Associate Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs

Associate Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs,
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 of Graduate Academic Affairs 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 Graduate Academic Affairs directs the college’s efforts to support enrollment growth, as well as inclusive excellence and innovation in graduate education and research training while also ensuring caring, consistent response to academic concerns of diverse graduate students, faculty and staff. This position will:

  • Oversee graduate academic affairs and student services, including enrollment planning and success metrics, curriculum development, academic program reviews for the college, developing college-level academic policies and procedures, and managing graduate student appeal and grievance processes; 
  • Lead the college’s efforts to develop online graduate programs, identify and negotiate partnerships to enhance graduate enrollment growth, ensure cross-unit and cross college/school collaborations on development and delivery of innovative graduate programming;
  • Chair the college’s Graduate Curriculum committee, represent CHSS on the university’s Graduate Council, and serve on other relevant University and College committees when requested;
  • Coordinate graduate tuition discount planning in partnership with CHSS Executive Director of HR and Finance;
  • In collaboration with the CHSS Graduate Admissions and Marketing teams, lead the college efforts to enhance outreach to and recruitment of historically underrepresented students;
  • In partnership with the Associate Dean for Research and faculty, lead the college’s efforts to secure external funding to support innovative graduate education;
  • Lead the college’s efforts to develop and sustain “Future Faculty” professional development programming and career exploration opportunities;
  • Serve as the college’s point of contact with the Provost’s Office for graduate program proposal submissions to SCHEV;
  • Supervise CHSS Graduate Affairs and Graduate Admissions staff, manage workloads and performance evaluations, ensure professional development opportunities are offered, and manage the unit’s budget;
  • Communicate regularly with graduate program directors and advising staff and coordinate meetings to disseminate important information and updates;
  • 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.

 

Required Qualifications:

  • Doctoral degree and teaching experience at the graduate level, preferably in a CHSS discipline; candidates must hold or be eligible for a tenured position at the rank of Associate Professor in CHSS;
  • Understanding of and commitment to the values, skills, and perspectives gained through graduate study in the humanities and social sciences ;
  • Ability and experience supporting a culture of inclusion and diversity in higher education;
  • Prior experience interpreting and applying academic standards and developing academic success metrics to evaluate effectiveness of programs and inform resource allocation;
  • 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 manage highly sensitive information appropriately, utilize online systems for student affairs effectively, and communicate complex policies and procedures to students, faculty, staff and parents clearly and effectively;
  • Ability to build strong partnerships within the College and University and with external partners;
  • Experience in higher education administration of leading, supervising, and mentoring a team;
  • 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:

  • Hold or be eligible for a tenured position at the rank of Full Professor in CHSS;
  • Prior involvement in graduate recruitment, retention, orientation, admissions, and/or policy development/implementation in CHSS disciplines;
  • Experience working effectively with university offices to improve data reporting environments;
  • Experience with online program development and digital pedagogy; 
  • Experience using legacy system report templates, such as Microstrategy; 
  • Ability and experience establishing and nurturing collaborative relationships across the domains of academic and student affairs.

 

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 FA12GZ 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 Michele Schwietz at mschwiet@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.