Dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education

Morningside College

Dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education

Morningside College, one of the truly great success stories in private higher education, is seeking applications for the position of Dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education. The next dean of the School of Education must be a practical visionary with a commitment to life-long learning and the development of students at all levels of the enterprise. The dean must be a consensus builder and a supportive leader that can enable faculty and staff to stretch beyond past work and current capacity.

Successful candidates will demonstrate P-12 teaching or leadership experience as well as significant faculty experience and scholarship. Demonstrated higher education leadership and management at least at the department chair level is required. Accreditation and licensure program experience is required. Capacity to engage with external stakeholders, including Area Education Agencies, is essential.  The terminal degree is required.

Morningside, located in Sioux City, IA, is recognized for providing undergraduate students with exceptional active learning experiences on a beautiful residential campus. The College is also well regarded for its online graduate coursework, flexible post-baccalaureate options, and an online bachelor’s degree completion option.

Morningside offers more than 65 areas of study for undergraduates, as well as graduate programs in nursing or education, including a 100% online Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Total enrollment is approximately 2,700 students from nearly all 50 states and almost 20 countries.  Morningside offers robust study abroad and May Term programs that give students the ability to personalize their education and access a global network of opportunities.

Under President John Reynders’ spectacular leadership, the College has enjoyed two decades of significant change, growth, and success that include achieving record enrollment numbers, exceeding goals for three large multi-year fundraising campaigns, increasing varsity athletics teams to 28 that routinely compete for conference and national honors, and completing nearly $70 million in campus improvements.

Morningside employs more than 250 people, including almost 80 full-time faculty members for its graduate and undergraduate programs. Morningside faculty are committed to their work, with 72% holding the most advanced degree in their field. The College’s faculty also includes nearly 160 well credentialed adjunct faculty, many of whom deliver The Sharon Walker School of Education’s graduate programs. Morningside is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

The Sharon Walker School of Education, long acclaimed for its high-quality innovative teacher education programs, offers the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music Education, and Master of Arts in Teaching. The School has 14 full-time faculty, 87 adjunct faculty and12 academic staff. It enrolls 150 undergraduates, 46 students in the two alternative teacher preparation programs discussed below, and 1,191 graduate students. The Walker School’s programs are fully accredited by the Iowa Department of Education.

 

The Walker School of Education undergraduate teacher education programs offer majors to prepare candidates to teach in a broad array of disciplines: (See https://www.morningside.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/education/majors/) . The School also offers 12 endorsement programs at the graduate level (See https://www.morningside.edu/graduate-online-programs/graduate-program-in-education/endorsement-options/). The teacher education programs are among the largest and most successful at Morningside.

The Walker School is innovative, as reflected in two alternative teacher preparation programs: (1) An undergraduate teacher intern program for individuals who possess a baccalaureate degree in a content field and who want to become certified as a secondary teacher (one of two such programs in Iowa); and (2) a “fast track” program for special education licensure is being offered for the first time this fall (the only such program in the state). The School has also developed cooperative graduate programs with 8 of the 11 Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs) through which teachers in those regions may earn graduate endorsements and degrees while continuing to teach in their home school districts.

Morningside’s culture is exceptionally distinctive and has driven its success. The College is relentlessly student focused and fosters innovation among its faculty and staff. Morningside has received third party accolades from national media outlets such as U.S. News and Forbes. The Sharon Walker School of Education has secured seven figure Title III grants and its faculty have regularly received awards for overall excellence and assessment.

The new Dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education will live in a bustling five-county metropolitan area of 170,000 people, the hub of which is Sioux City. As one of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs’ inaugural “Great Places,” Sioux City is located on the Missouri River among the picturesque Loess Hills.  The city sits amidst the boundaries of three jurisdictions, two of which made MoneyRates.com’s 2019 top ten best states to raise a child – Iowa and South Dakota.

NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The desired appointment date is February 2020 and the successful candidate will assume his/her new duties on or about June 1, 2020. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by November 26, 2019. Candidates are encouraged to review the Morningside College Search Profile which contains detailed information about the College and the position, as well as the application process. See https://morningside.edu/about-morningside/employment-opportunities/administrative-staff-openings/ and https://www.agbsearch.com/active-searches. The College welcomes the candidacies of women and people from underrepresented groups.

Applications must include a letter of interest, CV, and five professional references with email addresses and telephone numbers.  References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the applicant. Application materials should be sent electronically (MS Word or PDF) to MorningsideDeanEd@agbsearch.com  

Confidential inquiries, nominations, and referrals may be directed to:

Mr. Fred Moore, Executive Search Consultant

fred.moore@agbsearch.com / 712.299.2544

and

Dr. Carlton E. Brown, Executive Search Consultant

carlton.brown@agbsearch.com  / 912.247.8661

Morningside College believes in and promotes non-discrimination.  It is our policy and practice to promote equal opportunities without regard to age, sex, religion, creed, race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, or national origin.