About New Mexico Highlands University

Founded in 1893, New Mexico Highlands University is a public, comprehensive institution serving its global and local communities. Its mission is to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to attain an exceptional education by fostering creativity, critical thinking and research in the liberal arts, sciences, and professions within a diverse community.

Located in Las Vegas, N.M., with centers in Santa Fe, Rio Rancho (Albuquerque Metro), Farmington and online, NMHU strives to be a premier comprehensive university transforming lives and communities now and for generations to come. It is steadfastly committed to its core values of excellence, diversity, accessibility and responsiveness, which define the Highlands experience and provide the foundation of its brand.

Serving approximately 2,700 total students, evenly distributed between residential, commuter and online, the University offers 29 bachelor’s degree and 31 master’s degree options spread out across four colleges and schools: Facundo Valdez School of Social Work; School of Business, Media and Technology; School of Education; and College of Arts and Sciences. With its online programs having experienced significant growth, NMHU stands out for its accessibility and flexibility in delivery, effectively serving students of all types. The student-faculty ratio is 15-1.

The University has defined five key strategic goals for 2025:

1: Teach and mentor students to integrate a broad range of academic skills, a breadth and depth of curricular knowledge, and an interdisciplinary understanding

2: Inspire students to action through environments that foster scholarship and produce graduates equipped to address regional and global issues

3: Engage with and serve its communities for mutually beneficial exchanges of knowledge, services and resources

4: Advance excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices

5: Be a comprehensive educational provider for all students including traditional, non-traditional, online, distance, community and lifelong learners

See the Complete 2025 Strategic Plan at https://www.nmhu.edu/huvision/

For more information visit www.nmhu.edu

The Facundo Valdez School of Social Work is located in Rio Rancho (Albuquerque Metro) as well as on the Las Vegas campus. Its mission is to educate students to practice social work competently with the diverse, multicultural populations of New Mexico and the Southwest. This context of cultural and regional responsiveness informs the School’s creation and implementation of all its educational programs. The School has a primary commitment to Hispanic and Native American people. Its curriculum grounds students in core professional social work values, skills and ethical principles, and provides a focused awareness and respect for cultural differences and how poverty affects the well-being of people in the region. In 2019, the School of Social Work awarded degrees to 155 graduate and 84 undergraduate students.

About the Position

The Facundo Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean beginning July 1, 2025. The FVSSW has a primary commitment to Hispanic and Native American populations of the Southwest. The Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the school, leading faculty, staff and students at the Las Vegas, Rio Rancho (Albuquerque Metro), Santa Fe and Farmington campuses and online. The Dean also oversees the Native American Social Work Studies Institute and a state Center of Excellence for Social Work and Behavioral Health.

The Dean provides leadership and ensures the strategic planning, fiscal operations, accountability, and continuous improvement of new and current academic programs and services; builds and maintains relationships with the many culturally diverse communities of New Mexico; promotes student success and satisfaction; engages in fund/friend-raising, and works to increase enrollment and retention. The Dean promotes professional development, faculty research and other scholarly activities. Other responsibilities include leading the development, evaluation and administration of the school curriculum for all campuses including online. The successful candidate will have the experience and skills to advance the FVSSW in the state of New Mexico and regionally. The position will be located in Rio Rancho with weekly trips to the Las Vegas campus. 

The Dean reports directly to the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs and is a member of the Provost Council and Deans Council.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Be a champion of NMHU and the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work 
• Provide leadership to the FVSSW by developing, implementing and evaluating a strategic plan specific to the School 
• Provide leadership in faculty and staff recruitment 
• Oversee personnel matters involving academic and non-academic employees including recruiting qualified candidates, and conduct personnel evaluations in accordance with University standards 
• Make recommendations to the Provost regarding personnel appointments and re-appointments, promotion and tenure decisions, and post-tenure review, annual staff evaluations, and dismissal, if necessary 
• Oversee faculty workload plans to ensure School operational efficiency Articulate budgetary needs of the School and manage the allocation and expenditure of resources 
• Responsible for enrollment growth in the School including recruiting efforts, student retention, and attending various academic and social functions both on and off campus, including the Centers 
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration, cooperation and scholarly activity In collaboration with faculty and staff, guide the activities of the School and develop annual goals and objectives 
• Support the FVSSW through involvement in relevant professional associations as well as state and national regulatory or accrediting agencies Lead the FVSSW in maintaining continuous accreditation and compliance with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 
• In collaboration with the Provost, serve to support the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation efforts to include compiling data and preparing accreditation documents 
• Coordinate and oversee the assessment of academic programs, including student learning outcomes and assessment of the learning environment and learning opportunities, as per CSWE standards 
• Support the departments in submission of grant applications and/or prepare proposals for outside funding of projects including oversight of the Title IV-E and SWEEP federal grants 
• Chair or participate in academic or campus-wide committees as appointed by the Provost or voted on by faculty 
• Collaborate with program coordinators on the development of course schedules and student registration processes 
• Work with tribal leaders to ensure success of the Native American Social Work Studies Institute; 
• Lead the Center of Excellence for Social Work, Mental and Behavioral Health to ensure quality of programming across New Mexico 
• Lead the continued growth and development of in person and online program offerings within the FVSSW 
• Maintain good working relationships with faculty and administration in all academic and non-academic sectors 
• Communicate effectively with constituents within the University, school districts, mental health agencies, surrounding communities, and state and national entities regarding the University 
• Attend conferences and seminars to inform the campus community of trends in social work In collaboration with the Office of Advancement, develop a fundraising plan that supports the FVSSW’s goals 
• Cultivation of donors, stewardship and solicitation in partnership with the Office of Advancement 
• Work with an outside advisory board consisting of employers and alumni to keep the curriculum current to better prepare students for professional employment 
• Commitment to professional development of faculty and staff and personal engagement representing the NMHU and the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work in national organizations and conferences 
• Work with the President and Provost to maintain and strengthen the partnerships and relationships with government legislative bodies and agencies state at the state and federal level 
• Maintain regular attendance including visits to extended campus centers 
• Teach one class a year 
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Provost

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Earned doctorate (Ph.D., DSW, Ed.D.) and a Master of Social Work degree from a regionally accredited institution

• Progressive leadership in higher education over a six-year period Administrative experience in budgeting and grant oversight

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed social worker in NM or eligibility to obtain a license prior to hire Is/was tenured and holds/held the rank of associate professor

• Outstanding record of academic leadership 
• Executive level of social work professional experience 
• Experience with learning, teaching, quality and oversight of asynchronous online programs; 
• Demonstrated success with strategic planning and budget management 
• Demonstrated success with community engagement, professional organizations, legislators and fundraising 
• Demonstrated record of commitment to excellence in teaching and research 
• Demonstrated success working collaboratively with faculty to develop and strengthen programs 
• Experience in online education and delivery systems including collaboration with enrollment management and third-party enrollment partners 
• Demonstrated success and/or ability and willingness to collaborate on program/degree development in cross-discipline partnerships within the University 
• Evidence of instituting programs that improve retention/graduation/enrollment 
• Evidence of promoting an environment of shared governance and fostering a sense of community 
• Experience with professional and regional accreditation bodies including CSWE 
• Demonstrated achievement in the promotion of diversity, affirmative action, ADA and Equal Opportunity 
• Experience working in a collective bargaining environment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to work and communicate effectively with faculty, staff, students, employers and the professional community
• Skill in supervising and mentoring faculty and staff
• Ability to maintain currency in the social work field
• Knowledge of the goals, objectives, structure and operations of a public university
• Strong listening skills and mediation experience
• Program evaluation, planning and implementation skills
• Knowledge of customer service standards and procedures
• Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities
• Ability to analyze budgetary expenditures for compliance with approved budget
• Ability to develop, plan and implement short-and long-range goals
• Ability to plan and evaluate programs
• Skill in establishing, directing and enforcing policies and regulations
• Effective teambuilding skills and experience
• Familiarity with and commitment to accreditation and assessment of student learning outcomes;
• Ability to teach graduate-level courses
• Ability to supervise graduate student research
• Ability to supervise graduate internships

To view the position, visit https://www.highereducationleadershipsearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NMHU-Dean-FEB25.pdf

To apply for this position, visit https://www.highereducationleadershipsearch.com/candidate-portal-form.

To nominate someone for this position, e-mail: nominations@highereducationleadershipsearch.com

Alan Medders, Ph.D. will be assisting New Mexico Highlands University with the search. If you have questions or would like to have a confidential conversation about the position, call 256-239-2305 or e-mail alanmedders@highereducationleadershipsearch.com

New Mexico Highlands University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and specifically invites applications from women, minorities, veterans and people with disabilities.

Candidates for this position will be considered through March 16, 2025