University of California, Berkeley, Executive Director of the Athletic Study Center

The University of California, Berkeley, located in Berkeley CA, is seeking a leader to fill the position of Executive Director of the Athletic Study Center.

About The University of California, 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.

The Athletic Study Center (ASC), a unit within the Division of Undergraduate Education, provides advising and academic support services to approximately 900 student athletes at the University of California at Berkeley. The unit employs 17 full time staff and 60-80 part time employees (primarily tutors).

The ASC promotes transformative academic development and views academic success as a developmental process. The unit’s services are tailored and individualized to meet the hopes, needs and goals of each student athlete equitably. The primary support services include academic advising, academic support and academic discovery.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Executive Director of the Athletic Study Center must exemplify a steadfast commitment to the University of California, Berkeley’s mission of academic and athletic excellence. This role requires a leader who fully aligns with the university’s ethos, championing a culture that values intellectual growth, holistic development, and institutional integrity. The Executive Director position ensures that student athletes receive comprehensive academic advising and support services that lead to transformative academic development and graduation from the University of California, Berkeley while excelling in Division I athletics. The mission of the Athletic Study Center is to support student athletes in developing as independent, self-reliant, and successful young adults.

Student athletes face unique challenges compared to their peers, as they balance rigorous academic demands at a leading public research university with intense training schedules, competitions, and national travel. The Athletic Study Center (ASC) plays a pivotal role in helping student athletes navigate these challenges, providing essential resources to maintain academic performance while pursuing athletic excellence. Given that only a small percentage of the University of California, Berkeley’s student-athletes transition to professional sports careers, the ASC is crucial in preparing them for successful futures beyond athletics.

The Executive Director oversees the ASC’s programs and resources and ensures alignment with the evolving needs of student athletes. The Executive Director directly reports to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and collaborates closely with key campus stakeholders, including the Director of Athletics and senior Athletics staff, head coaches, the Faculty Athletics Representative, the Chair of the University Athletics Board, and senior campus administrators, to shape policies related to student athlete academics. The Executive Director serves on or collaborates with key campus committees related to student athletics, such as the Student Athlete Admissions Committee (SAAC) and the Faculty Athletics Council (FACL) of the Academic Senate. Additionally, the Executive Director maintains partnerships with peer institutions in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Bay Area region as relevant.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Staff Management

• The Executive Director is responsible for managing a team of 17 career employees, limited-appointment staff, and approximately 50 student tutors.
• The Director directly supervises over 4.0 FTE who oversee core operational functions: the Deputy Director of Operations and Strategic Planning, the Assistant Director of Academic Advising, the Assistant Director of Academic Support, the Applications Manager, and limited part-time staff.
• Responsibilities include recruiting and hiring, designing comprehensive staff training and development to maintain high service standards, conducting annual performance appraisals, and providing professional development opportunities.
• The Executive Director also addresses complex staff challenges, ensuring the team is equipped to meet the evolving needs of student athletes.
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Operational Oversight of Services:

• The Executive Director ensures the delivery of exceptional services to student-athletes with diverse academic preparation and motivation levels. This includes assessing the general academic needs of the student- athlete population and developing programs such as new student orientations, seminar courses, workshops, faculty mentoring, peer advising, post-eligibility scholarships, and degree completion programs.
• The Executive Director also incorporates innovative technologies to enhance services and adjusts them based on evolving student needs.
• The position requires resolving complex issues involving student athletes, tutors, faculty, coaches, and other campus stakeholders.

Goal Setting and Policy Formation

• The Executive Director establishes short- and long- term goals for the unit, aligning them with the mission of both the Athletic Study Center and the Division of Undergraduate Education. This includes designing academic support services that set a national standard for public universities of the University of California, Berkeley’s caliber.
• Services provided by the ASC include academic advising, academic support, and academic discovery.
• The Executive Director participates in key policy decisions regarding student athlete admissions, compliance, academic progress, and eligibility.
• Oversight responsibilities include the supervision, implementation, and evaluation of overall program design to ensure ongoing excellence and responsiveness to changing ACC and NCAA regulations and student-athlete needs.

Leadership:

• The Executive Director manages the department and provides leadership to develop coordinated, high-quality services to ensure transformative academic development of student athletes in an environment characterized by limited resources and heightened scrutiny from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), campus faculty, the media, and the public regarding the academic success of high- profile student athletes and successful intercollegiate teams.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative survey methods, the Athletic Study Center regularly assesses the academic support services needs of student athletes.
• This data is used to make informed decisions about staff roles, projects, and programmatic priorities.
• The Executive Director and the Office of the Faculty Athletic Representative collaborate on data analysis to support University and Intercollegiate Athletics in tracking student athlete admissions, retention, academic progress, and graduation rates.
• Based on these evaluations, the Director makes necessary adjustments to improve program effectiveness.

Budgetary Oversight

• The Executive Director administers the Athletic Study Center’s budget of approximately $2,900,000, which includes both campus and philanthropic funding.
• Responsibilities include allocating resources effectively and ensuring the fiscal integrity of the unit.

Development and Philanthropy

• The Executive Director collaborates closely with the Student Experience & Diversity team in University Development & Alumni Relations to build and support the fundraising efforts for the Athletic Study Center. This includes identifying and cultivating prospective donors, building relationships, and working closely with donors to match funding needs within the ASC.

Compliance

• The Executive Director ensures that all actions taken by the Athletic Study Center comply with University of California and the University of California, Berkeley policies, as well as NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rules.
• The Executive Director is responsible for maintaining the integrity of student athlete academic support, ensuring no breaches occur either directly or indirectly under their supervision.
• Additionally, the Executive Director works with other campus departments to ensure that policies support student athletes’ academic and athletic success while complying with evolving NCAA initiatives and priorities.

Strategic Partnerships

• The Executive Director fosters effective relationships with faculty, staff, and administrators, working collaboratively to enlist their support for and involvement in the Athletic Study Center’s (ASC) services and mission.
• The Executive Director builds partnerships across divisions and strengthens ties to academic programs and faculty committees.
• The Executive Director attends meetings with Intercollegiate Athletics Senior Staff and coaches, keeping them informed about critical issues, policies, procedures, and academic deadlines relevant to the student-athlete population.

Committee Service

• Serving as the liaison with the ASC Faculty Advisory Committee, the Executive Director provides policy direction to the unit.
• The Executive Director also coordinates the Faculty Athletic Fellows Program, where approximately 30 faculty members mentor student athletes, helping them maximize their use of the University of California, Berkeley’s academic resources.
• The Executive Director serves on the University Athletics Board (formerly the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics), which sets campus academic policies around athletics.

Campus Engagement

• The Executive Director works closely with units such as Centers for Educational Equity & Excellence, Student Learning Center, Disabled Students’ Program, college and major advising units, the Office of the Registrar, Admissions and Enrollment, and New Student Services to enhance student athletes’ academic development and progress towards graduation.
• The Executive Director meets with the Dean of the Undergraduate Division in Letters and Science as needed regarding college policies and procedures.

External Affairs

• The Executive Director represents the ASC and serves as a consultant to the campus, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the NCAA on policies and procedural matters that impact the University of California, Berkeley’s student athletes.

In partnership with the Faculty Athletic Representative, the Executive Director advocates for student-athletes experiencing academic challenges.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Thorough understanding of current educational and learning theories, particularly as they apply to academic support centers for student athletes. This includes staying updated on recent academic trends, curriculum design, and academic advising strategies.
• Thorough knowledge of organizational development, strategic and operational planning, program management, and leadership. This includes expertise in budget planning and management, human resources management and staff training, fundraising, and data collection and analysis.
• Thorough knowledge of the applicable rules and standards of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), particularly regulations regarding academic progress, including initial and continuing eligibility, degree completion, graduation rates, and the Academic Performance Rate (APR).
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of and/or can quickly learn the academic objectives and values upheld by the Academic Senate and campus administration. Specific areas of expertise include: (1) campus policies and programs that influence the academic success, retention, and graduation of undergraduate students; (2) federal laws and campus regulations governing student privacy and confidentiality (e.g., FERPA); (3) faculty concerns related to student athletes; and (4) the role and function of campus academic support services.
• High level of business acumen to effectively lead and manage the center’s operations, resources and strategic initiatives.
• Advanced skills in collaboration: working with campus partners including senior administrators, faculty, academic departments, intercollegiate athletics administrators, coaches and students to educate and garner broad-based support for the unit’s mission.
• Advanced problem-solving skills: developing innovative solutions to current challenges and continuously improving unit services to meet student athlete needs and provide transformative academic development in line with the unit’s mission.
• Advanced skills in supervision and staff development: Overseeing staff recruitment, training, development and performance management with a focus on conflict resolution, mediation and intervention strategies.
• Advanced written and oral communication skills: effectively communicate complex information both in writing and orally, to a range of stakeholders, including faculty, students and university leadership.
• Excellent skills in conflict resolution: navigate competing interests and mediate challenges with diplomacy, ensuring alignment between academic and athletic priorities.
• Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

• Be highly student-centered in all decision-making; demonstrated commitment to supporting student-athlete health and safety as well as their academic, athletic, and personal success.
• Evidence of an ability to support an environment in which welcoming individuals from various backgrounds is valued and incorporated..
• Demonstrated appreciation for Title IX compliance and a broad commitment to men’s and women’s varsity sports.
• Demonstrated success in managing a multi-million-dollar budget.
• Established record of achievement in the areas of marketing and promotions. Demonstrated ability to leverage media, marketing, and content strategy to enhance the visibility of Zips Athletics on the national stage.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 100% full-time (40 hrs a week) exempt career position, which is paid monthly at an annual rate and is eligible for UC Benefits.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California’s Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The full salary range for this classification is $109,200.00 – $207,800.00. The budgeted annual salary that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $135,000.00 – $185,000.00.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here.

Diversity Statement

Please include, as part of your application a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your professional experience.

Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our UC Berkeley Principles of Community, which states that “every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive.”

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California’s Affirmative action policy.

The University of California’s Anti-Discrimination policy.