Category:: Executive Searches
Department:: Kinsley School of Engineering, Sciences and Technology
Locations:: York, PA
Posted:: Dec 13, 2018
Closes:: Open Until Filled
Type:: Full-time

About York College of Pennsylvania:

York College of Pennsylvania (YCP) is located in a vibrant mid-size city that is within 45 minutes of Baltimore and Harrisburg and two hours from Washington, DC. The College's campus covers 190 acres, providing a safe and friendly environment for learning.

The College offers more than 60 undergraduate majors; master's degrees in accounting, nursing, business administration, leadership and education; and a doctoral degree in nursing practice.

The student ratio is 15:1. The average class size is 19. Ninety-one percent of the 172 full-time faculty hold the highest degree available in their fields.

York College offers its 4,000 undergraduates all the benefits of a liberal arts education combined with focused preparation for future professional employment. 91% of recent graduates are employed or in graduate school. The College's 300 graduate students are professionals prepared to enter the workforce and able to think critically and creatively.

Over the past two years, YCP has reorganized its academic programs into five schools as part of the progressive restructuring of the College. The five schools are linked by an interdisciplinary Center for Collaborative Innovation. The Deans of the five schools will work together to generate new programs so as to counterbalance the five schools becoming separate administrative silos.

The Kinsley School of Engineering, Sciences and Technology

The Kinsley School includes programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and forensic chemistry.Each individual academic unit was highly effective before their combination into a School.

Under the leadership of Interim Dean Tim Garrison, the individual units have been brought together as an effective whole.The first permanent Dean will have the opportunity to build from a solid foundation to create a school with regional and national impact.

Job Description:

The Dean will be the leader of a new school that will encompass the existing programs formerly housed in several departments. The Dean will be charged with coordinating the operations of nine academic programs, while overseeing the planning and implementation of additional new programs. Having just completed a full review by ABET for its engineering and computer science programs, the Dean will assume responsibility for maintaining ABET accreditation, including preparation for future site visits.

The new Dean will report to the Provost and serve on the Provost's Council. The Dean is responsible for preparing budgets, recruiting well-qualified professors, collaboratively managing the school's academic programs, promoting positive interaction with other schools, and acting as the primary spokesperson for the Kinsley School.

The new Dean will also be responsible for mounting new programs that will clearly situate YCP as a leader in preparing STEM professionals in emerging fields. The Dean oversees faculty development to assure the high- quality teaching that is central to York College's mission.

York College of Pennsylvania is evolving; diversifying to meet the current and future needs of its students and the region it serves. The need for engineers and scientists continues to grow and the certainty of job placement following graduation should be a strong attractor for potential students.

Key factors in program growth include maintaining and expanding high quality co-op and intern placement opportunities for students, acquiring and maintaining state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, hiring and providing professional development opportunities to talented faculty, and promoting a 4-year degree with a liberal arts core.

There are opportunities to develop programs of online and hybrid education that expand the reach of the Kinsley School. There are also opportunities for development of joint and related programs with other YCP schools, such as the existing degree program in engineering management.

The founding Dean will need to be a practical visionary, a planner who can design and implement programs, an enthusiastic supporter of quality faculty, an effective partner with the Provost and President, and a prudent manager of budgets.

Advance the Curriculum and Quality of Academic Programs

The component programs of the Kinsley School are known for their quality. Taught by highly-qualified, dedicated and caring teachers, students are exposed to state-of-the-art concepts presented in state- of-the-art facilities.

In addition to integrating programs and continuously improving STEM education, the Dean will embrace active learning and project- based learning as primary tools for teaching and learning.

The Dean will also promote research, both pedagogical and disciplinary, as a means of keeping faculty actively engaged in their disciplines and securing funding for innovative ventures.

Interest in program growth is high and includes expanded cooperation with other YCP schools and outside partners, exploration of potential graduate programs, exploration of non-degree programs that advance the mission, and development of online, hybrid and remotely delivered programs.

The founding Dean will lead the effort to continuously evaluate and improve student achievement of outcomes, develop faculty, and market quality programs that will produce tomorrow's professionals.

Advance Relationships within and outside YCP

Kinsley students are required to participate in experience-based learning on and off campus. The need to maintain and expand placement opportunities will be a continuing challenge.

The Dean will serve as the primary public voice of the Kinsley School in the local and regional arena. In that capacity, the Dean will work with partners in the public and private sectors to offer co-op and internship experiences that prepare York College students to excel in positions on the cutting edge of their professions.

The Dean is also expected to engage in fundraising to expand the scope and enhance the vitality of the Kinsley School. The Dean will build on YCP's national reputation to improve existing relationships and forge others, developing special arrangements that effectively serve Kinsley students and the greater community.

Address Student Needs

850 undergraduate students study in the Kinsley School, comprising the second largest academic school on campus. Students are focused, motivated, highly engaged and pragmatic. Because the STEM programs are so rigorous, pressure to do well is intense. Student success depends on creation of a work and study atmosphere that is simultaneously challenging and supportive.

The founding Dean will engage students and take their concerns seriously. He/she will promote student learning by developing support systems and scheduling classes to serve students. He/she will act as a conduit to faculty and administration, initiating discussions aimed at supporting holistic, humanist approaches to teaching and learning.

Demonstrate Sound Fiscal and Administrative Judgment

The founding Dean will be an effective champion for the fiscal needs of the Kinsley School, who is also prepared to live within the final budget allocation. He/she will be prepared to support innovation and creativity while achieving operational efficiencies. Experienced in developing and administering academic budgets, the successful candidate will be an adept manager of human and other resources.

Just as important, the founding Dean will see him/ herself as an approachable, transparent leader, someone who engages and communicates with all College constituencies, demonstrating that the Kinsley School functions with greatest efficiency for the greater good of the students who aspire to become future professionals.

Balancing Competing Responsibilities

A primary task of the founding Dean will be to complete the combination of programs from several departments into a cohesive amalgamation that promotes student success. This melding, expected to generate new energy and produce new programs while ensuring highest quality, will require both respect for traditions and the exercise of tenacious diplomacy to forge a new school that draws upon the best of the past to meet the needs of the future.

Within the Kinsley School the Dean will seek a proper and productive balance between professional development and teaching, brokering a solution that is fair and reasonable. The Dean will be prepared to engage a group of teacher-scholars, diverse in experience, ideas, and passions, who truly want what is best for the Kinsley School and York College of Pennsylvania. The founding Dean must be prepared to earn the trust of the faculty, exercising diplomacy while respecting shared governance and collegiality.

Requirements:

Characteristics of the Founding Dean

The new Dean will possess an earned doctorate in Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or another closely-related field. Faculty of the Kinsley School will welcome a leader who is a scientist or engineer, who demonstrates intellectual curiosity and appreciation for all disciplines in the

school. He/she will have a proven record as a scholar and educator, and will bring significant academic and administrative leadership experience to this position.

Specific Characteristics include:

Evidence of a clear vision of the future of education in the STEM fields, demonstrated by both leadership and scholarship.

A collaborative and respectful approach to leadership that fosters innovation.

Evidence of an appreciation for peer accreditation and the ability to guarantee compliance with ABET standards to attain/retain accreditation.

An understanding of the role experience-based education plays in the process of developing professionals who will be able to exercise both compassion and grit in highly responsible positions.

An understanding of technology as it applies to teaching, learning and research. Knowledge of active learning and online learning alternatives is important.

A record of successful leadership in a campus setting; evidenced by success in working with both faculty and administration in developing and implementing successful programs that have cross-campus impact.

Demonstrated understanding of the operations of complex organizations and workplace cultures.

The ability to think creatively, to see solutions where others may find only problems. A team player who knows how to build and manage a team. A practical visionary who can demonstrate the capacity to embrace new concepts and carry them out. A builder capable of implementing new ideas. A seer who is also a doer.

A combination of experience and drive. Someone who knows what to do and brings a sense of urgency to the doing.

A scholar who understands the role of a Dean in promoting teaching and learning.

Superior ability to communicate orally and in writing.

The ability to make tough decisions while retaining the respect of all constituencies.

A transparent style that invites engagement and information sharing. A persona that is down to earth and open to conversation. The ability to welcome new ideas and graciously accept criticism.

Unquestioned integrity and honesty. High energy plus demonstrated stamina.

A strong sense of self, accompanied by a sense of humor.

Additional Information:

York College of Pennsylvania is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For a copy of York College's Annual Security Report, you may contact the Office of Campus Safety or visit the website at: http://www.ycp.edu/campus-safety/asr

Application Instructions:

The Search Committee will begin reviewing and evaluating applications as they are received and will continue to accept and review credentials until a Dean is selected.

To ensure fullest consideration, candidates are advised to submit their materials to: YCPKinsleyDean@agbsearch.com by January 18, 2019.

Dr. Richard A. Wueste of AGB Search is assisting with this search. Nominators and prospective candidates may contact him at: richard.wueste@agbsearch.com or (540) 431-5131.

The application package should be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format and must include:

A Letter of Interest that responds to the Leadership Opportunities and the Characteristics of the Founding Dean sections of this profile.

A current CV or resume

The names and contact information (telephone and e-mail) for five references, none of whom will be contacted until a later stage of the search or without the formal permission of the candidate.

All inquiries and applications will be received and evaluated in confidence.