Program Manager, Master of Management – Co-operatives and Credit Unions

 

Description of the MMCCU program

 

The Master of Management – Co-operatives and Credit Unions - MMCCU (hereinafter “The Program”) is a graduate degree program delivered via the world-wide web to managers in co-operatives and others in the co-operative movement.  The Program was created by Saint Mary’s University and the Co-operative Management Education Co-operative (CMEC)  CMEC is a consortium of forty-four co-operative organizations and eleven education institutions in seven countries.  The Program (www.mmccu.coop) is based at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada (hereinafter “SMU.”) The Program was established in 2001 and has been instructing students since 2003.  To date 81 students from 12 countries have graduated from the program.  Also associated with the program are the following:

 

  • The Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (http://www.coopaccounting.coop/welcome.html), a research centre developing theoretical and practical publications for the co-operative movement
  • A series of research symposia on topics connected to co-operative management.  Examples in the past have been “Co-operative Accounting,” “The Co-operative and its Workers,” and “Co-operative Legislation and Public Policy.”  Presentations from these symposia are available from the MMCCU website and a book emerging from “The Co-operative and its Workers” will be published presently.
  • Other academic research on issues connected to the co-operative movement undertaken by a group of scholars associated with Saint Mary’s University.  Many of these publications can be found at (http://www.mmccu.coop/news.html.)

There is an initiative to expand the program and its associated activities into an “International Centre for Co-operative Management” (hereinafter “The Centre”) in the near future.  It is also planned to create a Graduate Diploma in Co-operative Management linked to the Masters degree.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Program Manager

 

  • Works closely with the Academic Director of The Program (who is an academic faculty member of Saint Mary’s University.)
  • Along with the Academic Director, supervises delivery of the Master of Management – Co-operatives and Credit Unions
  • Engages in strategic and tactical planning for The Program
  • Recruits students for the program across the English-speaking world (and possibly English-speakers from non English-speaking countries)
  • Establishes, maintains and expands relationships between The Program and co-operative organizations around the world, but especially in Canada, the US and the United Kingdom.
  • Manages the day-to-day delivery of the program, including the following:
    • Development and maintenance of the overall curriculum
    • Recruiting and supervising course designers and tutors for the online courses
    • Ensuring quality control over the design and delivery of the courses and evaluation of courses and activities
    • Working with SMU staff to ensure that the technological platform for course delivery is appropriate and running with a minimum of problems for students
    • Student support and tracking
    • Monitoring the real-time delivery of the courses, including student satisfaction, academic rigour,  instructor attentiveness
  • May be a course designer and instructor in one or several of the courses in The Program (pay for these courses is in addition to the incumbent’s stipend for the job.) 
  • Write papers and develop presentations and present them at academic and industry conferences
  • Promotes the program to the co-operative movement, governments, universities, the media and the general public.
  • Supervises a small group of administrative personnel and helpers (usually 1 or 2 part-timers.)
  • Keeps track of the finances of The Program and reconciles its accounts with those of the Financial Services Department of SMU.
  • Raises funds for development of The Program from co-operative organizations.
  • Provides administrative support to the CMEC board of directors and is chief liaison with this organization.
  • Serves on the Board of Directors of the Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives.

 

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Advanced degree, such as our own MMCCU, or in social sciences or administration at the Masters level
  • Experience in the co-operative movement i.e. as a member, governor (board member), manager, administrator, etc.
  • Knowledge or experience of pedagogy, in particular, the electronic distance education
  • Excellent contacts in the co-operative movement in the English-speaking countries i.e. Canada, the US and UK the Antilles and the Antipodes.
  • Willingness and ability to travel and spend a considerable amount of time travelling
  • A strong spirit of social entrepreneurialism
  • Ability to speak to audiences, both co-op and non-co-op, about the co-operative movement and the program
  • Ability to manage a complex organization with minimal administrative support
  • Ability to do fundraising
  • A friendly, outgoing and preferably inspiring personality

 

To Apply:    

 

Please reply in confidence, with a c.v. to Director, MMCCU Program, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, 923 Robie St. Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 3C3.  Fax your application to MMCCU Program at 902-420-5129, or email to mmccujob@gmail.com.

 

Deadline is 15 August 2011.