Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its next Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). The CAS is the largest academic unit at the university and is home to many vibrant undergraduate and graduate programs as well as faculty with an exceptional record of teaching, research, scholarship, community engagement, and dedication to student success. The Dean will have an extraordinary opportunity to build on the university’s recent growth and advance the institution’s commitment to excellence in liberal arts education, diversity, and civic engagement.

UNCW is a public, coeducational, doctoral-granting, residential, and coastal university dedicated to the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. As a member of a distinguished multi-institutional public higher education system, UNCW has a distinctive reputation for academic excellence and service. UNCW is an internationally recognized leader in coastal and marine science education and research and the first university in the US to offer an undergraduate degree focused on coastal engineering. The university’s commitment to student engagement, creative inquiry, critical thinking, thoughtful expression, and responsible citizenship is expressed in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs in areas of expertise that serve the needs of the region, state, and beyond. Through innovative academic programming across all its academic disciplines, the institution is committed to enhancing the environmental health and resiliency of coastal, southeastern North Carolina and enriching the quality of life, economy, and education of the region.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the academic center of the university and is committed to the creation and dissemination of knowledge and expression in the arts, humanities, mathematical and natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and computing and engineering sciences to prepare students for meaningful and ethical civic engagement in a globalized society. CAS is home to 4913 undergraduate and 809 graduate students, 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty, with 39 degree programs in 25 departments and centers. This is an exciting time of transformation for the College and the university, as UNCW aspires to reach the next level of excellence in graduate education and research while maintaining the core of its identity as a stellar undergraduate institution. Enhanced by new leadership that is transforming the strategic vision, climate, and operations at UNCW, CAS is poised for further excellence in teaching, research, and interdisciplinary programs.

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Dean serves as the chief academic officer for the College. The Dean will advocate for the integral role of CAS in the future of the university and address the administrative challenges that arise for a college of its breadth and size. The Dean will be expected to articulate and execute a coherent vision for the future of the College of Arts and Sciences in alignment with the university’s next strategic plan; bolster its financial standing through development, programmatic growth, and funded research; provide robust operational support for faculty, staff, and students; and prioritize diversity and inclusion across the College, while strengthening internal and external partnerships.

UNCW has retained the services of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in conducting this search. For more information, to make a nomination, or to apply for this role, please visit: www.imsearch.com/7835.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is committed to and will provide equal educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, age, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status or relationship to other university constituents—except where sex, age or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for state-funded employee benefit programs.