Director for Academic Innovation

Director for Academic Innovation

Department: Academic Affairs

Application Deadline: May 18, 2026

About Arkansas Tech:

Founded in 1909, Arkansas Tech University is a comprehensive public institution with a rich history, maintaining regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and classification as a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) level III institution. ATU was ranked the No. 1 regional public university in Arkansas by U.S. News and World Report in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and CollegeNET recognizes ATU as the No. 1 institution in Arkansas on its Social Mobility Index. Since 2019, Arkansas Tech has been the host institution for the prestigious Arkansas Governor’s School. The 559-acre Russellville campus, located in the scenic Arkansas River Valley between the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, is just one hour from the capital city of Little Rock. Russellville features a charming blend of historic and modern architecture as well as the recreational opportunities provided by Lake Dardanelle and several state parks. Offering more than 100 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degree and certificate programs across five academic colleges and two campuses, Arkansas Tech strives to provide a solid educational foundation for life-long learning to a diverse community.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Director for Academic Innovation collaborates with various ATU offices and academic departments to lead campus conversations regarding curricular innovation and AI integration, the development of high-quality and impactful instructional experiences that reinforce Durable Skills, and the establishment of curricular pathways that support the evolving needs of students.

The Director will establish and lead a highly-engaged, collaborative environment that fosters ideation, implementation, assessment, and identifies and supports a university-wide climate of excellence in teaching and learning. By supporting, conducting, and disseminating applied research on high-impact pedagogies the Director will facilitate a "sandbox of innovation" at the nexus of Emerging Pedagogies, Artificial Intelligence, and Durable Skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Through a blend of individual and group consultations and robust workshop and training offerings, the Director will champion and support the adoption of:

• Principles of Good Practice in Teaching and Learning - in the design and development of sustainable, scalable, and accessible instructional materials of various scope (short-cycle modules to full program curricula), and multiple instructional modalities (traditional, online, Hi-flex, etc.).
• Generative Artificial Intelligence Across the Curriculum - guide and support faculty in integrating GAI tools, methodologies, and policies into their courses. Advise on AI-integrated pedagogies that reinforce students' effective and ethical use of AI. Lead the Google Accelerate Project (in collaboration with the AVPAA).
• Emerging Pedagogies and Innovation - that purposefully integrates High Impact Practices and academic technologies to maximize attainment of Durable Skills throughout the curriculum/student lifecycle.
• Professional Development Resources and Training - Deliver ongoing, robust workshop and training offerings. Create and contribute to an electronic repository for training materials and resources for faculty to access at any time.
• Quality Matters - serve as trainer, consultant, and reviewer for the Quality Matters initiative to assure that ATU online courses and programs are well-conceived, well-designed, well-presented, and reflective of the university mission and values.
• Personnel Oversight - Directly supervise one Instructional. Designer/Educational Technologist, and establish an effective and collaborative dotted line" relationship with the Director of the Center for Faculty LIFE.
• ADA Compliance - Working with Deans and Department Heads to champion accessibility.

Collaborative Opportunities to Influence:

In achieving the above, the Director will build coalitions with diverse internal and external constituencies and meaningfully contribute to ongoing efforts related to:

• General Education (as it supports Durable Skills).
• Tutoring/Student Support (e.g., integrating AI in the Tech Learning Center).
• Information Literacy Efforts (in collaboration with Library Faculty and staff).
• Assessment (Developing specific rubrics and other authentic measures of achievement and attainment).
• AI Governance and Adoption (in collaboration with the AI Planning Committee).
• Thoughtful and Aligned Academic Technology adoption (in collaboration with the Technology Priority and Impact committee).
• Supporting Faculty Onboarding and Lifecycle (in collaboration with the Center for Faculty LIFE).

Other Opportunities:

• Research, peer collaboration, and publication/conference presentation.
• Supporting Student Research (e.g., MEd in Instructional Design).
• Develop methods to assess the effectiveness of ID strategies and their impact on teaching and learning.
• Collaborations and consortia - establish and strengthen inter-institution partnerships and collaborations to support the advancement and improvement of teaching and learning throughout the state/region.
• Mentorship of Graduate Students.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Desired Attributes.

The successful candidate will be expected to bring passion and vision to the position, a knowledge of teaching and learning research, a creative and collaborative mindset, and enthusiasm for helping others succeed. The position requires knowledge of current and evolving practices and a willingness to facilitate and embody a culture of creativity and innovation. Also crucial is a demonstrated ability to build and foster strong relationships with relevant stakeholders, both internal and external, to communicate, advocate, and advance the mission of ATU.

Other desired attributes include:

• Collaborative disposition and willingness to perform additional duties as needed.
• Ability to plan, manage, produce, direct, implement, and evaluate collaborative training and support initiatives at an institution of higher learning.
• Self-direction and personal accountability.
• Fluency in the application of Pedagogical and Andragogical theory.
• Experience providing engaging and productive professional development including consultation, training, workshops, and online materials.
• Relentless curiosity about "what's next" in higher education, particularly around improved teaching and learning.

Minimum Requirements:

Masters' Degree and five (5) years' experience in a related field.

Experience with the effective and ethical use of Generative AI technologies in an educational context.

Experience developing and delivering training to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate Degree and five (5) years' experience in a related field.

Demonstrated Success in Training, Consultation, and Support of University Faculty.

History of Research/Publishing/Presentation on topics related to Emerging Pedagogies/Artificial Intelligence.

Experience designing and developing university-level courses and curricula

Experience with QM or other quality assurance tools.

Knowledge of ADA Accessibility Guidelines.

Work Location, Environment, and Physical Demands:

This is an on-campus position.

Work is performed largely in the library or in consultations with faculty at their offices, as appropriate.

Partial remote work is a possibility after the probationary period and at the discretion of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

There are no physical demands for this position, beyond those related to typical classroom instruction and the ability to work with computers.

What to Submit:

Updated Resume/Vita.

Cover letter specifically addressing the Position Description.

Contact information for at least 3 professional references (will not be contacted without permission).

To be considered for the position of Director for Academic Innovation, all applications must be received and processed through our applicant tracking system Cornerstone prior to the closing date on May 18, 2026, before 6:00 pm central time.

Please go to https://atu.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=1&c=atu to apply now.

This position is subject to a pre-employment criminal background check. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.