DEANS OFFICE-ARTS AND SCIENCES - Dean College of Arts/Science

Job Classification

  Executive Admin FT (75-100%)

Position summary

The Dean is responsible for casting a shared vision, leading innovatively, and operating the College of Arts and Sciences, with a direct report to the Provost. The candidate must have exemplified and also be dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service. They are expected to cultivate and maintain strong alumni and external relationships to support and grow the College. In addition, the Dean must have a vision to continue the advancement of the College into a strong academic center. The Dean must exhibit the experience and ability to support and implement creative instruction appropriate for multicultural twenty-first century university.   

Qualifications summary

A successful candidate will have a terminal degree in one of the disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences with administrative and/or mid-management experience in the higher education setting, with an understanding of trends in North American higher education, generally, and specifically for Adventist institutions. The candidate should be a long-term experienced teacher and scholar with demonstrated excellence in these areas; have an understanding of, respect for, and commitment to support each department. 


Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Duties and responsibilities

The Dean of CAS performs the following functions in addition to duties that the provost may delegate or assign: 

• Undertakes all responsibilities with a Christ-like mindfulness toward fostering ethical, transparent, collaborative, and respectful relationships. All responsibilities should be done with inclusive, equitable mentorship and relationship building in mind in the context of the complex, multicultural environment that is Andrews University.

• Articulates and empowers the implementation of a vision for the College, as well as its respective departments, that supports faculty academic rigor, participation in scholarly activities, and professional service through financial resources and advocacy of the liberal arts tradition across the University. This vision and implementation should ensure that the College is exemplary among its peers.

• Advocates for a variety of resources: finances, faculty, equipment, and space. The Dean supports recruiting events and reviews recruiting materials to ensure consistency of the CAS message and informs the fundraising agenda of the University.

• Promotes spiritual community among faculty, staff, and students to create a learning environment facilitating spiritual growth. The Dean must be passionate about learning and telling what it means to follow Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. 

• Collaborates with other deans in furthering the overall academic mission of the University through participation in the deliberations and decisions of the Deans Council and the University Strategy and Academic Policies Council.

• Promotes departmental assessment of student learning outcomes and utilization of resulting data as tools to advance the quality of departmental programs and services. 

• Calls and presides over meetings of the CAS faculty. Reports to the faculty on the activities, needs, and achievements of the school. Dialogs with faculty and solicits feedback on matters directly affecting CAS. The Dean in turn informs administrative officers or the Board of Trustees about faculty recommendations. 

• Communicates actively with departments and their faculty members through CAS Chairs council and direct interaction with departments as needed.

• Supports faculty development actively in teaching, research and service -- including financial support; a cooperative responsibility with chairs.

• Serves as the admissions officer for the College. The Dean also counsels with students, in cooperation with departmental advisors, regarding their progress and special needs and gives final approval to their registration.  

• Administers the budget in consultation with fellow administrators.

• Makes a recommendation to the provost regarding the appointment, reappointment, or promotion of faculty in consultation with departments. 

• Facilitates the adequate provision and use of instructional materials, including library materials, laboratory equipment, and visual and auditory aids. 

• Assists departmental chairs in developing a strategy to schedule classes that adhere to the University schedule of classes for the provost’s approval.

• Supports and mentors departmental chairs in their roles and serves as a liaison between departments when necessary.

• Oversees the timely preparation and modification of bulletin copy and course schedules for CAS relevant areas (including implementation of new programs and termination of old programs).  

• Facilitates decision making to proactively respond to the changing landscape of higher education and to advocate innovative ways to lead a college in challenging times.

Supervisory responsibilities

The CAS Dean has direct responsibility over CAS Associate and Assistant Deans, office managers, the Dean’s assistant, chairs, and serves as a supervisory resource for CAS faculty. Across these demographics and responsibilities, the Dean:

• Models servant leadership to department chairs, faculty, and staff to help ensure a culture of collegiality and care.

• Provides leadership to the faculty in the development of academic policies, procedures and plans for furthering the educational mission and strategic plans of the College in synchrony with university-wide missions and strategic plans. 

• Manages (or through designees) all buildings, rooms, and general equipment assigned to CAS.  

• Ensures that CAS departments develop, offer, and maintain programs of excellent quality in the areas of instruction, research, and service. 

• Provides recommendations on academic administrative policies and procedures for the university by participating as a school representative in appropriate academic committees and councils. 

• Monitors the academic progress of students towards graduation which includes presenting their names for appropriate action by the CAS faculty and recommending them to the Board of Trustees for conferral of degrees.  

• Coordinates communication of all official affairs of the College with other university officers, students, and the public. 

• Requires and keeps current the job descriptions of persons reporting to the Dean. 

• Serve as Andrews University liaison with the Berrien County Math & Science Center (RESA).

• Provides administrative support for ancillary businesses of CAS (Physics Enterprises, Berrien County Forensic Lab, etc.).

Qualifications

The Dean of CAS should have the following qualifications:

• Be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

• Hold a terminal degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in one of the disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences.  

• Demonstrate a record of long-term excellence in and commitment to teaching and scholarship, and a good record of academic/professional service; preferably eligible for the rank of Full Professor. 

• Demonstrate a record of leadership in higher-education administration with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing higher education in the United States.

• Exhibit a capacity to network effectively within and beyond the academic community 

• Understand (including a willingness to learn more about) and respect each discipline (and its delivery at Andrews) of the broad spectrum of liberal arts disciplines housed in CAS.

• Experience working with diverse educational communities in an inclusive and equitable fashion.

Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Technical competencies

NA

Interpersonal interactions

Across all duties and responsibilities, the Dean engages daily with a wide range of people and should exhibit the following abilities:

• Serve as a spiritual leader who sets the tone for a culture of mutual respect and care. 

• Foster relational and collaborative interactions with peers, faculty, and students.  

• Value individuals as persons and promotes the dignity of the human. 

• Advocate for faculty and students. 

• Function as a team builder, not only within CAS but across the university and external communities. 

• Act with integrity, fairness, and confidentiality in all duties.  

• Work effectively in, and promote, the multicultural environment of Andrews University.

Physical demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to feel; talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work is primarily performed in an office setting with appropriate climate controls. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.