At a time when universities have many competing priorities around where to invest, the University of Michigan is investing energy and attention in its academic innovation efforts. Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation is actively recruiting in this area, with the most recent example being searches for several project managers at both the intermediate and senior levels. Angeline Boyes, CAI’s associate director of project management, has the details on this featured gig.
Q: What is the university’s mandate behind these roles? How do they help align with and advance the university’s strategic priorities?
A: The university’s Look to Michigan vision calls on the institution to deliver life-changing education to learners everywhere. At the Center for Academic Innovation, we put that vision into action by designing learning experiences that serve not only traditional students and alumni, but organizations and lifelong learners around the world.
The project management roles on our team are key to making those experiences happen. Our project managers bring faculty ideas and institutional goals to life through high-quality online and hybrid programs, supporting end-to-end project management. From early planning to launch, these roles coordinate people, processes, budgets and timelines across massive open online courses, degrees, certificates and Teach-Outs, expanding access to Michigan’s educational excellence.
Q: Where do the roles sit within the university structure? How will the people in these roles engage with other units and leaders across campus?
A: The team that supports project management is within the online learning domain, under the leadership of Chief Learning Officer Sarah Dysart. The team is one of several within the Center for Academic Innovation, led by James DeVaney, the associate vice provost for academic innovation and the founding executive director of the center.
At its heart, the role of a project manager on our team is about connection: bringing faculty ideas and academic innovation together to shape the future of online learning, building new pathways for learners, and supporting the center in making education accessible for everyone. On a daily basis, these roles will collaborate with passionate colleagues across the center, from learning experience and media design teams to course operations and program management teams, while also partnering with faculty across disciplines and academic units. Together, these roles help transform big ideas into human-centered learning experiences that reflect the center’s research-driven approach to design and impact.
Q: What would success look like in one year? Three years? Beyond?
A: In the first year, success means momentum and the building of strong relationships across CAI and with partners across campus. These roles guide projects from concept to launch, helping bring innovative learning opportunities to life by executing on clear workflows that keep everyone aligned.
Over time, the impact of these roles will deepen by shaping an online learning portfolio that reflects Michigan’s distinctive strengths and values, carrying the university’s mission to learners everywhere. These roles will play a key role in mentoring others and refining the processes that make academic innovation at scale sustainable. In addition to project management, the senior roles within the team have added responsibilities related to supervision and program management. The open project manager senior role has supervisory responsibilities within the team.
Q: What kinds of future roles would someone who took this position be prepared for?
A: These roles offer a great foundation for long-term growth. They sit at the intersection of academic strategy, project delivery and collaboration across campus. They also prepare people to take on bigger leadership opportunities. Team members gain experience managing complex projects, building partnerships and aligning big ideas with institutional goals. Over time, that skill set can lead to senior positions in project management, online learning, academic operations, or even roles in mission-driven organizations beyond higher education. It’s the kind of experience that builds future leaders in academic innovation.
