Dean of College of Health and Human Services

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All qualified applicants for this position must be professing Christians and be willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of the university.

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Dean, College of Health and Human Services, Dallas Campus, with faculty appointment. This position reports to the Provost of the ACU Dallas Campus.

Faculty Rank: College Associate Professor, or College Professor (non-tenured)

Position Location: Remote, with the possibility of limited travel

Mission: The key principle of this job is to support ACU’s Mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

Scope: The Dean of the College of Health and Human Services provides leadership and direction for the faculty, curriculum, and students in the college while managing a diverse portfolio of viable, market-facing, academic programs.

Necessary Criteria: The Dean must have a Ph.D., Ed.D., or other terminal degree in a discipline related to one or more of the academic programs in the college. They must demonstrate effective leadership skills and knowledge of current practices in health and human services disciplines, clinical/internship coordination, and innovative program implementation. The Dean must advance ACU’s mission of teaching, scholarship, and service within the college.

Major Responsibilities:

• Develop and articulate a vision for the college's graduate and undergraduate academic programs.
• Lead college faculty in providing a high-quality academic experience for students that advances the university’s mission and goals.
• Represent and align college programs to advance the University and Dallas Campus strategic vision.
• Lead the college in the development of new programs and the evaluation and improvement of existing programs to promote student development.
• Oversee and lead the administrative functions of the college. 
• Other duties and tasks.

Essential Duties:

Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Develop and articulate a vision for the college's graduate and undergraduate academic programs.

• Work closely with the Provost of the Dallas campus to align college initiatives and resources with the overall vision of the ACU Dallas campus and the university at large.
• Serve as a member of the ACU Dallas Provost Cabinet and ACU Dallas Academic Administration Group (AAG) to coordinate and enhance services provided for college faculty and students.
• Work closely with the Executive Vice President for Academics, the Office of Academic Affairs, ACU Dallas Provost, the ACU Dallas SLT-D, and the ACU Dallas AAG in aligning the work of the college with university-wide policy and process.
• Provide academic evaluation to college faculty and programs, and participate in the Enhanced Program Review process.

Lead college faculty in providing a high-quality academic experience for students that advances the university’s mission and goals.

• Provide leadership for college full-time and part-time faculty through regular communication and interaction.
• Ensure faculty participation in academic matters through shared/collaborative governance.
• Coordinate with the work of the Center for Vocational Formation and its Professional Learning Communities in providing guidance and connection to college faculty and students.
• Partner with Learning Design and Operations to coordinate work with the Faculty Operations, Registration Operations, and Instructional Design departments.
• Evaluate college Program Directors annually in accordance with the procedure outlined in the ACU Dallas Faculty Handbook
• Participate in salary reviews, faculty promotion evaluations, and/or contract continuation matters.
• Participate in matters of faculty discipline and appeals.
• Participate in matters of student discipline and appeals.

Represent and align college programs to advance the University and Dallas Campus strategic vision.

• Contribute to collaborative governance through the university's Collaborative Governance and Integrated Operations process and the ACU Dallas Enhanced Program Review process, and oversee the development of program goals that proceed from those reviews.
• Initiate and develop opportunities for the programs in the college, including:
• Develop and maintain a diverse portfolio of viable, market-facing, academic programs
• Management of market clusters and support for vertical integrations of similar academic programs.
• Initiate and develop external collaboration and funding opportunities for academic programs within the college.
• Initiate and develop networking opportunities with stakeholders external to the university.
• Provide academic leadership and oversight for program interaction with corporate and other external partnerships.

Lead the college in the development of new programs and the evaluation and improvement of existing programs to promote student development.

• Oversee the college Academic Council(s).
• Ensure documentation and compliance on curriculum assessment.
• Oversee college student affairs involving, but not limited to, the Dean’s List, probation and suspension, student appeals, student complaints, and admissions/readmissions.
• Oversee the doctoral dissertations and projects in college and collaborate with other deans in the operation of the ACU-D Dissertation Center.
• Work closely with institutional partners to ensure the growth in quality and scope for the college, including: 
• The Vice Provost in identifying, selecting, and developing new programs.
• The Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs to ensure assessment standards and reporting.
• The ACU SACSCOC Liaison to ensure compliance and accreditation 

Oversee and participate in the administrative functions of the college.

• Participate in setting and managing the college budget, including approvals of program spending and faculty development.
• Oversee the identification and hiring of credentialed faculty for college graduate and undergraduate programs.
• Serve as a member of such committees and task groups as needed to effectively administer the programs of the college.
• Oversee academic administration staff, including college associate and/or assistant deans.
• Facilitate relationships with college alumni networks and attend alumni events.

Other duties and tasks.

• Execution on other duties and tasks as may be assigned.
• Continue proficiency in their area of academic discipline.
• Encouraged to teach at least one academic course per academic year when time allows.

Professional Development Requirements:

In order to perform the duties of the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, it is necessary to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Attention to detail and follow-through.
• Time management and organizational skills.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Computer proficiency.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Provide quality instruction and support to students while maintaining academic and university standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple constituencies.
• Effective and appropriate leadership and administration of the college.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with university administrators, faculty and staff.

Qualifications:

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All qualified applicants for this position must be professing Christians and be willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of the university.

Professional:

• An earned Ph.D. or an Ed.D. or other terminal degree in a discipline within the college.
• Five years of teaching or administrative experience in higher education or equivalent industry experience.
• Relevant evidence of active scholarship [within Boyer’s (1996) model of scholarship], completed in the last ten years, preferred.
• Experience teaching, designing, and developing online degree programs or coursework is preferred.
• Expertise in developing and implementing innovative interventions for improved college access for post-traditional students and/or diverse populations.
• Computer proficiencies in standard software and internet-based applications.

Personal

• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to view and manage roles and responsibilities in relation to the larger mission,  goals, and perspective of the University.
• Collaborative nature and excellent interpersonal abilities, with the ability to build consensus within cross-functional and multi-purpose teams, as well as diverse groups of people.
• Outstanding organizational and project management skills with the ability to consistently meet deadlines.
• Highly self-motivated and problem-solver, asking for input and initiating solutions as appropriate and reasonable.
• Ability to consistently make sound decisions and exercise good judgment in a variety of circumstances.
• Capacity to quickly learn new software applications.
• Willingness to receive additional training and/or faculty mentoring.

Physical Demands:

• The majority of work is performed at a computer and on the telephone; must be able to use a computer and remain stationary for long periods.
• Manage conversations in person, online, and by telephone.
• Limited travel – locations vary, and some overnight travel may be necessary.
• Work well under pressure and manage stress well.
• Communicate clearly: speak, read, write, and hear clearly to perform essential functions.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
   

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.