Dean of the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences

Job Title: Dean of the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences

           

Job ID: 21379

           

Location: Brooklyn College

           

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

           

Regular/Temporary: Regular

           

           

POSITION DETAILS

           

Brooklyn College, a vibrant senior college of the City University of New York, invites applications for the position of Dean of the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences. Founded in 1930 on a beautiful 35-acre campus, Brooklyn College is one of 25 higher educational institutions of the City University of New York (CUNY), the largest urban university system in the nation. The College enrolls approximately 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students and includes 524 full-time faculty members. Students benefit from a broad set of curricular offerings across five schools: Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Natural and Behavioral Sciences; and Visual, Media and Performing Arts.

 

Brooklyn College provides a transformative education to students from all backgrounds. Educating immigrant and first-generation students and improving the communities the College serves are among the core values of the institution. Rigorous academic programs across the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies prepare students to become creative problem-solvers and leaders in their chosen fields. Brooklyn College has been nationally-recognized for the outstanding quality of its academic programming and its ability to act as an engine of social mobility.

 

We seek a visionary leader for the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences with a history of innovative program development and collaborative academic leadership. The ideal candidate will be eager to engage with diversity and exhibit a demonstrated commitment to inclusion and heterogeneity. We seek an individual who can recruit and retain faculty who reflect the diversity of our student body.  Successful candidates will bring their unique creativity, sensitivity, insights and perspectives to a college community that seeks to promote innovation in scholarship and teaching in an urban setting.

 

The School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at Brooklyn College includes ten academic departments: Anthropology and Archaeology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer and Information Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Health and Nutrition Sciences, Kinesiology, Math, Physics, and Psychology.  The School includes 170 full-time faculty and enrolls approximately 4,700 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs yearly across a wide range of majors and graduate programs

 

Working collaboratively with the School’s faculty, students, and staff, the Dean will further develop the academic and intellectual identity of the school to meet the needs of today’s students and faculty in our rapidly changing world. This year the College embarked on developing a new academic plan to guide program development. The Dean will work closely with the chairs, the Provost and other deans to further shape and implement the plan.

 

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School. The Dean sets the standard for intellectual engagement and accomplishment; provides strategic vision and operational leadership based on best practices; ensures the accreditation of programs; vigorously promotes diversity, inclusion, and collaboration in all of the School’s practices; builds community across faculty, staff, and students; ensures students are served by academic programs of the highest quality and effectiveness through assessment and continuous improvement; oversees systems and processes that ensure academic integrity and rigor, including program assessment, program review, departmental planning, and accreditation activities; advances improvements in faculty life; promotes and supports faculty scholarship and grant/contract-seeking pre-and post-tenure; encourages the use of proven effective pedagogies for STEM disciplines and experimentation in pedagogy and programming; oversees processes for faculty hiring and retention; builds external partnerships to support student academic and career preparation and faculty development and research. The Dean conducts third-year review of all new faculty and makes recommendations on reappointments, tenure, and promotion.

 

As part of the Provost’s Academic Cabinet, the Dean manages the implementation of the college’s strategic plan on the school level in close collaboration with all members of the academic leadership team. She/he oversees the work of the chairs and the academic departments. The Dean works with the vice presidents, deans, associate provosts, senior administrators, and staff across the College to conduct day-to-day operations, improve student success, and further the work of the School.

 

The Dean formulates fundraising priorities for the School in collaboration with the Provost, faculty, and the Academic Cabinet. She/he works closely with faculty on research grant planning activities. She/he works in partnership with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and the larger development team to help create materials that advance the case for funding and engages in fundraising activities to achieve support. The Dean is a member of the college-wide Policy Council and the Provost’s Academic Cabinet.

           

QUALIFICATIONS

           

This position is in CUNY's Executive Compensation Plan.  All executive positions require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree and eight years' related experience.

 

Required

- A PhD in a relevant discipline and experience as a tenured faculty member at the professor rank

- Deep understanding of the natural and behavioral sciences

- A record of outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service

- Academic leadership experience at the chair level or above

- Commitment to strengthening the relationship between academic preparation and career entry and advancement

- Knowledge of and experience in the accreditation of academic programs and continuous improvement processes

- Experience in budget management

- Experience in innovative program development, including online programming and interdisciplinary program and departmental designs

- Track-record of research grant acquisition in the sciences

- Potential to fundraise effectively

- Demonstrated commitments to diversity and inclusion

- Demonstrated ability to identify, address, and diffuse conflict and problem-solve effectively

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

- Demonstrated commitments to team-building and team work

- Collaborative management style

- Strong work ethic and orientation to academic service

 

Preferred

- Progressive experience in academic administration at a mid-size public institution

- Interest in shared leadership, external partnership-building, and culture change in a large organization

- Experience supervising staff

           

CUNY TITLE

           

Dean

           

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

           

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

 

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development.  We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off.  Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

           

HOW TO APPLY

           

Visit https://cuny.jobs/brooklyn-college/new-jobs/  and click on the position. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information.

 

Applicants should upload one paginated PDF document that includes the following three components:

- a cover letter that discusses the candidate’s qualifications and interest in the position

- an up-to-date CV

- The names and contact information for five professional references; References will not be contacted without prior notification.

           

CLOSING DATE

           

Review of applications to begin December 6, 2019 and will continue until the position is filled.

           

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

           

CUNY Job Posting: Executive

           

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

           

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply.  At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups.  Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.