Dean College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Overview

Department: Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Posting Number: F0183

Position Summary: The dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences assumes leadership of a new college, inspiring a new vision, solidarity, and the pursuit of a future-facing curriculum with a strong liberal arts foundation. The dean serves over an expanded portfolio, serving the departments of Art/Art History, Business, Drama, Economics, English, History, Interdisciplinary and Global Programs, Literature and Languages, Music, Mass Communication, Sociology & Anthropology, Political Science, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies as well as oversight of the following programs:
Africana Studies, Education, Humanities. The dean will provide transformative leadership for the new college in the face of existing circumstances within and outside the university that render “the way we’ve always done it” unsustainable. The dean must value differences within the college and inclusively incorporate every voice in decision-making and demonstrate a commitment to collaboration with diverse campus partners. The dean will value the extraordinary relationships faculty and staff maintain with students and will be committed to supporting this engagement that characterizes the undergraduate educational experience at UNC Asheville.

The dean will need to actively promote the relevance of the college, demonstrating the intrinsic value of individual disciplines, while pursuing interdisciplinarity and cross-disciplinary alliances in strategic ways that balance the desire for creativity within the boundaries of available financial resources. The dean will ensure ongoing quality and continuous improvement in the inventory of academic programs by advancing assessment and academic portfolio review efforts and strategies.

The dean will play an integral role in soliciting input from faculty and department chairs about developing new and improved academic programs; however, the dean will also need to be keenly aware of external stakeholders, regional relevance, and larger higher education trends. This includes providing recommendations to the provost regarding the allocation of financial resources, the awarding of new faculty lines, and providing leadership and professional development opportunities to foster the growth in our faculty, to grow enrollment, and to have maximum impact upon our region.

The dean will be a representative and enthusiastic spokesperson for the college and university that extends into the larger community and beyond. Within the college, the dean will provide leadership, mentorship to department chairs, faculty, staff and students. The dean will foster an environment of integrity and united purpose. The dean will ensure the continued engagement of faculty with students, the university, and the larger community.

Encouraging participation in the first-year experience, the senior year seminar, core curriculum, undergraduate research, and experiential learning will be important. A leader who can inspire, motivate and empower engagement and productivity without relying solely on monetary incentives will be prioritized. The dean will need to transform a previous organizational structure of separate divisions under a new and dynamic college. The university is embarking on a campus-wide dialogue surrounding four exciting strategic objectives, identified by Chancellor Kimberly van Noort as:

• A Technology Integrated Curriculum
• Career and Leadership Development
• Future-Facing Academic Programs
• Student Success and the Student Experience

VISION, CORE VALUES, AND COMPETENCIES FOR THE DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS In addition to ensuring alignment with the chancellor’s strategic priorities, the dean will align all actions, decisions, and strategic plans to the vision, core values, and competencies of the division of academic affairs. The priorities of the office of the provost include: