Executive Director, Student Learning Center (0316U) #76665 (Berkeley)

Join to apply for the Executive Director, Student Learning Center (0316U) #76665 role at University of California, Berkeley

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About Berkeley
At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

About Berkeley
At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.
As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.
We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.
At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.
Departmental Overview
Founded in 1973, the Student Learning Center (SLC) is UC Berkeley’s premier undergraduate academic support unit, housing nine distinct programs and services, including Academic Coaching, Economics, Language Exchange, Math and Statistics, Students as Scholar-Practitioners, Science, Strategic Learning, Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training & Resources, and Writing. Each year, the SLC serves over 12,000 students—approximately 35% of the undergraduate population—helping them navigate the academic rigor, social dynamics, and cultural expectations of a world-class research university. The Center is renowned for its process-oriented, research-driven, and culturally-informed approach to collaborative peer learning and pedagogy.
Job Summary
The Executive Director of the SLC plays a pivotal role in informing, enhancing, and transforming the undergraduate experience at UC Berkeley. As the chief architect of the Center’s vision and strategic direction, the Executive Director provides transformative leadership that drives the SLC’s mission to foster academic success and equity. This role is central to creating a culture of excellence and innovation, ensuring that the SLC remains a cornerstone of undergraduate education at one of the world’s leading research universities. Reporting directly to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Executive Director also shapes campus-wide initiatives by serving on committees, task forces, and working groups. In this capacity, the Executive Director advocates for best practices in student engagement and learning, ensuring that the SLC’s innovative approaches influence the broader academic community and reinforce UC Berkeley’s commitment to access and academic excellence.
The Executive Director builds and sustains strategic partnerships with divisional deans, the Academic Senate Committee on Courses of Instruction, academic departments, and faculty across campus. These collaborations are essential to advancing the SLC’s mission of supporting common good courses and fostering a campus-wide culture of inclusive, student-centered learning. By working closely with these stakeholders, the Executive Director ensures that the SLC’s programs align with the university’s broader educational goals and priorities, while also advocating for innovative approaches to undergraduate education.
Among the Executive Director’s responsibilities is the oversight of the University’s Summer Bridge program, a highly complex initiative that supports a globally diverse community of entering undergraduates. This program requires sophisticated leadership to navigate its multifaceted challenges and opportunities, reflecting the Executive Director’s capacity for high-level thinking and strategic decision-making. While Summer Bridge is a significant undertaking, it represents only one aspect of the Executive Director’s broader role in shaping academic support and student success initiatives. Last but not least, the Executive Director also serves as the primary liaison between the Democratic Education at Cal (DeCal) Program and campus administration, bridging the gap between student-initiated learning and institutional priorities. Partnering with DeCal, which supplements the academic curriculum with over 300 courses annually, exemplifies the SLC’s commitment to democratizing education and empowering students as co-creators of knowledge.
Application Review Date
The position will remain open until filled, with application reviews beginning in late April.
Responsibilities

• Leadership and Strategic Vision: Directs the Student Learning Center and determines the center’s strategy, goals, and objectives. Sets the vision and mission for the SLC. Aligns the SLC’s strategic plan with the Division of Undergraduate Education strategic plan and the campus strategic plan. Maintains awareness of current educational research and student needs; incorporates evolving best practices into the SLC’s programs as relevant.
• Operations Oversight: Monitors all SLC operations and ensures delivery of high-quality services. Distributes available resources to SLC programs in order to maximize effectiveness and impact for students. Evaluates effectiveness of SLC programs and makes changes to programs as needed.
• Staff Management: Manages three professional staff direct reports and, through them, a total of 18 professional staff and over 200 Tutors. Assigns responsibilities to staff throughout the center and determines division of labor in order to offer desired programming. Provides professional development and growth coaching for staff members as relevant.
• Policy Oversight: In response to evolving student and department needs, formulates the SLC’s policies and practices. In coordination with the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, determines or recommends changes in policy and practice when necessary to address changing conditions. Evaluates barriers to student success and recommends policy shifts to remove such barriers in order to increase opportunity for all students.
• Executive Advising: Consults with senior administrators, deans, chairs, and academic department leaders on the student learning needs of the campus. Evaluates short- and long-term trends in student demographics, academic profiles, the use of instructional technology in courses, and current educational practices; adapts SLC practices to respond to these trends, and advises campus leaders on other necessary adaptations in practice and policy.
• Budget Oversight: Oversees the SLC’s budget, ensuring careful spending practices to use limited resources effectively. Makes strategic decisions regarding SLC financial outlay. Ensures proper implementation and stewardship of donor funded programs.
• Philanthropic Engagement: Maintains relationships with philanthropic donors who support the SLC’s programs. Collaborates with partners from University Development and Alumni Relations to ensure strong donor stewardship. Cultivates new philanthropic relationships as relevant to support the SLC.
• Space Management: Manages the SLC’s building space allocation of over 10,000 square feet of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, ensuring coordination with local and regional building managers and facilities services staff as appropriate.
• Outreach: Ensures internal campus marketing of SLC programs by conducting outreach to students, academic departments, and leaders.
  

• Thorough understanding of and curiosity in current educational and learning theories, particularly as they apply to academic support teams. This includes staying updated on recent academic trends, curriculum design and academic advising strategies.
• Thorough knowledge of organizational development, operational planning, program management, and leadership. This includes expertise in budget planning and management, human resources management and staff training, data collection and analysis, and understanding of and ability to engage in fundraising and donor relations.
• Advanced written and oral communication skills: effectively communicate complex information both in writing and orally, to a range of stakeholders, such as faculty, students and/or university leadership.
• Advanced skills in supervision and staff development: Overseeing staff recruitment, training, development, and performance management.
• Strong relationship building and collaboration skills and understanding of working in a matrixed organizational structure. Ability to develop partnerships and gain buy-in to move projects forward in