Dean of the Library

New Mexico State University

Search for the Dean of the Library

Las Cruces, NM

 

New Mexico State University (NMSU), a minority-serving, land grant, and space grant institution, invites applications and nominations for the Dean of the Library. This is a rare opportunity for a talented and experienced library administrator to lead a dynamic community of scholars, faculty, and staff into a new era of reinvestment, innovation, and community building.

 

NMSU is designated as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and is one of the most diverse land-grant universities in the nation, situated near the Mexican border on the Central and Latin American corridor. There are 24 tribes that have ancestral homeland ties to New Mexico including 20 Pueblos, the Navajo Nation, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Mescalero Apache Tribe, and the Fort Still Apache Tribe. In addition to its main campus in Las Cruces, the institution includes four community colleges across the state, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, cooperative extension offices located in each of New Mexico's 33 counties, 12 agriculture research and science centers, and an expanding distance education program. NMSU Las Cruces campus enrolls approximately 14,300 students, with 70 percent of the student population New Mexico residents. Approximately 58 percent of students identify as Hispanic, 2.6 percent as African American, 2.3 percent as American Indian or Alaskan Native, 1.3 percent as Asian American, 0.2 percent as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 2.3 percent as multiracial. As a military and veteran-friendly university, NMSU offers a highly accessible education with a spirit of service. 

 

The new Dean will join NMSU at an exciting time with a new university strategic plan, NMSU LEADS 2025, and a renewed commitment to the success of the Library to accomplish university goals, which include becoming a Carnegie R1 institution. The Dean will inherit a talented faculty and staff eager to generate impactful university contributions through innovation and change. Therefore, the Dean will have an opportunity to chart a new path for the Library that includes focused reinvestment, reorganization, and expanded visibility locally and nationally. The Dean will explore opportunities for collaboration with other institutions, secure new funding to invest in the team and infrastructure, engage in emerging technologies, and improve communication internally and externally to increase the visibility and reputation of the Library. The Dean will be a dynamic champion for the Library at NMSU, within New Mexico, and beyond, working closely with university leadership, other deans, faculty, students, staff, and community members to enhance knowledge access and management across NMSU. 

 

The ideal candidate needs to address a set of key opportunities and challenges, listed below and detailed in this document. The Dean of the Library will:

 

  • Lead the NMSU Library in supporting NMSU with the implementation of its new strategic plan, LEADS 2025, placing a renewed emphasis on increasing student success, growing the research enterprise, and significantly expanding access to online degree programs;
  • Identify opportunities to foster greater collaboration between the university and its branch community colleges, the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, and potential library partners throughout the State of New Mexico, through shared Library resources and services;
  • Plan, acquire, and implement the new library services and resources required to successfully achieve strategic goals, including a plan to bring NMSU library resources and services in alignment with other high-research university libraries;
  • Bring people together in support of new strategies and services through their shared values, creating a culture of trust and mutual respect;
  • Prioritize resources while seeking new types of revenue and ways to leverage existing resources in a transparent and collaborative process;
  • Champion, advocate for, and advance the Library at NMSU, in New Mexico, and in other professional settings. 

 

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: http://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/S8-026.

 

Lindsay Gold and Joe Kralick

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA  94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

 

New Mexico State University is dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities in all areas of occupation without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, mental or physical disability, serious medical condition, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, sexual identity, spousal affiliation, veteran status,  or genetic information according to state and federal laws.