Dean, School of Social Work

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dean of the School of Social Work

 

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites nominations and applications for the position of dean of the School of Social Work. This leader will succeed Dr. Steven Anderson, who will be returning to the faculty after five years of valuable contributions in this role. The University seeks a visionary leader dedicated to enhancing the performance of the School and to furthering the values of the social work profession, including intelligent and informed policies, diversity and social justice.

 

The School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is known for developing and disseminating knowledge that contributes to effective social welfare policies, programs and practices. The School emphasizes theoretical and empirical analysis and research-based practice addressing vulnerable and marginalized populations and community needs. Home to a wide-ranging student body and faculty, the School houses approximately 339 undergraduate students (majors and minors), 428 graduate students, and 25 tenure-track faculty members, 32 specialized faculty, as well as a number of other academic professionals. The School offers Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work and Ph.D. program options, as well as two vibrant and rapidly growing online programs for bachelor’s and master’s level students. The School is home to two research centers -- the Children and Family Research Center and the Center for Prevention Research and Development -- and supports a variety of research and service initiatives.

 

The School of Social Work has a proud alumni community of almost 8,000 living members that are engaged as volunteers, ambassadors and financial supporters. During the current With Illinois fundraising campaign that launched in 2017, the School has raised over $8.5M in support of student scholarships/fellowships, faculty research, internship opportunities, community engagement initiatives and curriculum development.

 

As chief academic and executive officer of the School, the dean will be responsible for the global reputation and effectiveness of the School and its programs. The dean will provide leadership in forging key partnerships and collaborations with internal and external constituencies. The dean will enhance the breadth and depth of the faculty, staff and students. They will have primary responsibility for strategic planning, faculty and staff development, fundraising, budgetary oversight and planning, academic and curricular programming and facilities.

 

The ideal candidate will possess a track record of outstanding leadership, including support for research, teaching, outreach and equal opportunity; the ability to attract and retain a diverse faculty, student body and staff; the demonstrated aptitude to generate public and private resources for the School; and a commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education. The School is currently reviewing its curriculum to infuse racial justice content across all three degree programs and expects the successful candidate to advance ongoing anti-racism work. Expertise in social work or a related discipline is a requirement. Successful candidates will possess qualifications warranting an appointment at the rank of tenured full professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

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 profile. WittKieffer is assisting the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in this search.

 

For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by August 1, 2022.

 

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

 

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to John K. Thornburgh and Bree Liddell at: IllinoisSocialWorkDean@wittkieffer.com

 

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Convictions are not a bar to employment. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.