Dean of Admissions and Marketing

Purpose

Context

• The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad, will be the second Aga Khan Academy in an integrated network of eighteen residential schools being established in South and Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with the mission of educating future leaders in their respective countries. The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya, in August 2003.
• The Academies will provide young people of exceptional promise with an outstanding international education from pre-primary to secondary level and prepare them to study in universities in India and across the world. Students will benefit from a rigorous academic programme and develop their potential as leaders. Admission will be based on merit, and generous financial aid will be provided so as enable students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to attend.
• The Academies will offer the three programmes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and be characterized by spacious campuses and outstanding educational resources. Academy staff will enjoy rich opportunities to grow professionally, whilst contributing to the important purpose of developing and implementing the vision of the Academies.
• Each Aga Khan Academy will feature an in-house Professional Development Centre to provide an extensive programme of in-service training to Academy staff and to teachers from surrounding government and other not-for-profit schools.
• It will be vital for the Dean of Admissions to establish a collaborative professional relationship with Dean of Admissions and the Dean of Students in Mombasa.

Responsibilities

1. Accountabilities

• Lead the process of admissions at the Hyderabad Academy.
• Collaborate with the Head of the Academy, the Dean of Admissions in Mombasa, and Deans of Admissions in future Academies as they are established to ensure consistent and high quality admissions procedures are developed, implemented and sustained.
• Work with the Head of Academy to establish the Academies admissions framework in Hyderabad and India by: i. Creating rolling three-year strategic plans for Admissions that include numbers of students from targeted areas and communities in India; ii. Identifying school leader contacts and other sources of student nominations, and iii. Setting up an admissions database that includes baseline data on individual students. iv. Day-to-day management of the Admissions Office.
• Organize open days and other Opportunities for prospective students and interested parties to learn about the Academy.
• Build and maintain relationships with schools from which students join the Academy and other nominators of prospective students. Involve them appropriately in the recruitment process and provide feedback on milestones in the progress of Individual students, including entry to higher education.
• Build and maintain relationships with parents and family members and contribute to the provision of feedback
• The Dean of Admissions is often the first point of contact for prospective students and their families and acts as an Ambassador for the Academy at public and private meetings with them.
• Develop presentations to be given to parents, school leaders, and others who may be involved in the promotion of the Academy and the nomination of students.
• Build strong collaborative relationships with stakeholders, including AKES and AKDN colleagues in India and volunteers.
• Work effectively with government officials and share and update and understanding of regulatory frameworks with appropriate colleagues, especially the Head of Academy.
• Provide reports on admissions that include forecasts of student numbers by year group, student turnover, admissions outside the usual time frame, and evaluations of admissions procedures and activities.
• Undertake the role of Secretary to the Hyderabad Admissions Committee and meetings to consider appeals against non-admission.
• Contribute to the induction of new students, ensuring the admissions process prepares students, their parents and families to become part of the Academy. Remain a point of contact for them.
• Professional Development In collaboration with the Head of Academy and with assistance from the Dean of Admissions in Mombasa and an outside consultant, train Lead Teachers to administer selection processes and fulfill their role as members of the Admissions Committee, including training relevant personnel in appeals procedures
• Collaborate with the Head of the Academy and Head of Finance to implement the Academies Financial Aid framework and contribute to its development for all academies.

2. Performance Indicators

• Mastery of student selection criteria and the Academies assessment framework.
• Exceptional students successfully recruited from a range of backgrounds. Demonstrable contribution to the development of the admissions processes of the Academies. Proactively involved in evaluating and monitoring assessments and possible alternatives.
• Strategic and operational objectives achieved. Admissions framework and documentation fit for purpose. Evidence of wide involvement of stakeholders in identifying high quality contacts amongst schools and nominators of potential students. Admissions processes well communicated to colleagues at the Hyderabad Academy, who are able to access and make best use of the information held in order to support the progress of students.
• High visibility for the Academy, wide understanding of its vision and very high numbers of applicants.
• Positive feedback on relationships with schools and other nominators of potential students and evidence of increasing collaboration with them. Consistent growth in the partner school constituency.
• Positive feedback from students, parents and families and continuous development and improvement of good practice in working with them.
• Students, their parents and families understand, adopt and contribute to the developing vision of the Academies and become ambassadors for the Hyderabad Academy.
• High quality presentations created for a range of audiences and purposes. Eventual involvement of students and colleagues in creating presentations and promoting the Academy.
• Positive feedback and evidence of value added to the Academy from relationships with stakeholders.
• Establishment of strong relationships with government officials and effective promotion of the Academy. Up-to-date knowledge of relevant government regulations and procedures shared reliably.
• Timely, informative and accurate management reports provided for Head of Academy and the Academies Unit.
• Taking the initiative in providing updates and alerts to enable issues to be addressed as they arise.
• Smooth administration of the work of the Admissions Committee to ensure that decisions are made in a strategic and timely manner. Quality of preparedness of new students and positive feedback from parents, families and colleagues.
• Creation of a high quality programme of staff training that is in place well before the student selection for the secondary school is undertaken.

Financial Aid

• Collaborate with the Head of Academy and the Head of Finance to prepare the annual Admissions and Financial Aid budget.
• Effective and equitable implementation of financial aid within the budget provided.
• Creation of a robust budget for Admissions and Financial Aid on a three year rolling basis that enables the Academy to achieve its enrolment goals.

Other Duties

• Undertake other duties that ensure the effective admission and support of students as directed by the Head of Academy from time to time.