Dean, College of Engineering

The University of North Texas (UNT) invites applications and nominations for the next Dean of the College of Engineering.

About the University

A Carnegie-ranked Tier One institution, UNT is one of the nation’s largest public research universities with more than 42,000 students. Located only 35 miles north of both Dallas and Fort Worth, in Denton, Texas, UNT has become one of the fastest growing and increasingly influential research universities in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions. An abiding characteristic of the university is that UNT nurtures a strong sense of community and teamwork. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Minority Serving Institution, UNT’s dedication to diversity and inclusion earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the fourth straight year. For more than 130 years, UNT has served an increasingly diverse student body and economically booming region. Under the leadership of a President with an expansive, aggressive vision for the institution, along with a new Provost who shares a commitment to faculty and staff wellness, the University stands poised to expand its national and global impact while supporting a healthy workplace and educational environment.

The enhanced collaboration across campus creates a campus community that is united by a shared purpose to provide students with the best research-informed educational experience in Texas and beyond. In addition, UNT’s strategic international partnerships seek to facilitate the exchange of ideas and culture and allow for important research addressing global issues. UNT hosts visiting scholars and faculty from more than 50 countries, offers global learning and experience programs in more than 37 countries, and serves 4,400 international students representing 144 countries.

As one of the largest universities in Texas, UNT offers 113 bachelor's, 94 master's, and 37 doctoral degree degrees, and other academic programs through the G. Brint Ryan College of Business; the Colleges of Education, Engineering, Health and Public Service, Information, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism, Music, Science, and Visual Arts and Design; Toulouse Graduate School; Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism; Honors College; New College; and the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS).

Over the past several years, UNT has invested heavily in advancing the organization’s infrastructure, including data systems, analytics, financial systems, effective dashboards across the enterprise, merit and equity raises, facility renovations, and capital projects. UNT has made significant strides in enrollment management, with substantial financial allocations for new scholarships and student support services. The University is proactive in retaining high performing, collaborative faculty with equity and other opportunities. It has more than 800 tenure-stream faculty members.

UNT is a nationally recognized university continually listed as one of the “Best of the West” by The Princeton Review and “America’s Best Value Colleges” by Forbes magazine. Among its many accolades, UNT has 89 academic programs ranked in the Top 100 nationally, and has spent the last several years strengthening its research enterprise – from bolstering its research equipment and spaces, creating programs to help its faculty researchers be more competitive in the grant process, investing in key academic programs ranging from engineering to music to move the University forward, and significantly growing its number of doctoral students and tenure/tenure-stream faculty. Based on the University’s analysis of the data Carnegie released, UNT jumped to the #86 spot in the classification’s third quartile from #118 in the fourth quartile. This achievement places UNT among the nation’s most elite, top-tier research institutions, having made substantial progress in its standing as a Tier One research institution in comparison to peer institutions. UNT is currently investing in a number of new faculty positions and high impact hires while growing graduate education in strategic areas to support students and build UNT’s national brand.

About the Position

The Dean of the College of Engineering (CENG) is responsible for academic, fiscal and personnel issues, provides leadership for the College and fosters excellence in teaching, research and service to the North Texas community. The Dean represents the College to external agencies and constituencies, actively participates in fundraising initiatives, and advocates for the College in particular and in general within and outside of the University.

The Dean will lead initiatives in academic and strategic planning which are consistent with the University's strategic plan and developed in collaboration with the faculty, that support the College's student enrollment and success goals, as well as faculty research, external funding, and engagement goals. The Dean will prepare an annual budget for the College to achieve its annual goals and objectives as they relate to the College's mission and vision, and communicate this to the academic community. The Dean will recommend to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs faculty appointments, reappointments, promotions, tenure, terminations and faculty awards, in light of the recommendations of the department chairs and faculty committees. The Dean will oversee the securing and maintaining of all professional accreditations for academic programs within the College and ensure compliance with SACS accreditation.

The Dean reports to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and works closely with CENGs Associate and Assistant Deans, Department Chairs as well as with the Deans and Directors of other university units. The Dean must be a leader with vision and imagination who will be credible to constituents and willing to work collaboratively at all levels. The Dean will support the University's commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access in all academic and personnel matters. The Dean will adhere to and foster high standards of ethical conduct, compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, appropriate financial oversights and controls, as well as safety, security, and confidentiality precautions related to the position. Teaching, research and creative opportunities are negotiable.

The Dean's responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide leadership and overall administration of the College
• Guide strategic planning in accordance with the University's Strategic Plan
• Maintain accountability to the University in terms of fiscal, personnel, and policy matters
• Develop and manage the College’s budget
• Engage in fundraising and resource acquisition to meet current and future needs of the College
• Oversee and participate in efforts to attract and retain outstanding and diverse faculty, staff, and students
• Motivate and support high level faculty performance in teaching, scholarship, and service
• Work with faculty and staff to establish equitable workload assignments and task distribution
• Supervise staff to maintain efficient and effective office operations
• Oversee and participate in faculty and staff performance evaluation processes
• Oversee planning, curriculum development and evaluation for all academic programs
• Oversee provision of services to fulfill various needs of a diverse student body
• Represent the College in University planning and development
• Encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative activities among faculty, administrators, and the professional community inside and outside the University
• Represent the College to external constituents at local to international levels, including alumni, professionals, researchers, and funding agencies
• Stay current with the academic and professional field

Opportunities

UNT has highly regarded academic programs, a committed faculty and staff, and a student-focused culture. The following are examples of opportunities and challenges for the new Dean of the College of Engineering:

• Expanding Research – in keeping with the University’s goal to increase scholarly activity and innovation, the President has set a very ambitious goal for expanding research. The College must continue to develop new research initiatives and support existing efforts to increase external research funding.

• Budget Management – with the University’s goal of growing its research portfolio, the Dean of the College of Engineering has the ability to construct and utilize a budget that supports strategic developments of the College, including startup funding to support new faculty hires.

• Faculty Recruitment, Development, and Support – the College of Engineering is home to a very strong faculty, representing a diverse range of disciplines. The next Dean will have the opportunity to add new faculty lines, which requires experience in recruiting, mentoring, and retaining faculty.

• Strengthening Diversity – it is imperative that the Dean is committed to promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is expected that the next Dean will positively impact the culture of support for diversity within the College.

• Fund raising – the next Dean is expected to establish a strong record of seeking and obtaining resources from private-sector sources, including but not limited to corporations in both the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond, as well as engaging with the State and Federal governments.

• Student Recruitment – the College of Engineering has a growing reputation for high-quality programs and research. The Dean will be central to branding efforts to ensure that the College is considered a “School of Choice” for top-performing engineering undergraduates and graduate students. The next Dean must strengthen the College’s support for a diverse and inclusive student body, and should particularly focus on improving the recruitment, retention and success of women as undergraduate engineering students above 20 percent. This would establish UNT Engineering as a real leader among Texas universities in developing women as professional engineers.

• Building Relationships University-wide – the Dean will work cooperatively with the other Deans and University Administrators and should be an effective advocate for the entire College of Engineering.

Other Preferred Qualifications Include:

Successful applicants must have the academic qualifications and record of achievements consistent with an appointment as a tenured full professor.

In addition, it is preferred that candidates have an administrative record that demonstrates:

• Innovative and effective leadership in higher education;
• Ability to articulate an ambitious and realistic vision for a College with an excellent undergraduate program and a robust graduate research agenda;
• Strong commitment to quality in the delivery of academic programs;
• Understanding of university finances and how to use a budget to drive strategic initiatives;
• Experience in hiring, mentoring, and evaluating faculty;
• Collegial administrative style that promotes a sense of mutual respect and collaboration with faculty, staff, and students;
• Commitment to strengthening an environment that fosters and supports the highest quality research and scholarship;
• Commitment to the recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive faculty, staff, and student body population;
• Ability to foster strong connections between internal and external constituencies;
• Experience working within a diverse community of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty in a complex university setting;
• Capability to be a forceful advocate for the institution, its faculty, and its academic programs, both internally and externally;
• Experience in reconciling differing viewpoints and developing solutions within a shared governance model;
• Experience with strategic planning, extramural funding, assessment, instructional technology, and interdisciplinary approaches in education;
• Experience with space allocation, including planning and overseeing new facility construction;
• Commitment to academic freedom;
• Ability to formulate and inspire others with a clear vision;
• Outstanding listening and communication skills;
• Openness in dealings with others and engagement with diverging perspectives;
• Skills and the capacity to bring individuals and groups with diverse views to consensus and common action;
• Ability to frame issues and conflicts in ways that foster resolution; and
• Intellectual vision, high levels of energy, impeccable integrity and other personal qualities that will inspire the College of Engineering community to attain new levels of excellence.

Nomination and Application Process

Parker Executive Search is assisting the University of North Texas in the search for the Dean of the College of Engineering. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to January 16, 2023. Please submit applications through the Parker Executive Search website. For additional information, please contact:

Porsha Williams, Vice President

DeLaina Jordan, Senior Associate

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875

Atlanta, GA 30328

770-804-1996 ext. 119

pwilliams@parkersearch.com || djordan@parkersearch.com

The University of North Texas (University) prohibits discrimination and harassment because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law in its application and admission processes; educational programs and activities; employment policies, procedures, and processes; and University facilities. The University takes active measures to prevent such conduct and investigates and takes remedial action when appropriate. The University also prohibits and takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who report or file a charge of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct; participate in an investigation, or oppose any form of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct.