Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives,
College of Humanities and Social Sciences

 

George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) invites well-qualified applicants to apply for our Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives position. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment.

 

Responsibilities:
As a member of the CHSS executive leadership team, the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives leads the college’s activities related to proactive faculty recruitment and retention, performance management, and career development. This position will:

  • Partner with the Office of Compliance, Diversity, and Ethics (CDE), the Provost’s Office, Human Resources and local academic units within the college to ensure search processes support proactive and successful recruitment of a diverse and inclusive faculty; coordinate the college’s diversity cluster hire efforts as well as other cluster efforts; coordinate the college’s new faculty orientation; and coordinate with CDE on faculty grievance matters;
  • Assist the Dean with faculty contract renewal, promotion, and tenure review processes; monitor and maintain annual review process for faculty and department chairs and directors; monitor and evaluate faculty workload policy; and track and report data on faculty promotion and career ladder development across all sectors of the college’s faculty (tenured, tenure-track, term, admin faculty, adjunct);
  • Lead the college’s efforts in providing professional development for department chairs and directors, partner effectively with Chairs/Directors as well as university offices in the provision of career development support to faculty throughout their careers, and especially at critical transition points (e.g., promotion & tenure review; review for promotion to full professor; transition from term to tenure-track contracts, etc.) with attention to demographic categories;
  • Coordinate the college’s nomination process for prestigious university-level awards and recognition; partner with the college’s Associate Dean for Research and Assistant Dean for Strategic Communications and Marketing in recognizing faculty achievements;
  • Partner effectively with Chairs/Directors as well as university offices to develop programming to address faculty well-being, and provide individual career counseling sessions to assist faculty with establishing career goals and plans;
  • Serve on the college’s executive leadership team and participate fully in its strategic budgeting and planning processes as well as routine problem-solving and management processes;
  • Coordinate with the Office of Compliance, Diversity, and Ethics and other university offices, as well as with the CHSS Faculty Grievance committee, when grievances are filed against faculty members;
  • Strategic initiatives: lead special projects supporting the college’s vision for faculty excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and creative activity, and service.<br.

 

Required Qualifications:.

  • Doctoral degree in a CHSS discipline. Candidates must hold or be eligible for a tenured position at the rank of Associate Professor in CHSS;
  • Ability and experience supporting a culture of inclusion and diversity in higher education;
  • Prior experience interpreting and applying academic standards and designing/managing performance review processes;
  • Excellent administrative, analytical, communication, interpersonal, managerial, and problem-solving skills;
  • Ability to think strategically and lead initiatives that affect and involve multiple college and university stakeholders;
  • Ability to build strong partnerships within the College and University; 
  • Ability to manage highly sensitive information appropriately; 
  • Strong collaboration, persuasion, and consensus-building skills; 
  • Skill and experience examining and reengineering operations and procedures as well as designing and implementing new initiatives to improve quality outcomes;
  • Skill and experience in organizing resources and establishing priorities, budget preparation, and the ability to manage budgetary expenditures for compliance with an approved budget.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Candidates hold or are eligible for a tenured position at the rank of Full Professor in CHSS;
  • Experience in a research-intensive university.

 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences:
CHSS is Mason’s largest college, currently offering 27 undergraduate majors, 56 minors, 9 doctoral degrees, 26 master’s (including a master of fine arts in creative writing and a master of arts in interdisciplinary studies), and 16 graduate certificates. In Fall 2017, it enrolled 25% of the University’s undergraduates and 14% of its graduate students. Its faculty and students are highly active in research, with external research funding to the college averaging $15-$20 million annually. The work of CHSS was instrumental in the university’s recent attainment of R-1 Doctoral University (Highest Research Activity) classification. Our faculty take great pride in being active scholar-teachers, and research is a vital part of undergraduate as well as graduate student experience here. The College is also rooted in intellectual leadership tied to real-world outcomes on regional, national, and global levels. Our faculty are committed partners in innovative programs, service offerings, and strategic alliances that strengthen the public and private sectors of the community. At this inflection point in the institution’s history, the College has tremendous opportunities to be a force for innovation in teaching, research, and community engagement at Mason.

 

Special Instructions to Applicants: 
For full consideration, applicants must apply for position number FA11GZ at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter/statement of interest, CV, a two-page synopsis of your vision for this position, and a list of three professional references with full contact information. Please send inquiries about the position to Kevin Augustyn at kaugusty@gmu.edu

 

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.