.
Demonstrated commitment to developing leaders and teachers in the Catholic, and preferably Jesuit, tradition.
Demonstrated commitment to innovation and social justice, along with our other School of Education values: Cura Personalis, trust and integrity, social justice, growth and transformation, and reflective practice.

Preferred

Leadership or administrative experience at a college or university, such as department chair or assistant/associate dean.
Five or more years of full-time P-12 leadership and/or teaching experience.
Five or more years of experience as a faculty member at a college or university.
Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting assessment data for continuous school and program improvement.
Knowledge of recent trends in Catholic education as they pertain to leadership, teacher education, innovation, justice, and educational inequity.
Knowledge and capability with technologies in education, including online teaching experience.
Commitment to and experience partnering with archdioceses/dioceses, national organizations/networks, religious orders, schools, etc.
Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills.

Context: Saint Louis University (SLU), established 1818, is the oldest institution of higher education west of the Mississippi River and is a world-class Catholic, Jesuit institution educating nearly 13,000 students. SLU’s 230-acre urban campus is in midtown Saint Louis, providing students, faculty, and staff a close-knit community in the middle of a lively city. The Saint Louis metro region is home to nearly 3 million people and provides a mix of midwestern friendliness and large-city amenities.

The School of Education (SOE) shares in the 470-year-old Jesuit tradition of excellence in education focusing on the growth of the whole person. The purpose of Jesuit education is to develop women and men for and with others. Saint Louis University, and the School of Education, is committed to intellectual rigor and the use of knowledge for the betterment of our local, national, and international communities. The School is recognized as a leader in the state and region: approximately 40 percent of all Catholic school leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Louis hold degrees from SLU.

As a Jesuit institution, SLU is committed to inclusivity and anti-racism. In a letter to SLU

Alumni in June 2020, President Fred Pestello wrote, “We are all called to do better – to be better. Racism has no place at Saint Louis University. Our Jesuit mission calls us to be people for and with others, and as I have said before, solidarity and community mean that we never have to face such evil alone.” The School of Education at SLU has a unique opportunity to carry out our Jesuit mission every day. The faculty in the SOE are training and educating the next generation of leaders who work collaboratively to identify and dismantle systems that perpetuate inequities and injustice.

During the 2022-2023 school year, a team of faculty, staff, and internal and external stakeholders underwent a strategic planning process for the Catholic programs housed in SLU’s School of Education. The first item that emerged from the strategic plan was to launch the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education and hire an Executive Director to lead the charge. The School of Education is also looking towards its 100-year anniversary educating students, while Access Academies will be celebrating 20 years, and the Billiken Teacher Corps will be celebrating 10 years of serving the community through Catholic education. This is an exciting time to announce and inaugurate the Center.

Salary and Starting Date: Salary will be competitive and commensurate with rank and experience. The proposed starting date is fall 2024.

Pre-Employment Screening: Requires successful completion of a background check and education verification.

Application Process: Applicants should submit a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and names of three references with full contact information. All applications should be submitted online at Saint Louis University. For full consideration, all applications should be submitted by May 15, 2024, at which time the search committee will begin the review of applications. This search will remain open until filled.

Saint Louis University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for the position applied for without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military/veteran status, gender identity, or other non‐merit factors. We welcome and encourage applications from minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities (including disabled veterans). If accommodations are needed for completing the application and/or with the interviewing process, please contact Human Resources at 314‐977‐5847.

Function

Faculty - NonMedical Administrative Appointment

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

Saint Louis University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for the position applied for without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military/veteran status, gender identity, or other non-merit factors. We welcome and encourage applications from minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities (including disabled veterans). If accommodations are needed for completing the application and/or with the interviewing process, please contact Human Resources at 314-977-5847.

Saint Louis University jobs

Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Catholic Education