Dean College of Humanities amp Sciences

Profile

The University of Montana (UM) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Humanities & Sciences (H&S) from interested individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. This is an important opportunity for a passionate leader to revitalize UM’s largest college. If you have

Deep listening, communication and collaboration skills,

Sharp budgeting and planning acumen,

A vision that inspires others to join you in building a bright future for the heart and soul of a public flagship university,

we strongly encourage you to apply for this position.

At UM, inclusive excellence is not just a strategic goal, it’s an ongoing moral imperative and an ethical obligation. As a public-serving institution committed to access and equal opportunity, UM must continually foster inclusive prosperity for all, a goal that is inextricably linked to our aspiration to be a flagship for the future.

The deans of UM’s ten other colleges are a strong, cohesive group who welcome a collaborative partner. UM’s President and incoming Provost recognize how important the H&S dean position is to the success of the University as a whole.

The college has strong donor support, a committed alumni base, and significant external grant funding, including a recent $0.5M grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Enjoy exceptional quality of life in beautiful Missoula, Montana, a culturally vibrant college town characterized by scenic beauty, a socially engaged community and a healthy economy.

About the College of Humanities & Sciences

The College of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the “Heart and Soul” of UM. H&S is the intellectual core of the University of Montana, providing the majority of general education courses as well as elective courses and minors for all UM undergraduates. H&S comprises 3,048 students (2,562 graduate; 486 graduate) and 366 faculty and staff.

As the University’s intellectual core, H&S fulfills the central purpose for which the University was chartered in 1893: to provide a liberal arts education and integrated knowledge of the humanities and the sciences to undergraduates, and to offer deep specialization opportunities at the graduate level. The College’s commitment to interdisciplinarity and applied, experiential learning in a breadth of professional settings reflects the University’s commitment to knowledge creation and the application of research. H&S promotes:

the transformative power of education, in which knowledge and understanding is created through active learning, research and creative scholarship

intellectual and human diversity, so that respect for different points of view is encouraged and students, faculty, and staff realize their full potential

global perspectives and engagement

a safe and respectful learning and workplace environment

a sustainable future for our local, state, and global communities

More specifically, H&S delivers excellence and access to UM students by:

Offering high quality educational experiences to engage UM students in general education and specialized majors in 23 departments and programs spanning the humanities, natural and physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences

Delivering courses that help students build foundational knowledge and skills, breadth across disciplines and habits of inquiry and problem solving that inform their studies, careers, and personal lives in positive ways and promote lifelong learning

Encouraging and supporting teaching and research that integrate across the traditional disciplines – and across campus and with community partners – in collaborative and interdisciplinary ways

Supporting faculty as effective teachers and mentors as well as scholars and researchers generating new knowledge in their fields

Ensuring that undergraduates experience the best of our research-rich environment, including extraordinary access to producing new knowledge through research alongside faculty, post-docs, and graduate students

H&S students, faculty, and programs have garnered national and international recognition for academic excellence. In addition to NSF graduate research and post-doctoral fellowships, students earn prestigious national and international scholarships such as Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Udall, Boren, and others. H&S awards more than $300,000 per year in undergraduate student scholarships. UM students’ rich academic experiences are featured at the annual UM Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship, and GradCON, UM’s annual graduate student conference. H&S faculty have research expenditures of more than $25 million each year, including international collaborations.

The H&S dean’s office employs a cadre of engaged and passionate administrators and staff who demonstrate a deep commitment to serving UM students. These individuals play key roles in the dean’s leadership team and collaborate with partners across the University. Dean’s office personnel currently includes two Associate Deans as well as an Executive Assistant to the dean and a Grant Support Specialist. In addition, the College employs Directors of Student Success, Development, Fiscal and Personnel Services, Career Services, IT, and Marketing/Communications who are connected to the University’s centralized functions. H&S has Faculty, Staff, External Advisory Boards, and a Student Ambassador organization.

The H&S dean’s office is housed within the recently renovated Dennis and Gretchen Eck Hall, with modern classrooms, enhanced instructional technology, state-of-the-art infrastructure, a professional Advising Center, the Heart and Soul Café, study lounges, and a 120-seat auditorium remodeled to encourage active learning. The College’s many departments, programs, research centers and labs, collections, and offices extend across the main campus. Facilities include the Payne Family Native American Center

(the first building in Montana designed to symbolically represent the twelve tribes of Montana, with a LEED platinum certification), the University of Montana Herbarium

, the Blue Mountain Observatory

, the PEAS Farm

, the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum

, the UM Paleontology Center

, the ECOR Plant and Insect Laboratories

, the Fort Missoula Field Research Station,

and the UM Planetarium

. H&S faculty also conduct research and lead educational programs around the state and region, including at the Flathead Lake Biological Station

near Polson, Montana.

About UM

UM is a flagship public doctoral research institution that sits in the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people. A research-intensive institution that grants associate to doctoral degrees, UM is committed to accessible and inclusive education as the foundation of social and economic prosperity. A viable democracy relies on citizens who are broadly educated and specifically skilled, and is enriched by diversity in thought, background, appearance and beliefs. Ranked sixth nationwide for research growth, UM’s research expenditures nearly doubled between 2014 and 2019 and are expected to reach $125 million this fiscal year. This emphasis provides undergraduate students with the singular opportunity to participate in active research with top researchers and scholars.

UM's long tradition of teaching excellence and experiential learning evidences our commitment to student success. The University ranks fifth among public universities in producing Rhodes Scholars, currently has the highest graduate student enrollment in its history, and, in the fall of 2021, welcomed the largest incoming freshman class in several years. Summer enrollment and out-of-state applications have grown by 40% in recent years. UM’s student retention rate rose from 68.5% in 2018 to 75.4% in 2021. Students have access to a diverse and growing set of work-based and experiential learning opportunities, as part of a strong institutional commitment to creating the best possible set of post-graduate outcomes. UM is investing substantially in the on-campus experience. Over $100 million has been allocated to renovate campus facilities, including sustainability upgrades.

UM is an essential part of Missoula, a culturally vibrant college town characterized by scenic beauty, a socially engaged community, and a healthy economy. Our commitment to place-based, applied experiences ensures our students reap the benefits of a large flagship institution in an intimate setting. This setting attracts talent to the University of Montana community, where arts, culture and academics shape the formative years of a student population that is 40% first-generation. With a deep focus on experiential learning, we believe some of the most profound learning experiences occur beyond the classroom. Experiential learning at UM happens not only in the outdoors but also in community and social settings. UM is part of a global community, and actively recruits and enrolls students from all over the world, as well as provides a range of opportunities for students to study abroad.

Position Description

The successful candidate will embrace the opportunity to re-envision the powerful role of liberal arts education for generating broad-thinking and resourceful citizens facing the emerging demands of the 21st century. The successful candidate will embrace the complexity and range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to knowledge creation and teaching within the college. This individual will bring a vision and passion for countering national perceptions that question the value of a liberal arts education. They will have the ability to translate the value of a liberal arts education to diverse audiences and to foster curricular innovations that deliver significant outcomes. To that end, we seek a dean who will inspire the College to embrace a shared vision for H&S's future and elevate H&S’s visibility.

Reporting directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the dean is expected to collaborate with other academic deans and University units. The dean provides intellectual leadership to the College and works closely with the other Academic Officers and Provost in providing strategic long-term direction for Academic Affairs.

At a time of change and opportunity within the University, we seek a dean who is an inspiring leader, a curious learner, an avid listener, a clear communicator, an experienced manager, and a resolute advocate for the people and programs of H&S at UM and beyond. The successful candidate will forge connections with other colleges and campus units and will build meaningful connections with external stakeholders including alumni, donors, employers, community members, and other academic and industry leaders.

Qualifications

The dean will further the mission of the College, exhibiting the following:

Required Qualifications

Demonstrated vision for and commitment to the liberal arts and the ability to translate the value of a UM education in a manner that engages various internal and external audiences

A strong understanding of the University’s mission and demonstrated expertise in the areas of teaching, research/scholarship, service/outreach, as well as internationalization

Demonstrated commitment to student success, recruitment, retention, and program completion

Demonstrated commitment to UM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals

Shows promise as a leader and manager of complex organizations

The ability to foster collaboration and teamwork across the College

Experience managing multi-faceted budget/s in limited resource environments

The ability to make strategic decisions related to financial and other resources and explain the rationale for them

Outstanding oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills

Shows promise in cultivating donor and alumni relationships, fundraising, and creative approaches to securing resources to support the College

A terminal degree and the ability to earn tenure at the rank of Full Professor in one of the disciplines represented in or closely associated with H&S

Senior academic administrative experience at a research university at the level of department chair or higher

Experience assessing opportunity and risk, and imagining creative solutions to wicked problems

Shows promise as an ambassador for the liberal arts at a public flagship institution in Montana and beyond

Preferred Qualifications

Senior academic administrative experience at a research university at the level of department chair or higher

Experience assessing opportunity and risk, and imagining creative solutions to wicked problems

Shows promise as an ambassador for the liberal arts at a public flagship institution in Montana and beyond

Company info

The University of Montana
Website : https://www.umt.edu