Job Title: Department Chair of Mathematics
Location: Summerville Campus
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 218446
Job Summary Augusta University announces a search for a Chair of the Department of Mathematics. The Chair reports to the Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) and is responsible for the efficient functioning of the department, which provides instruction leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics and other disciplines. We welcome applications and nominations.

The Chair will join Augusta University at a time of rapid changes at Augusta University and across the city of Augusta, Georgia. A new state-of-the-art building to house the College of Science and Mathematics is under construction. It is located on the University’s Health Sciences Campus and is expected to open in 2021. The proximity of the new building to colleagues on the Health Sciences Campus will provide ample opportunities for the Department to initiate and participate in cross-disciplinary collaboration and scientific discovery in applied mathematics, and applications related to biomedical science and health care. Among the many potential collaborators on that campus are faculty and research scientists in the Medical College of Georgia, the Dental College of Georgia, the Georgia Cancer Center, the College of Nursing, the College of Allied Health Sciences, the Department of Population Health Sciences, and the Institute of Public and Preventive Health.

Responsibilities The Chair of the Department of Mathematics reports to the Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and is supported by an assistant chair who works closely with the Chair in overseeing the undergraduate program, and a director of graduate studies. The Chair is responsible for improving and promoting the overall quality and effectiveness of the department’s programmatic, teaching and research objectives and for effecting growth in strategic directions that are of benefit to the department. Charged with contributing to Augusta University’s focus on becoming a comprehensive research university, the Chair will find ample opportunities to achieve success, from forging mutually productive relationships with the Medical College, the Department of Population Health Sciences, the Institute of Public and Preventive Health and Augusta University’s growing cybersecurity program to the potential opportunities presented by the university’s commitment to providing care in both the state’s prison system and the juvenile justice system.

The Chair will provide highly collaborative leadership in applying a vision that promotes and advocates for the strengths of the department, fosters a rich student experience, develops, mentors and supports faculty and staff through professional career advancement, fosters a culture of creative and innovative research and creativity and manages the department’s fiscal and physical resources. The Chair will develop and maintain the necessary campus and community relationships to ensure that the department is at the forefront of new knowledge generation and curriculum development.

More specifically, the Chair will address the following opportunities and challenges:

Lead the department in setting a vision and strategy through inclusion and transparency

The Chair will be a strategic and thoughtful leader. Making difficult decisions about resource allocations in a pragmatic, comprehensive and transparent fashion, the Chair will seek to balance strategic initiatives on growing research and promoting excellent teaching with operational needs based on programmatic revenue generation. The Chair will act strategically around key issues related to research support, an evolving enrollment landscape, faculty line allocation and teaching loads. Engaging faculty, staff and students in the creation of strategic plans that complement and amplify the institutional strategic plan and lead the institution toward higher levels of academic achievement, the Chair will carefully allocate the use of the department’s physical and financial resources. The Chair will be an adept communicator who is able to articulate a vision that connects to clear goals and who recognizes the importance of gaining consensus among the faculty. As a dynamic advocate for the department’s faculty, staff and students, the Chair will have a proactive and productive relationship with upper administration.

Develop, recruit and retain excellent faculty

The Chair will be attuned to academic and research trends in order to make competitive offers to strong faculty in strategic areas of growth for the department. The Chair will appropriately manage resources for new faculty hires and leverage university-wide initiatives that support and encourage existing faculty. In order to better promote a clear and supportive promotion and tenure process, the Chair will communicate regularly with faculty to develop a nuanced understanding of how scholarship and research varies across disciplines and contributes to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge and its application.

Embrace and foster a culture to improve student success

The Chair must engage students, faculty and support services in developing achievable goals to increase student satisfaction. To do so, the Chair will work with faculty to enhance research and honors opportunities for students. Relatedly, the Chair will enhance the department’s current efforts in advising students and will continue to foster the culture of faculty-student mentorships.

Students must also feel confident in entering the job market post-graduation. To that end, the Chair has to enhance the focus on career preparation, including working with the Office of Career Services to leverage the power of alumni in mentoring students. Most importantly, the Chair will be visible and make students aware of the department’s commitment to providing practical resources where possible. The Chair will promote the importance of academic excellence and hold faculty accountable for assessing student learning and acting on results in order to improve students’ educational experiences and outcomes.

The Chair must work with faculty and support staff in ensuring the success of the students, measured not only in retention and graduation figures but in overall student satisfaction as well. Given the fact that every undergraduate student is required to take mathematics coursework, the Chair plays a critical role in the University’s overall effort to maximize this success in retaining its students, and further, to link AU graduates to successful careers or graduate study.

Ensure excellence in graduate education and broaden program offerings

Augusta University seeks to launch an ambitious strategic plan to become a premier research institution. The Department of Mathematics has a promising opportunity to play a significant role in developing interdisciplinary research connections at AU. The Chair will advocate for and develop resources to support and grow graduate education and capitalize on existing strengths in interdisciplinary, diversity-oriented, and transformative graduate education while being mindful of opportunities for new programs.

With this evolving emphasis on growing the research enterprise within the Department and across the University, the Chair will need to develop and present a finely tuned strategy that supports and enables both scientific discovery and champions student-centric teaching and mentoring.

Demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit for collaboration

While the Chair’s central responsibility is the health and success of the Department of Mathematics, the Chair is also a leader within the CSM and on the AU campus as a whole, welcoming and seeking out ways to collaborate with other units at the University for their mutual benefit and to advance the priorities of the University. The Chair will encourage interdisciplinary connections and be an open and innovative partner with other department chairs, the Dean, and interdisciplinary collaborators, working to further research and programmatic initiatives that cross traditional boundaries and have the potential to have a transformational impact.

The Chair must be passionate about mathematics and how it integrates with all disciplines, building a culture in which the department’s strengths meld with and enhance those of synergistic and complementary collaborators. Under the Chair’s guidance, the department will produce novel research, create visionary education programs, and value and promote excellence in education and teaching, thereby enhancing the perspectives of its students and the department’s reach and reputation.

Required Qualifications The position of the Chair of the Department of Mathematics provides a rare opportunity for an academic leader to amplify the momentum at Augusta University and significantly impact the future of the institution. The ideal candidate will possess the following personal and professional qualifications:

An earned doctorate in mathematics or a closely aligned discipline and a record of distinguished scholarship and teaching appropriate for appointment as a tenured full professor; A record of leadership and academic administration experience with a proven ability to communicate effectively; Strong interpersonal skills and an appreciation for the value of multiple perspectives;An energetic, entrepreneurial and collaborative leadership style that inspires faculty, students and staff and builds pride in, and commitment to, the AU vision;An uncompromising appreciation for high academic standards and an ability to identify and nurture excellence within programs, departments and schools based on guiding principles that stress academic quality, experiential learning, technology and global perspectives;A commitment to helping the department develop strong graduate programs; A proven ability to recruit, develop and retain superb and diverse faculty members; Leadership by example by maintenance of high personal standards and self-accountability; A respect for all disciplines and a desire to work collaboratively with faculty and administrators to promote the collective goals of the institution; An impeccable record of integrity with strong commitment to high ethical standards conducive to earning the trust of the community;Strong financial management skills including the ability to manage departmental finances, communicate the relationships between academic priorities and budgeting and transparently align strategic initiatives with long-term budget planning; The fortitude and confidence to make leadership decisions when faced both with exciting opportunities and significant challenges while operating within a state-funded budget model;An appreciation for the importance of balancing outstanding scholarship and high-quality teaching with a faculty comprising tenure-track and non-tenure-track members; A commitment to diversity, relying on individual action and institutional leadership to advance diversity and inclusion;A commitment to furthering the strength of the AU community through participating in campus-wide initiatives and actively engaging with students;Experience and determination in leading the development and implementation of a strategic plan, establishing metrics, measuring progress and adapting as necessary; The ability to think strategically and tactically at both the macro and micro levels with keen attention to detail; The ability to build bridges between academic disciplines and a commitment to facilitating collaborative activities across institutional and disciplinary boundaries; The ability to describe and to garner both engagement and support for academic priorities as part of a university capital campaign;A record of mentorship and capacity-building to cultivate the next generation of academic leadership;Creativity, passion, openness and flexibility.

Conditions of Employment

All candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review. For specific positions, the final candidate may be subject to a (pre-employment) physical, drug screen, and/or credit check.

The final candidate will be required to provide proof of completed academic degree(s) in the form of original transcript(s). Those candidates trained by a foreign institution will also be required to provide an educational/credential evaluation.

How To Apply Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Applicants should upload a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and names of three references in one PDF document. Questions and nominations may be sent to executivesearch@augusta.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Augusta University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.