Vice President of Agriculture, Dean of the College of Agriculture

Vice President of Agriculture, Dean of the College of Agriculture

& Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station

 

Montana State University invites nominations and applications for an exceptional academic leader to serve as the Vice President of Agriculture, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The Vice President reports to the Provost as the College of Agricultures’ Dean and to the President as the Vice President of Agriculture and Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES).

The Vice President for Agriculture is the senior academic and administrative officer of the College of Agriculture. This administrator is responsible for setting strategic, operational, and financial directions of the College of Agriculture; and has overall responsibilities for growing and managing resources and maintaining an effective collegial environment to support excellence in teaching, research, and outreach. The Vice President for Agriculture is expected to be a leader within the University, representing the College of Agriculture at the state and national levels to external constituents, including the Montana State Legislature. In addition, as the Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, this individual is responsible for growing, evaluating, assessing, and approving its programs and projects, and administering to the State of Montana Seed Lab.

Founded in 1893 as a land-grant university, Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman is composed of nine academic colleges and a graduate school and boasts a friendly, supportive faculty and campus environment. Currently, the Bozeman campus hosts an enrollment of over 16,000 students, including approximately 2,000 graduate students, and is among the top 3 percent of colleges and universities in the nation for research expenditures.

In 2017, the College of Agriculture enrolled 1,268 students, with 1,063 studying in one of 10 undergraduate degree programs and 205 in 15 masters and 4 doctoral degree programs from 5 departments and 1 division. Doctoral degree programs are offered in Animal and Range Sciences, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Plant Science, and a co-college Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The College of Agriculture has an annual operating budget of $56 million dollars and includes 760 tenure-track faculty, 64 non-tenure-track faculty, and 160 staff.

The College of Agriculture awards the largest number of distinct scholarships among any college at Montana State University, as it provides a combination of deductive and hands-on learning for its students. It also conducts dynamic research programs throughout Montana with Bozeman-based and Agricultural Research Center-based faculty and staff. This reputation has supported the College’s excellent faculty whose state, regional, and national research expenditures funded by grants and other sources has averaged more than $30 million dollars over the past four fiscal years. With a wide array of research programs in progress, faculty and students have garnered much state and national recognition, including national recognition as one of the country’s top colleges of agriculture with nationally-ranked campus research farms.

The College of Agriculture is seeking a collaborative administrator who has attained distinction in one of the disciplines of the College. Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree, significant experience in academic leadership, a comprehensive understanding of the needs of today and tomorrow’s agricultural community, and a record of substantive professional accomplishments in the field. The successful candidate will possess a teaching and research record commensurate with the rank of full professor, as well as strong credentials in managing academic programs. In addition, the applicant will demonstrate strong innovative and entrepreneurial leadership, experience with interdisciplinary and outreach programs, as well as collaborative, interpersonal, and proven resource development skills.

Desired qualifications include knowledge of and passion for the land-grant mission; experience in academic administration, budget management, personnel management and strategic planning; evidence of developing successful collaborations and building collegial relations among faculty, students, staff, administration and external stakeholders; a demonstrated leadership committed to diversity and gender equity in recruiting, developing and retaining faculty and staff to advance the vision of a university; demonstrated potential to secure substantial philanthropic gifts; proven integrity and ethical qualities.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. is assisting Montana State University in the search. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. For full consideration, materials should be provided by August 17, 2018. Application materials, based on the Montana State University vacancy announcement (http://www.montana.edu/jobs), should include a letter addressing how the candidate’s experiences match the position’s duties, responsibilities and qualifications, an academic curriculum vitae and contact information for at least five references. Submission of materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. Individuals wishing to place names in nomination should submit electronically a letter of nomination to include the name, position, address, and telephone number of the nominee.

 

Confidential inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to:

 

Betty Turner Asher or Rick Kemp

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc.

42 Business Center Drive, Suite 206

Miramar Beach, FL 32550

Phone: 850.650.2277 / Fax: 850.650.2272

E-mail: bettyasher@greenwoodsearch.com

E-mail: rickkemp@greenwoodsearch.com

For more information about Montana State University, please visit http://www.montana.edu/   

 

Montana State University is committed to continually supporting, promoting and building an inclusive and culturally diverse campus environment and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates.