Dean, Jane Addams College of Social Work

University of Illinois Chicago•Chicago, IL

40d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) invites applications, inquiries, and nominations for the next dean of the Jane Addams College of Social Work (JACSW). Nationally recognized for scholarship, professional education, community engagement, and a sustained commitment to justice, JACSW carries forward the legacy of Jane Addams and the Hull-House movement in a contemporary urban context. UIC seeks an accomplished scholar and experienced academic leader who will embrace the university's distinctive role as an urban-serving public research university and advance the college's educational, research, and public-service missions. At a time when the need for social workers is accelerating and the profession faces increasingly complex opportunities and challenges, the new JACSW dean will chart the course for the college to build on its strengths, forge new pathways, and shape the future of social work. The next dean will be a nationally recognized scholar with an academic leadership record commensurate with the complexity of the role and an approach characterized by openness, reliability, intellectual curiosity, accountability, and respect. The dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the Jane Addams College of Social Work. As such, the next dean will develop and implement a shared strategic direction; advance academic quality and student success; strengthen research and scholarly impact; build a culture of shared governance, transparency and trust; recruit, retain, and support excellent faculty and staff; deepen reciprocal community and professional partnerships; and ensure responsible and sustainable stewardship for the college. The dean reports to the UIC vice chancellor for health affairs and collaborates with leaders across UIC’s 16 Colleges, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), and the University of Illinois System. The dean also represents the college with alumni, donors, government agencies, professional organizations, community partners, and the broader social work profession. The Jane Addams College of Social Work The Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago is a nationally recognized leader in graduate social work education, research, and public engagement, dedicated to advancing social, racial, and economic justice for everyone. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top social work programs, JACSW combines academic excellence with a deep commitment to community partnership, preparing leaders in practice, policy, research, and administration through innovative MSW, joint MSW/MPH, PhD, and professional education programs. The college is distinguished by its community-engaged research enterprise, with faculty and research centers partnering with government agencies, healthcare systems, and community organizations to address critical issues (i.e., behavioral health, child welfare, justice systems, substance-use policy, crisis response) while serving as Illinois’ academic and research partner on major statewide behavioral health initiatives. As part of UI Health, UIC’s academic health enterprise, JACSW offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and impact in addressing society’s most pressing social and health challenges.

Requirements

National leader with an earned doctorate in social work or a closely related field.
Record of scholarly and professional accomplishment sufficient for appointment as a tenured full professor at UIC.
Substantial record of progressively responsible academic administrative leadership.
Demonstrated responsibility for personnel, budgets, planning, and organizational performance.
Success leading consequential academic processes (faculty recruitment and retention, program development or review, resource allocation, and accreditation or comparable quality-assurance activities).
Demonstrated evidence of commitment to student learning, student success, mentoring, and providing an academic environment that supports belonging.
Experience developing and managing complex budgets and making transparent resource-allocation decisions in a constrained financial environment.
Effective leadership in a shared-governance environment.
Commitment to the mission of public higher education and to social justice.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Sound judgment, integrity, and the ability to build trust across constituencies with differing perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Master of Social Work or substantial grounding in social work education, practice, policy, or research.
Deep knowledge of the evolving social work profession.
Demonstrated ability to strengthen research enterprises (supporting investigators, strengthening research administration and mentoring, developing interdisciplinary initiatives, and securing or enabling sponsored funding).
Experience recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff.
Experience advancing philanthropic and alumni engagement efforts.
Experience building reciprocal partnerships with community and public-sector organizations.
Experience collaborating across disciplinary and organizational boundaries.
Thoughtfully evaluating the opportunities and ethical implications of emerging technologies and digital tools with attention to educational value, ethics, access, professional standards, and the distinctive needs of social work.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a shared strategic direction for the college.
Advance academic quality and student success.
Strengthen research and scholarly impact.
Build a culture of shared governance, transparency, and trust.
Recruit, retain, and support excellent faculty and staff.
Deepen reciprocal community and professional partnerships.
Ensure responsible and sustainable stewardship for the college.
Represent the college with alumni, donors, government agencies, professional organizations, community partners, and the broader social work profession.