Dean of the College of Letters and Science

Search for the Dean of the College of Letters and Science

University of California, Davis

Davis, California

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) seeks inquiries, nominations, and applications for the next Dean of the College of Letters and Science (L&S).

The College of Letters and Science is one of four academic colleges at UC Davis, and the intellectual and academic powerhouse of the University. L&S offers courses and conducts research in the broadest array of disciplines at UC Davis, spanning 35 departments and more than 50 fields of study in the humanities, arts, cultural studies, social sciences, and the mathematical and physical sciences. In addition to teaching the core curriculum for virtually all 28,000 undergraduate students, the College’s 910 faculty members mentor over 1,500 graduate students; half of all UC Davis living alumni graduated from the College. 

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the Dean will join a vibrant community of remarkable size, breadth, and scope with the mandate to articulate a transparent and unifying vision that charts the College’s path forward. The Dean will advocate equitably for the full range of disciplines within L&S and proudly champion its missions of research, education, and service. Attention to financial prosperity will be an important piece of effective leadership, and the Dean will leverage this understanding to build and sustain robust philanthropic relationships. The Dean will understand the College’s pivotal role in fulfilling Davis’s student success mission and ensure institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across college constituencies. The successful candidate will possess credentials for appointment as full professor, with a terminal degree and an exemplary record of intellectual accomplishment.

Spanning 5,300 acres, UC Davis is the largest campus in the UC system and the third largest by enrollment. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), it ranks fifth among public research universities nationwide, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings. Its broad array of academic programs is one of the most comprehensive in the American academy, comprising four undergraduate colleges; as well as six graduate and professional schools and the Division of Continuing and Professional Education. UC Davis also operates UC Davis Health, which includes a nationally ranked 625-bed acute-care teaching hospital and a 1,000-member physician's practice group, as well as research facilities located across the region and beyond. UC Davis enrolls more than 39,000 undergraduate and graduate students, employs roughly 23,000 academic and administrative staff, and has an annual operating budget of roughly $4.9 billion.

In this recruitment effort, UC Davis has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national retained executive search firm, to assist the recruitment advisory committee. Complete applications will include a CV, cover letter, and diversity statement. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For more details and to submit inquiries, nominations, and applications visit www.imsearch.com/7732.

David Bellshaw and Carley Davenport

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.