Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs    

The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) is a unique and innovative English language institution dedicated to preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders of Rwanda and East Africa. Students at RICA engage in curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities emphasizing practical hands-on skills, conservation agriculture and One Health principles, oral and written communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

In an experiential learning environment, students develop the knowledge and experience necessary for a wide range of careers in agriculture. Students at RICA gain experience in six Enterprises that include Dairy, Poultry and Swine, Row and Forage Crops, Vegetable and Fruit Crops, Irrigation and Mechanization, and Food Processing. All RICA graduates will be innovative problem solvers able to operate farms and ranches, start agribusinesses, assume management roles in cooperatives, NGOs, and other agricultural enterprises, serve their communities as extension agents and technical and policy experts, or take on positions of agricultural leadership in Rwanda.

DESCRIPTION

We are seeking a dynamic individual to provide vision and management for RICA’s academic programs. This individual will have experience administering academic programs at the higher education level. The successful candidate will also have experience leading diverse teams, and demonstrated success in administration, teaching, research, and/or extension. The candidate will have a passion for, and preferably experience in, experiential education and agricultural entrepreneurship in a higher education setting, seeking to continually build and maintain RICA’s reputation as an international leader in experiential education for agriculture. They will collaborate with RICA Executive Staff (Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors) in setting the vision and strategic plan for the institution, ensuring seamless integration of RICA’s academic programs with research and extension initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide overall vision for, and management of, RICA’s academic
  • Ensure that RICA’s academic programs are innovative and experiential, producing graduates who are innovative, capable, entrepreneurial and successful in their careers.
  • Seek and hire academic staff as needed, with input from Executive
  • Provide guidance for professional development of academic
  • Conduct on-going evaluations of academic staff performance, leading to continual improvement in the quality and impact of teaching, research and extension programs.
  • Ensure that RICA’s academic programs are compliant with all requirements of the Rwanda Ministry of Education, Higher Education Council (HEC), and that all reports are submitted to HEC or other government offices in a timely manner.
  • Efficiently manage academic resources, including budget, personnel, facilities and land. Ensure that adequate budget is available to support academic initiatives, and that expenditures are aligned with
  • Oversee the management of academic resources, including the e-library, Learning Management System (LMS), Student Information System (SIS) and other academic electronic resources.
  • Facilitate the development, implementation, assessment and continuous improvement of student learning outcomes.
  • Ensure that student academic assessment is conducted according to appropriate standards, and that academic documents, such as transcripts and degrees, are prepared and issued in a timely manner.
  • Ensure that student academic performance is properly reviewed, approved, and recorded, in collaboration with the Faculty Senate, Academic Senate, and Director of Admissions, Recruitment and
  • Provide direction for continual review and refinement of RICA’s
• Work with the DVC of Extension and Applied Research to ensure that RICA academic staff are conducting relevant and impactful extension and research programs.
• Work with VCs and other DVCs in setting the vision and strategic plan for RICA, ensuring that programming is relevant to student and stakeholder needs, and that programs are of highest quality.
• Engage with other higher education institutions, industry stakeholders, government ministries and agencies as appropriate in delivering and constantly improving RICA’s academic programs.

 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluent speaker of
• PhD in field relevant to RICA’s academic
• Three or more years’ experience in administering higher education academic
• Ten or more years’ experience working in academia as an administrator, teacher, researcher or extension
• Appreciation for and understanding of conservation agriculture, experiential learning, team teaching and agricultural entrepreneurship.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience teaching higher education agriculture
• Experience in active and experiential learning and team
• Experience in curriculum and course
• Demonstrated success in academic administration, teaching, research and/or extension (e.g. presentations, publications, awards).

 BENEFITS OF JOINING THE RICA TEAM

Staff at RICA are part of creating something unique in the world. While working with world-class educators and researchers, you will transform agriculture in Rwanda and East Africa for a conservation-minded and food-secure future. RICA staff also receive a salary commensurate with the applicant’s background, and a relocation allowance for international staff.