Director of Academic Success at UNLV

Job Description

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas invites applications for Director of the Academic Success Program and Assistant/Associate/Full Professor-in-Residence, William S. Boyd School of Law [R0135427].

ROLE of the POSITION

The Director oversees and is responsible for all Academic Success Program (ASP) programming and initiatives in support of the law school’s full-time, part-time day, and part-time evening students. The Director is a full-time non-tenure-track faculty member as an Assistant, Associate or full Professor-in-Residence (title will be dependent on relevant experience) with administrative responsibilities. The Director works closely with law faculty and administration to develop and implement programs to support student achievement in law school, help students and alumni pass the bar examination, and develop the habits and skills required for professional success. The Director interacts with students in formal and informal classes, conducts workshops and outreach on essential law school skills and bar exam preparation, and meets individually with students seeking to improve their academic performance and to develop strategies for bar exam study and success. The Director is expected to identify students who are likely to benefit from ASP resources and encourage their participation in ASP programming. The Director plays a prominent role in developing and planning the new (and transfer) student orientation by introducing students to legal reasoning and analysis, task and time management, and the services provided by ASP. 

The Director, who is expected to be familiar with national bar exam standards and trends in bar exam administration and assessment, and serves as the law school’s authority on the Nevada bar examination, its content, and trends in that content. The Director works directly with students and alumni individually and in groups on bar preparation and with the law school faculty and administration on analysis of bar examination results and strategies for maximizing bar passage for Boyd graduates.

The Director supervises an Assistant Director and paid upper-class student mentors and leads their deployment in meeting ASP objectives. The faculty and administration expect that the Director will be a resource for its members to increase teaching effectiveness. Given the nature of the position’s responsibilities and the composition of the student body, the Director will be required to work evening and weekend hours as necessary. The Director is expected to teach one three-credit course each semester.

Responsibilities:

• Provide individual feedback and assessment to help students improve academic performance, study skills, and bar exam preparation

• Create and teach regular group sessions to help students improve academic performance, study skills, and bar exam preparation

• Teach Bar Exam Foundations, Performance Tests on Bar Exams, and other courses based on curricular needs

• Supervise the Assistant Director of Academic Success and upper-class student mentors

• Work with Associate Dean for Student Affairs to prepare and deliver academic content to incoming students during the summer and law school orientation (Intro to Law)

• Work with Career Development Office and Lawyering Process faculty to help students improve their legal writing and create writing samples for job and clerkship applications

• Contribute to the national academic success and bar preparation community

PROFILE of the DEPARTMENT/COLLEGE

The William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV is a leading public law school founded on a commitment to public service and community engagement. With its nationally ranked Lawyering Process Program, Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, and the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic, Boyd offers a dynamic curriculum designed to teach students critical thinking and lawyering skills. Boyd has an LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation and a variety of distinctive Programs in Health Law; Indian Nations Gaming and Governance; International, Transnational, and Comparative Law; and Race, Gender & Policing. Through its J.D. curriculum, students can pursue academic concentrations in Business and Commercial Law, Dispute Resolution, Health Law, Intellectual Property, and Workplace and Employment Law. The law school is located at the heart of the UNLV campus. UNLV is an R1 research university that is among the most diverse campuses in the nation and is also the state’s largest comprehensive doctoral degree granting institution with Schools of Business, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Hospitality, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health, among many others.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

This position requires a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school college or university as recognized by the United States Department of Education and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), membership in a state bar with successful completion of a state bar examination, 1-3 years of experience, and 1-3 years of supervisory experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-5 years of prior experience working at a law school, preferably in the context of a law school academic success program

• Prior experience in teaching or instruction

• 3-5 years of supervisory experience

• Excellent project management skills

• A record of strong academic performance in law school

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills

• A demonstrated commitment to public service