Dean of the School of Information Sciences

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

22h

About The Position

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications and nominations for the next Dean of its School of Information Sciences (iSchool). The Dean will serve as the School’s chief academic and administrative officer, building on its distinguished history and advancing its academic, research, and public-engagement missions. The iSchool is an interdisciplinary leader in information and library sciences, examining how people and communities create, access, use, preserve, and share information across changing social and technological contexts. Its research and education address areas including data and information stewardship, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, privacy, accessibility, and the ethical implications of technology. The School offers undergraduate degrees in Information Sciences and Information Sciences + Data Science, interdisciplinary programs in Informatics and Game Studies, and established master’s and doctoral programs, along with professional and interdisciplinary study opportunities. Its research enterprise includes centers, laboratories, and collaborative initiatives such as the Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship, the Center for Children’s Books, the Center for Health Informatics, iSAIL, the Data Exploration Lab, ScienceNLP, and the Social Sensing & Intelligence Lab. The School is also known for innovative education and its highly ranked Master of Science in Library and Information Science program. The Dean will lead the School’s academic, research, administrative, financial, advancement, and engagement activities; develop and communicate a vision for its future; support outstanding faculty and staff; foster interdisciplinary research and partnerships; and represent the School within the University and to external communities. The role reports to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost and includes a tenured faculty appointment as a professor in the School of Information Sciences. This is a full-time, twelve-month appointment with an anticipated start date of July 2027, or as soon thereafter as mutually agreeable. The budgeted annual salary range is $325,000–$375,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience and subject to internal equity considerations.

Requirements

An earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree.
A distinguished record of teaching, research, scholarship, and service sufficient to qualify for a tenured appointment at the rank of tenured full professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
A record of significant academic accomplishment and leadership.
Administrative experience appropriate to the complexity and scope of the School.
Commitment to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, and public engagement.
Ability to lead effectively within a complex and interdisciplinary academic organization.
Ability to develop and communicate a compelling vision, foster collaboration, recruit and support outstanding faculty and staff, manage financial and organizational resources, build external partnerships, and lead advancement and fundraising efforts.
Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, a collaborative and transparent leadership style, sound judgment, and high standards of personal and professional integrity.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership that advances the iSchool’s mission, strengthens its identity, and positions it for success amid changing social, economic, political, and technological conditions.
Lead the School’s academic, research, administrative, financial, advancement, and engagement activities.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and University leadership to develop and implement a compelling vision for the School’s future.
Position the iSchool for continued leadership as information sciences evolve, including in response to artificial intelligence, data science, computing, emerging technologies, and their societal implications.
Advance excellence and innovation in undergraduate, graduate, professional, and interdisciplinary education.
Foster a vibrant research environment and support ambitious, interdisciplinary, externally funded scholarship.
Recruit, develop, support, and retain outstanding faculty and staff.
Strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships across the University and expand external partnerships with government, industry, professional organizations, civil society, the public, and other stakeholders.
Advance public and community engagement in support of the School’s mission and University priorities.
Steward the School’s financial, human, physical, and technological resources.
Lead advancement and fundraising efforts and cultivate relationships with alumni, donors, and other supporters.
Serve as a visible advocate for the School among its community, across the University, and locally, nationally, and internationally.