Associate Dean - School of Counseling

Walden

More than 50 years ago, Walden University was founded to support adult learners in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and more than 115 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree online at Walden.

We offer more than 100 online degrees and certificate programs. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). Visit WaldenU.edu for more information, and follow Walden on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Opportunity at a Glance

The Associate Dean, School of Counseling, provides senior academic and administrative leadership for a large, CACREP-accredited counseling program serving thousands of students and a substantial full-time faculty body. This role functions as a key member of the School’s leadership team and requires flexibility, independent decision-making, creative problem-solving, and a strong commitment to counseling education, accreditation, assessment, accountability, and student success within an online learning environment.

The Associate Dean will assume day-to-day operational leadership of the Counseling program and partner closely with the Dean on strategic initiatives, faculty leadership, accreditation efforts, and program growth.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Dean is a full-time academic administrator who works closely with academic administrators, program directors, faculty leaders, academic advising, and administrative staff.

Program Leadership & Quality Assurance

• Maintain the quality, integrity, and continuous improvement of CACREP-accredited counseling programs.
• Ensure curriculum alignment with CACREP standards, licensure requirements, and professional counseling competencies.
• Provide leadership in accreditation preparation, reporting, and ongoing compliance activities.

Faculty Leadership & Management

• Provide direct supervision and leadership to multiple faculty administrators.
• Coordinate faculty recruitment, onboarding, development, mentoring, evaluation, and retention.
• Foster a positive, professional, and collaborative culture across a large and diverse faculty group.
• Organize and support specialization coordinators and program leadership teams.

Academic Operations & Student Success

• Support assessment of student learning outcomes, academic program effectiveness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Partner with advising and student support teams to address academic concerns while upholding gatekeeping responsibilities and ethical standards in counseling education.
• Develop and maintain a strong sense of community among faculty and students in a distance-learning environment.

Scholarship & Service

• Participate in School and University committee service.
• Engage in the evaluation and assessment of academic programs and student academic performance.
• May include responsibility for mentoring, teaching, and supervising student research, dissertations, and doctoral projects.

Compliance & Other Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all University policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.

Required

• PhD in Counselor Education or a closely related counseling field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of assessment experience at the degree level of the program.
• Demonstrated experience in academic administration and people management, including supervising faculty and/or staff.
• Demonstrated knowledge of accreditation and accountability processes, with strong preference for deep, applied CACREP experience.

Preferred / Expected

• License or license-eligibility as required for counseling programs; maintenance of licensure and certifications as applicable.
• Ongoing engagement with research, professional literature, and scholarly activity.
• Record of intellectual and professional contributions to the field of counseling, including experience in professional counseling practice.
• Commitment to student learning and development in a distance-learning environment serving adult and professional learners.
• Proven experience in teaching, advising, mentoring, faculty/staff supervision, evaluation, and development.
• Knowledge of specialized accreditation in counseling and experience with online or distance education preferred.
• Evidence of alignment with Walden University’s mission of positive social change, broad access, professional excellence, quality, integrity, and student-centeredness.

Leadership Competencies

• Strong people leadership and decision-making skills within complex academic environments
• Ability to manage a large faculty group with diverse experience levels and viewpoints
• Professional, approachable, and resilient leadership style
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills
• Comfort operating independently while partnering effectively with senior leadership

In support of the pay transparency laws enacted across the country, the expected salary range for this position is between $80336.75 and $145077.09. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; geographic location; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. The position qualifies for the below benefits.

Covista offers a robust suite of benefits including:

• Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401k Retirement Program + 6% employer match
• Participation in Covista’s Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy
• 12 Paid Holidays
  
  For more information related to our benefits please visit:
  https://careers.covista.com/benefits
  
  You are also eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.

Equal Opportunity – Minority / Female / Disability / V / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation