OCSE

The mission of OCSE is to empower individuals to become leaders through academic achievement, global connections, and engagement in research, education, and service. Students are well-prepared for careers and for further education, such as professional school, by engaging in hands-on research, projects, and internships. Achievement of this mission is enhanced by strong partnerships with local and regional industry and state-of-the-art, world-class lab and classroom facilities, including the newly-opened Ogden Hall - the first educational laboratory in the United States to achieve WELL v2 Gold certification.

OCSE encompasses the applied and basic sciences, offering an extremely broad portfolio of degree programs through eight academic units. These units include the Departments of Agriculture and Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Psychological Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In addition, to the academic units, OCSE is the home of eight centers and institutes for research and education, including the Advanced Materials Institute, Agriculture and Research Education Center, Applied Physics Institute, Applied Research and Technology Program, Biodiversity Center, Bioinformatics and Information Science Center, Biotechnology Center, Center for Water Resource Studies, and Engineering-Manufacturing-Commercialization Center. Further, OCSE collaborates with the College of Health and Human Services in the Center for Applied Science in Health and Aging and partners with the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences to offer opportunities for undergraduate students entering careers in math and science education via the SKy Teach program.

Job Description:

The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the College and reports directly to the Provost. The successful candidate will join the institution at a critical time and will have a unique opportunity to build on the significant strengths of OCSE while simultaneously guiding the college through the full implementation of a responsibility-centered management (RCM) budget approach during a time of challenging industry dynamics and advancing the diversity, equity, and inclusion of all OCSE's stakeholders.  

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic, strategic, collaborative, and inspirational individual who will chart the path and navigate OCSE's stakeholders through the ever-changing landscape of higher education. The Dean will be responsible for finding innovative ways to build and nurture market-responsive academic programs that yield highly-competitive and capable graduates. The Dean must be mindful of the student-focused mission and as such be able to attract and retain well-qualified students, world-class faculty, and dedicated staff committed to students' success in the classroom and beyond. Additionally, the Dean must ensure that OCSE secures the resources to achieve the mission of WKU and OCSE. Part and parcel are a keen ability to forge strong relationships with the community and facilitate grant funding.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and vision for OCSE
• Lead the scholars and staff of a complex educational enterprise in support of the mission of OCSE in a collaborative, collegial manner with excellence and integrity
• Ensure that OCSE thrives under a performance-based budgeting model and work with college and WKU leadership on strategic budgeting
• Demonstrate commitment to building a strong learning environment for students that stresses academic quality, student engagement, student research, internships, and innovative teaching
• Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Develop strategies that increase grant proposals and awards of extramural funding
• Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across academic units and colleges
• Build strong relationships with alumni and the regional communities that motivates financial and other support benefiting students and faculty
• Represent OCSE professionally and transparently to its stakeholders, communicating exceptionally well and often
• Be politically adept and inspire and influence action benefiting OCSE and the region
• Forge partnerships with other organizations to attain mutual goals supporting the missions of WKU and OCSE
• Develop and lead innovative capital campaign and other fundraising efforts to secure needed resources for infrastructure improvements, cutting edge programs, and scholarship
• Undertakes other duties as assigned by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Skills Considered Essential for Success:

• A thorough understanding of and appreciation for the broad range of academic disciplines in OCSE
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • communicate effectively, honestly, and inspirationally
  • understand and successfully implement RCM budget models
  • recruit and retain quality faculty, staff, and students
  • fairly and consistently lead a complex organization with substantive results
  • secure external resources, both grants and philanthropic donations
  • solve complex curricular, fiscal, personnel, and political challenges
  • collaborate with faculty across departments and with leaders and staff across the university, and ability to build relationships
  • lead successful change initiatives
  • inspire internal and external stakeholders and prospective stakeholders to contribute to the university's and college's mission and goals and to attain excellence
  • develop an appropriate, compelling vision and conduct strategic planning to bring it to fruition
  • develop and maintain a culture of integrity within the college
• Demonstrated commitment to:
  • academic excellence and student success
  • faculty skill and experiential development in teaching, research, and service
  • continuous improvements across all aspects of the Dean's scope
  • diversity, equity, and inclusion in matters pertaining to students, faculty, and staff
  • high ethical standards and personal accountability

• An earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree from an accredited institution in a discipline represented within the college
• A record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of full professor in OCSE
• An extensive record of administrative experience as department chair, or equivalent, with experience in strategic planning, budget development and execution, policy setting, as well as hiring, evaluating and direct supervision of faculty and staff.

Kentucky state law requires all public institutions of postsecondary education to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks to determine suitability for employment.

Western Kentucky University (WKU) is committed to a policy and practice of providing equal employment and educational opportunities to all individuals. In accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, no form of discrimination or harassment will be tolerated at WKU on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, age, uniformed services, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, or physical or mental disability in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices.

Persons with disabilities, who need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application and/or selection process, should notify the office of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/University ADA Services (EEO). To request an accommodation, report/express a complaint, or ask questions regarding WKU's Discrimination and Harassment Policy (#0.2040), please contact Mr. Joshua Hayes, EEO Director/Title IX Investigator/University ADA Coordinator, via email at joshua.hayes@wku.edu or by phone at (270) 745-5121.

The University is also required to investigate complaints of sex and gender-based harassment, also a form of discrimination, and has designated the Title IX Coordinator as the individual responsible for coordinating the investigation and response to such complaints. The Title IX Coordinator for the University is Ms. Deborah Wilkins, who can be contacted via email at deborah.wilkins@wku.edu or by phone at (270) 745-5396. Additional information regarding Title IX is accessible via WKU's https://www.wku.edu/titleix/ website.

Information concerning educational programs offered by WKU are provided at: http://www.wku.edu/atwku/academics.php

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