Dean of the Robbins College

Baylor University seeks an innovative and collaborative leader to serve as Dean of the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences (RCHHS). This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead a unique school that will contribute to the University’s goal of becoming a preeminent Christian research university. Chartered in 1845, Baylor fulfills its mission “to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” 

 

RCHHS was established in 2014 as one of Baylor’s 12 schools and colleges. The College’s 44 full-time, tenure-line faculty and 59 clinical and teaching faculty are housed in four departments – Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD), Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR), Human Sciences and Design (HSD), Public Health (PH) – and two programs that are in the process of becoming departments – Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT).  These programs operate under a range of professional accreditations.  RCHHS offers Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Education, and Bachelor of Science in Public Health degrees; Master of Athletic Training, Master of Public Health, and Master of Science degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Exercise Physiology, Nutrition Sciences, and Sport Pedagogy; Ph.D degrees in Communications Sciences and Disorders and Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, and a soon-to-be launched Ph.D. in Public Health.   RCHHS also offers hybrid and online accelerated professional doctorates in Occupational Therapy (OTD) and Physical Therapy (DPT) as well as a range of joint bachelor’s and master’s programs and a variety of minors. Baylor also has a 70-year affiliation with the U.S. Military to offer graduate programs to military personnel at a range of military sites.  In Spring 2021, RCHHS enrolled 1,871 undergraduate students and 1,343 graduate students.   

 

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of RCHHS. The Dean is accountable for the quality of the College’s academic programs and faculty, and for aligning the priorities of the College and the University. The Dean is an advocate for the full array of disciplines and programs, employees and students in RCHHS, and for the development of an overarching vision that will pull these components into an integrated whole. The Dean is expected to provide visionary leadership to align with the Four Pillars and Five Academic Strategic Initiatives articulated in Illuminate, the university’s academic strategic plan (see illuminate.web.baylor.edu). The Dean is expected to recruit and retain excellent faculty and staff, enhance undergraduates’ educational experience, strengthen graduate programs – with particular emphasis on doctoral programs – and elevate research activity in pursuit of Baylor’s stated goals to join the ranks of elite research universities nationwide.

 

The University seeks an outstanding leader who combines respected scholarship  and academic achievements with strategic leadership ability, outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, collaborative and creative energy, entrepreneurial ambition, passion for the fields represented within RCHHS, and vision for the role of RCHHS within a 21st century Christian research university. Other qualifications include demonstrated Christian faith and commitment to advancing the academic enterprise and mission of Baylor; a strong record of distinguished leadership, (in higher education, this would include successful leadership at the Chair, Director, Dean, or equivalent leadership level); an earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree with academic qualifications that merit appointment as a tenured full professor in an academic discipline represented within the College; commitment to diversity, along with an understanding of how to advance a culture that promotes inclusion and welcomes and encourages dialogue across lines of difference; commitment to research as the foundation for learning, teaching, and practical application; demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, fiscal management, faculty and staff recruitment, retention, and development; and the ability to lead, facilitate, and delegate with effectiveness; enthusiasm and ability to contribute actively to substantial development and fundraising efforts; and impeccable personal and professional integrity, strength of character, and ethical qualities of the highest order.

 

Screening will begin in early fall and continue until an appointment is made. Nominations, inquiries, and applications     (including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names of five references) should be directed electronically to BaylorRobbinsDean@divsearch.com.

 

Kim M. Morrisson, Ph.D., Managing Director or Pete Gillin, Managing Director

Nancy Helfman, Vice President and Senior Associate

Diversified Search

One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 3300, Philadelphia, PA  19103

 

Baylor University is a private not-for-profit university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, Baylor is committed to compliance with all applicable anti-discrimination laws, including those regarding age, race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, pregnancy status, military service, genetic information, and disability. As a religious educational institution, Baylor is lawfully permitted to consider an applicant’s religion as a selection criterion. Baylor encourages women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to apply.