University of Minnesota, Morris

Position Announcement
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean

A distinctive undergraduate campus within the University of Minnesota system, the University of Minnesota Morris combines an intimate, student-centered residential liberal arts education with access to the resources and opportunities of one of the nation's largest universities. A founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), Morris provides students with a rigorous academic experience, preparing them to be global citizens who value and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship. The student body of nearly 1600 is supported by approximately 130 faculty members, a student/faculty ratio of 13:1, and the Morris campus is the most ethnically diverse in the University of Minnesota system. Forty percent of UMN Morris students are Native American, persons of color, or of international origin, including 20 percent Native American students and 10 percent international students.

Morris is highly ranked by national publications – U.S. News & World Report as a top-ten public liberal arts college; Forbes as one of the best colleges and universities in the nation; and Fiske Guide to Colleges includes Morris in its list of “the best” and “most interesting” schools in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Morris students are taught by a faculty with the highest per capita representation in the University of Minnesota’s Academy of Distinguished Teaching and students consistently win national awards, as demonstrated by Morris’s status as the only public baccalaureate institution among the top student Fulbright award producers in 2017-18. The campus is also a national leader in sustainability, evidenced by receipt of the inaugural Excellence in Sustainability award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and an AASHE STARS Gold rating.

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean (VCAA/Dean) serves as UMN Morris’s chief academic officer and dean of the faculty and is responsible for all aspects of academic and faculty affairs. To promote the core mission of student learning and success, the VCAA/Dean’s responsibilities include serving as a member of the University’s leadership team, as leader of and advocate for the faculty, and as a manager of academic affairs programs. The VCAA/Dean will advance the University’s mission and goals, cultivate strong partnerships with the campus community, build relationships with and initiatives serving regional constituents, nurture continuous improvement, build upon existing programs designed to support faculty and ensure student success, and work collaboratively with the other members of the Chancellor’s team to coordinate campus-wide efforts and projects.

The VCAA/Dean reports directly to the Chancellor and works closely and collaboratively with the other members of the leadership team. Reporting to and working closely with the VCAA/Dean are the chairs of the four academic divisions: Education, Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences. The VCAA/Dean also helps to sustain and support innovation in interdisciplinary areas that cross the boundaries of traditional divisions. The VCAA/Dean supervises offices in support of the academic enterprise which include academic support resources (registrar, one stop, financial aid), grants development, academic success offices and programs (including disability services and advising), Center for Small Towns, Academic Center of Enrichment (study away, career services, honors program, undergraduate research), and the library.

Required Qualifications:
• a record of substantial administrative experience, including leadership of academic divisions, departments, or major programs, supervision and evaluation of faculty and staff, and responsibility for planning and managing budgets.
• a terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• a level of professional achievement in teaching and scholarship commensurate with the rank of tenured full professor at UMN Morris.
• a strong commitment to the values of a liberal arts education and the ability to articulate those values to both internal and external constituencies.
• excellent collaborative and consensus-building skills.
• effective communication skills, including the ability to listen to, consider, and incorporate the perspectives of others as well as effectively convey information to various campus constituencies.
• a commitment to and strong record of building a diverse and inclusive learning community and an understanding of the relationship between diversity, academic excellence, and our mission as a public liberal arts college.

Desired Qualities and Experiences:
• Experience working at an undergraduate focused, residential, liberal arts college.
• Ability to lead the faculty and advocate for their work as teachers and scholars.
• Familiarity with current national issues in higher education and awareness of their implications for liberal arts colleges.
• Capacity to think strategically and to work creatively and the administrative- and people-skills to bring initiatives to fruition.
• Excellent managerial and leadership skills to recruit, support, retain, and develop diverse faculty and staff in Academic Affairs throughout the career arc.
• Experience in program evaluation, curriculum development, and assessment of educational outcomes, including regional accreditation.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to manage complex budgets.
• Ability to lead and collaborate in campus efforts to highlight and foster a respect for diversity in persons, ideas, and experiences.
• Ability to represent campus effectively and in various capacities at the University of Minnesota System level.

An offer of employment will be made contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Initial application review will begin Monday, October 7, 2019 and will continue until position filled. To review a full position description and to apply for this position, go to the U of M employment portal: http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/ and search for requisition #332270. Please complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter, current resume, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of three professional references.

Morris values diversity in its students, faculty, and staff. Morris is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our community through their teaching, research, and /or service because we believe that diversity enriches the University experience for everyone.

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

To request disability accommodation or material in alternative formats contact:
UMN Morris Human Resources, (320)-589-6024, Room 201, Behmler Hall, Morris, MN.