Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

UNF – Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

The University of North Florida (UNF) seeks a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Applications, inquiries and nominations are invited.

The University of North Florida is optimally positioned for success in higher education's current environment. Established in 1972, UNF has grown significantly in size and prominence, particularly in recent years, with over 17,000 students, 584 full-time faculty members and over 1,200 total staff. The University is home to six colleges and routinely ranks high in quality and value on national lists published by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal and others. UNF holds the prestigious Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and is committed to preparing the whole student. Engaged classroom settings and individualized attention are important hallmarks of the student experience, as is substantive engagement with impactful community projects directed by passionate and committed faculty and staff.

Located in Jacksonville, Florida, serving a large regional population, UNF enjoys strong support from the State University System of Florida, which employs a unique performance funding model. UNF is on the move, engaging a new strategic plan that aspires to considerably greater national and international acclaim while optimizing its research relevance and the university’s historical commitment to student success.

The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) has more than 335 full-time faculty and an annual budget of over $41 million, in addition to numerous accounts and endowments with the UNF Foundation. It is home to 15 academic departments and schools including Art, Art History and Design; Biology; Chemistry; School of Communication; Criminology and Criminal Justice; English; History; Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Mathematics and Statistics; School of Music; Philosophy and Religious Studies; Physics; Political Science and Public Administration; Psychology; Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work; the Writing Center; and the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs. The College is responsible for the University’s general education program, and it offers a full range of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

UNF is seeking a dean who can lead the COAS in developing and implementing a shared vision for the College that focuses on teaching excellence, research excellence, student success, equity and inclusion. The dean will engage faculty, staff and the broader community in communicating and promoting this shared vision. The COAS dean is one of six academic deans who report directly to the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs.

Candidates for this position must have an earned doctorate; demonstrate a record of teaching, scholarship and service qualifying them for the rank of full professor at UNF; be eligible for tenure within one of the college’s academic departments or schools; and have at least five years of administrative experience including line authority over university faculty.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile.

WittKieffer is assisting the University of North Florida in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by February 4, 2022. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Dennis Barden, Jessica Herrington and Cathryn Davis at UNFCOASDean@wittkieffer.com.

The University of North Florida encourages applications from qualified persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran's status, disability, age, marital status, or gender.

Florida's "Sunshine Law" requires that all search committee business be open to public review.