Founding Dean College of Health, Education and Human Services

Founding Dean
College of Health, Education and Human Services

Wright State University

Wright State University seeks an innovative, dynamic, collaborative, and community-minded leader to serve as its inaugural Dean for the College of Health, Education and Human Services.  The new college will launch Fall 2021, bringing together multiple health-related and education-related disciplines to better serve the needs of the region and provide pathways for student success.

Wright State University, located 12 miles northeast of downtown Dayton, Ohio, offers more than 295 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree programs through eight colleges and three schools. The university also operates a regional campus, Wright State University–Lake Campus, on the shores of Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Celina, Ohio. Enrollments on the two campuses surpassed 10,000 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate, doctoral and professional students in Fall 2019. Wright State University was named to honor aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, who invented the world's first successful airplane in their Dayton bicycle shop. In fact, the Wright brothers conducted most of their early test flights at Huffman Prairie, just minutes from the Dayton campus. Wright State University takes pride in its beautiful 557-acre campus, which includes lush forests and a biology preserve. Underground tunnels connect 20 of 22 buildings in the academic section of the Dayton campus, shielding students and employees from any adverse weather and adding to the university’s national reputation for accessibility for those with disabilities.

Job Summary/Basic Function

The dean is responsible for planning, directing and coordinating the operational, personnel, budgetary, and fundraising activities for the college.  The dean will lead the college in the administration of undergraduate, graduate and professional academic programs (including accreditation), student success, alumni relations, and strategic and fiscal planning.  The dean is expected to foster interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaborations within the college, across campus, and in the community. The dean will be a steward of social justice and will promote inclusive excellence across the college and university. The dean will serve as a visible and external advocate for the College, both on campus and off campus.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Earned terminal degree in one of the disciplines in the College from an accredited institution of higher education
  • Record of professional accomplishments and scholarship that meet the qualifications for appointment to the rank of professor with tenure in the College
  • Minimum of least seven years of leadership experience at the chair’s/director level or higher
  • A record of interdisciplinary initiatives
  • A record of teaching and scholarly work
  • Minimum of five years of experience supervising faculty
  • Experience managing resources and complex budgets
  • Development, implementation, and administration of policies and procedures that support unit mission and goals
  • Demonstrated participation in creating and implementing a strategic plan/vision
  • Evidence of a commitment to and success in securing external funding
  • Demonstrated ability to promote social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and advocacy for faculty, staff, and students
  • Evidence of engagement with administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners and other external constituencies
  • Demonstrated ability to forge partnerships and build relationships with both campus and external constituencies (e.g. healthcare and behavioral health providers, P-16 schools and universities, employers)
  • Evidence of recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience serving as dean/interim dean of a college
  • Evidence of raising/securing funds to support program initiatives
  • Evidence in curriculum development including a commitment to collaborative and innovative pedagogies
  • Demonstrated ability to manage a complex organization and work effectively with colleagues across divisions
  • Demonstrated experience working with a diverse student body and a commitment to student success
  • Commitment to advancing current graduate programs and developing innovative educational opportunities at both the graduate and undergraduate level
  • Experience working in a unionized environment
  • A record of advancing teaching excellence and faculty governance
  • Record of commitment to regional and professional accreditation standards for the unit and demonstrated understanding of compliance and resource needs for accreditation and regulatory processes in the health, education, and human services professions
  • Commitment to the highest moral, ethical, and academic standards

A complete application must include a letter of interest describing experience relevant to the position requirements; current curriculum vitae; and contact information for five professional references. Nominations should include the name, position, postal address, telephone number and email. Application materials should be submitted electronically as PDF attachments at https://jobs.wright.edu/postings/15704 by Feb 19, 2021 for first consideration.

Wright State University, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, is committed to an inclusive environment and strongly encourages applications from minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about Wright State University please visit:  https://www.wright.edu/ .