Director of Preparatory Year Program

Overview

Position Summary

• Academic Leadership & Programme Design

• Design and oversee the full Foundation Year curriculum framework in alignment with ASU
• academic standards, ETEC licensing requirements, and NCAAA accreditation criteria.
• Establish clear learning outcomes, progression standards, and academic policies governing
• placement, advancement, and exit from the Foundation Year.
• Lead the development of course syllabi, assessment frameworks, and instructional materials
• in collaboration with academic department leads.
• Ensure vertical alignment between Foundation Year outcomes and first-year degree
• programme requirements across all colleges.
• Champion innovative, student-centred pedagogy including active learning, blended delivery,
• and experiential learning approaches.

• Team Leadership & Faculty Management

• Recruit, onboard, and lead a diverse team of full-time faculty, part-time instructors, and
• academic coordinators across General English, General Education, and introductory
• discipline tracks.
• Establish a structured faculty development programme, including peer observation,
• coaching, and professional learning communities.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and set clear, measurable objectives for all academic
• staff within the Foundation Year.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance academic culture grounded in evidence-based
• teaching practice and continuous improvement.

• Student Success & Academic Support

• Oversee English placement testing processes and ensure appropriate student grouping and
• section management.
• Design and implement early-warning systems to identify and support students at academic
• risk.
• Collaborate with the Manager of Student Success and Wellness to provide integrated
• academic and wellbeing support services.
• Monitor student attendance, progression, and performance data — reporting regularly to the
• Provost on readiness and retention metrics.
• Champion an inclusive, supportive learning environment that reflects Kingdom University's
• commitment to student success.

• Operations & Administration

• Develop and manage the Foundation Year academic calendar, timetabling, and section
• scheduling in coordination with the Registrar.
• Oversee day-to-day academic operations of the Foundation Year, ensuring teaching quality,
• resource deployment, and issue resolution.
• Manage the Foundation Year budget, ensuring cost-effective staffing models and resource
• allocation aligned with enrolment projections.
• Administer and optimise the use of the Learning Management System (Canvas or
• equivalent) across all Foundation Year courses.

• Quality Assurance & Accreditation

• Build and maintain a robust evidence culture for ETEC and NCAAA accreditation readiness,
• ensuring all Foundation Year processes are audit-ready from Day 1.
• Develop and implement a Foundation Year Quality Assurance framework including
• programme reviews, assessment moderation, and outcome tracking.
• Produce regular academic reports for the Provost, President, and Board documenting
• student outcomes, programme health, and improvement actions.
• Lead Foundation Year self-study contributions and accreditation submissions as required.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Institutional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Foundation Year and academic colleges, ensuring
• seamless student transition into degree programmes.
• Collaborate with Admissions and Student Recruitment on enrolment planning, student
• profiling, and articulation pathway communications.
• Engage with ASU academic partners to maintain curriculum alignment and leverage best
• practices from ASU's General Studies and preparatory frameworks.
• Represent the Foundation Year in academic governance committees, faculty senate
• discussions, and external accreditation forums.

Education

• A doctoral degree (PhD or EdD) in Education, Applied Linguistics, Curriculum & Instruction,
• or a closely related discipline is required.
• A Master's degree with exceptional and extensive relevant experience may be considered in
• lieu of a doctorate in exceptional circumstances.

Experience

• A minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in higher education, with at least 3–5
• years in an academic leadership or programme director role.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing Foundation Year, preparatory, or
• pathway programmes in a university setting.
• Experience working within or alongside U.S.-affiliated or internationally accredited
• universities is highly desirable.
• Prior experience in a greenfield or start-up university environment is a significant advantage.

Technical & Domain Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of Foundation Year and General Education curriculum design, outcomes
• based assessment, and academic support best practices.
• Familiarity with ETEC and NCAAA accreditation standards, or equivalent international quality
• assurance frameworks.
• Proficiency in Learning Management Systems (Canvas preferred) and academic reporting
• tools.
• Strong understanding of English language instruction methodologies, placement testing, and
• EFL/ESL learning progression frameworks.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary academic teams in a multicultural, high
• growth environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills — able to work effectively with
• faculty, students, senior leadership, and external partners.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills, with experience using student data
• to drive instructional improvement.
• High levels of initiative, adaptability, and resilience — essential qualities for operating in a
• start-up institutional context.

Language

• Full professional proficiency in English is required (written and spoken).
• Proficiency in Arabic is strongly preferred, facilitating effective engagement with students,
• faculty, and government partners