Dean of the College of Health Professions

Cleveland State University seeks an inclusive, student-centered, collaborative leader to serve as its inaugural dean of the College of Health Professions (CHP).

Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public, urban research institution that provides a dynamic setting for engaged learning. Serving a diverse population of nearly 16,000 students, CSU is the No. 1 public university in Ohio for social mobility. Approximately 80-percent of CSU graduates stay in Northeast Ohio, creating a talent pipeline with expertise and skills that align with high-demand fields.

Under the leadership of President Harlan Sands and Provost Laura Bloomberg, Cleveland State is reimagining its future with CSU 2.0, an aggressive, growth-oriented plan for emerging from the global pandemic a stronger, more focused institution. This exciting vision sets a goal of serving an additional 4,500 students (online and on-campus) and hiring 200 new faculty members by 2025. CSU 2.0 outlines multimillion-dollar investments in research, faculty positions and initiatives to advance student success, develop new programs and build new partnerships.

Among the priorities outlined in CSU 2.0 is the College Realignment plan, which reimagines the current structure of CSU's colleges to better reflect the University's unique strengths, create recruiting and investment opportunities, streamline administrative support and reduce costs where possible. The College of Health Professions is one of the new colleges that will form as a result of this plan. The College will include the following units: communication sciences and disorders; community health; exercise science; health sciences; music therapy; nursing; occupational therapy; physical therapy; public health; social work. For Fall 2022, the College’s approximately 100 full-time faculty, 25 administrative and professional staff, and a cadre of part-time faculty will serve approximately 3600 students (2700 undergraduates and 900 graduate students). In addition, a range of clients and community members are served through on-campus clinics, programs and service-learning activities.

Reporting to the provost, the inaugural dean is expected to be a key contributor to the implementation of CSU's strategic plan, CSU 2.0, to position CSU as the top choice for students, faculty, staff and community partners. Building upon the multiple strengths within the departments that comprise this new College, as well as throughout CSU, the dean will engage the faculty in developing a vision and corresponding plan that will result in the CHP being recognized nationally as a leader in the preparation of superior providers of health care. The successful candidate should have an earned doctorate and academic credentials commensurate with a tenured appointment at the level of associate professor or clinical associate professor or higher in a discipline within the health sciences. The dean of CHP is required to have a deep commitment to the success of students, faculty and staff in addition to a record of accomplishment in building strong partnerships with numerous constituents on and off campus. A strong orientation to team and collective success is critical.

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 the leadership profile.

WittKieffer is assisting Cleveland State University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by March 7, 2022.

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D. and Claudia Teschky at CSUHealthDean@wittkieffer.com.

Cleveland State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to nondiscrimination. Males, Females, Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans are encouraged to apply for our vacant positions.