Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Grand Valley State University (Grand Valley) is launching a search for its next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is seeking a collaborative and institutionally minded leader with a proven record of innovation to serve as the Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).  The dean promotes excellence in all aspects of the college mission to nurture the discovery, creation, transmission and application of knowledge and understanding across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and fine arts. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides leadership, management and administration of the college. Grand Valley attracts more than 24,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from across Michigan and dozens of other states and foreign countries, offering 94 undergraduate and 42 graduate degree programs and has campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland. The university offers programming and classes from centers in Traverse City, Muskegon, and Detroit; Grand Valley’s Annis Water Resources Institute and the Muskegon Innovation Hub are in Muskegon. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.

Grand Valley’s mission is to educate students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies. Known for increasingly innovative and outstanding teaching, recognized scholarship, significant community engagement, and excellent stewardship of its resources, the university inspires and equips students to be active life-long learners and global citizens. Grand Valley strives to be a model public university shaping leaders for success.

In 2019 Grand Valley has been named one of the best universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review; one of America’s top colleges by Forbes magazine and "America's 100 Best College Buys" by Institutional Research and Evaluation. In September 2019, Grand Valley was named a recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The award recognizes Grand Valley for its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This deanship is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and visionary leader, as Grand Valley seeks to expand partnerships and attract new student audiences to the institution. To successfully lead the largest college at Grand Valley State University, the next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), must demonstrate a passion about the role of the liberal arts and sciences in the delivery of a high-quality, 21st century education;  have a vision and strategy for making the liberal arts and sciences robust and relevant for students in the digital age; display a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of CLAS, while articulating the intrinsic value and necessity of diversity and inclusion with the college; and be adept at change management and implementation. While upholding the vision of the president and provost, the dean must nurture a positive, progressive, collaborative, entrepreneurial culture that supports teaching and learning. As the chief academic officer and administrator of CLAS, the dean will foster and support a creative environment to encourage faculty to identify and leverage opportunities to increase interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary program offerings. The dean’s innovative vision will drive collaboration with a variety of schools and colleges in the university.

The dean reports directly to the provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs and works collaboratively with the deans from the other seven colleges and the library, as well as the vice provost for student affairs, to ensure Grand Valley graduates students who are both liberally educated and professionally prepared. The dean provides leadership in curriculum and academic program development, as well as faculty hiring, tenure and promotion. The dean promotes and supports faculty scholarship and research activities. The dean oversees the operating and capital budgeting process in the college, recommends priorities to the provost, and oversees expenditures during the budget year. The dean will provide development and promotion of programs, institutes and centers in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and maintain a close and collegial relationship with faculty governance. The dean implements the college and university strategic plan, integrating benchmarking and assessment into ongoing planning and vision.  Candidates should possess a Ph.D. or terminal degree and a reputation for excellence as a teacher and a scholar with prior experience as a department chair and/or associate dean. Applicants who hold the rank of full professor will be given greatest consideration; tenure is available with the position.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. is assisting Grand Valley State University in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.

Additionally, confidential inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to Greenwood/Asher & Associates. Submission of application materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. The search will be conducted with a commitment of confidentiality for candidates until finalists are selected.

Inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to:

Marion Frenche, Practice Leader, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,

Senior Executive Search Consultant

Itza Walters, Executive Search Consultant

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc.

42 Business Centre Drive, Suite 206

Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

Phone: 850-650-2277 / Fax: 850-650-2272

Email: marionfrenche@greenwoodsearch.com

Email: itzawalters@greenwoodsearch.com

 

For more information on Grand Valley State University, please visit gvsu.edu.

Grand Valley State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all its programs, and the use of its facilities. It is committed to protecting the constitutional and statutory civil rights of persons connected with the university. The university’s notice of non-discrimination can be found at https://www.gvsu.edu/identity/affirmative-actionequal-opportunity-86.htm