Dean—School of Arts and Sciences

University of Arkansas System•Pine Bluff, AR

31d

About The Position

Reporting to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School. The Dean provides visionary leadership to ensure academic excellence, operational effectiveness, and external engagement while advancing UAPB’s mission. This individual will champion innovation in curriculum and pedagogy, cultivate industry and alumni partnerships, and position the School as a hub for research, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Key Responsibilities The successful candidate will perform the following key duties and responsibilities within the academic department. Visionary and Strategic Leadership • Articulate a bold and future-focused vision that positions the School of Arts and Sciences as a national leader in the academic discipline. • Lead the development, innovation, and continuous improvement of undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs. • Champion interdisciplinary collaboration across the University and with industry, government, and community partners. • Ensure that the academic degree programs within the School meet or exceed accreditation standards, positioning it for national recognition. • Serve as the School’s advocate within UAPB and in the broader business and academic communities. Student Success and Experiential Learning • Promote a student-centered culture emphasizing mentorship, leadership development, and ethical decision-making. • Expand high-impact experiential learning opportunities, including undergraduate and graduate research, fieldwork, internships, international exchanges and study abroad, and community-engaged learning. • Utilize data and analytics to strengthen student persistence, retention, four-year degree completion, and postgraduation outcomes. • Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Career Services, University College, and departmental leadership to enhance student advising, student onboarding, and student success interventions. • Ensure that all programs across the School provide students with academic rigor, experiential learning, and professional competencies to thrive in today’s workforce. Academic and Operational Leadership • Provide strategic academic oversight for all degree programs across the academic departments, including new program development aligned with labor market demand and land-grant mission. • Lead a shared governance culture by reviewing, revising, and developing internal policies and procedures that align with federal, state, and university regulations. • Develop and expand cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate programs that respond to local, national, and global challenges. • Champion faculty development initiatives that promote technology-enhanced teaching, research, and digital scholarship. • Foster partnerships with industry and technology leaders to create experiential learning and applied research opportunities for students. • Promote interdisciplinary collaboration that connects liberal arts with data science, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, geographic information systems, and other forms of digital innovation. • Promote shared governance, collaborative decision-making, and inclusive excellence. Budgetary Management and Employee Development • Strong record in budget management, fiscal accountability, and resource allocation aligned with strategic priorities. • Ability to build high-performing faculty and staff teams, emphasizing professional growth and performance accountability. • Allocate funding to expand sponsored research, grow externally funded initiatives, and strengthen core operations. • Develop systems for performance accountability and data-informed decision-making. • Demonstrated ability to leverage data-informed decision-making to improve programs, student outcomes, fiscal responsibility, and institutional reputation. • Secure and steward external funding through grants, corporate partnerships, and philanthropy. • Advance alumni engagement to strengthen the School’s visibility and financial sustainability. Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship • Provide strategic leadership for the School’s research and innovation portfolio, supporting empirical and applied research that addresses challenges across Arkansas. • Champion applied and interdisciplinary research aligned with industry and societal needs. • Expand research productivity, secure competitive federal and state grants, and grow industry-sponsored research partnerships. • Encourage entrepreneurial thinking among faculty and students, positioning the School as a driver of innovation. • Promote opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student research and applied projects that engage regional and national businesses, industries, and organizations. • Build strategic partnerships to strengthen UAPB’s role in economic development and business innovation. External Engagement and Visibility • Cultivate strong relationships with businesses, industries, community partners, and public agencies to promote workforce development and public engagement. • Partner with University Advancement and alumni networks to pursue fundraising, endowments, and sponsored program opportunities in support of the School’s mission. • Elevate the School of Arts and Sciences visibility across Arkansas, nationally, and globally through strategic communication, media engagement, professional association participation, and public testimony. • Approach external relationships as a custodian of opportunity, advocating for transformative partnerships that turn concepts into practice and ideas into measurable impact. • Represent the School in international, national, regional, and state forums to articulate its value, communicate impact, and expand its influence as a leader in higher education.

Requirements

An earned doctorate from an accredited institution in a discipline housed within the School of Arts and Sciences (e.g., humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, or mathematics).
Minimum of three years in senior leadership experience (e.g., dean, associate dean, department chairperson, director, or similarly ranked position) preferably at a four-year land-grant institution of higher education.
A distinguished record of teaching, research, and scholarly achievement that merits a tenured appointment at the rank of Professor.
Strong fiscal management skills and experiencing allocating capital to achieve strategic priorities.
Proven success as a strategic and innovative leader who can plan, articulate, and execute a comprehensive vision for an academic unit.
Commitment to shared governance and collaborative engagement.
Demonstrated success in program innovation, teaching excellence, and student outcome improvement.
Proven ability to collaborate across university departments and system-level leadership while serving as an effective communicator and relationship-builder with academic, industry, and governmental partners to advocate for the school’s priorities and elevate its visibility.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of five years of academic administration experience at a four-year institution of higher education.
Evidence of the ability to leverage institutional assets and capabilities to advance the vision and mission of an academic School, College, or department.
Experience with institutional or academic discipline-level accreditation processes.
A proven record of cultivating external partnerships and securing philanthropic or grant support.
Entrepreneurial mindset with demonstrated success in driving innovation in curriculum, research, or industry engagement.
Familiarity with online, hybrid, and experiential learning models.
Technological proficiency to support instructional delivery, student engagement, and administrative efficiency.
Experience cultivating partnerships across institutional units and with external stakeholders.
A leadership style that inspires performance, encourages innovation, and builds trust.

Responsibilities

Articulate a bold and future-focused vision that positions the School of Arts and Sciences as a national leader in the academic discipline.
Lead the development, innovation, and continuous improvement of undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs.
Champion interdisciplinary collaboration across the University and with industry, government, and community partners.
Ensure that the academic degree programs within the School meet or exceed accreditation standards, positioning it for national recognition.
Serve as the School’s advocate within UAPB and in the broader business and academic communities.
Promote a student-centered culture emphasizing mentorship, leadership development, and ethical decision-making.
Expand high-impact experiential learning opportunities, including undergraduate and graduate research, fieldwork, internships, international exchanges and study abroad, and community-engaged learning.
Utilize data and analytics to strengthen student persistence, retention, four-year degree completion, and postgraduation outcomes.
Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Career Services, University College, and departmental leadership to enhance student advising, student onboarding, and student success interventions.
Ensure that all programs across the School provide students with academic rigor, experiential learning, and professional competencies to thrive in today’s workforce.
Provide strategic academic oversight for all degree programs across the academic departments, including new program development aligned with labor market demand and land-grant mission.
Lead a shared governance culture by reviewing, revising, and developing internal policies and procedures that align with federal, state, and university regulations.
Develop and expand cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate programs that respond to local, national, and global challenges.
Champion faculty development initiatives that promote technology-enhanced teaching, research, and digital scholarship.
Foster partnerships with industry and technology leaders to create experiential learning and applied research opportunities for students.
Promote interdisciplinary collaboration that connects liberal arts with data science, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, geographic information systems, and other forms of digital innovation.
Promote shared governance, collaborative decision-making, and inclusive excellence.
Strong record in budget management, fiscal accountability, and resource allocation aligned with strategic priorities.
Ability to build high-performing faculty and staff teams, emphasizing professional growth and performance accountability.
Allocate funding to expand sponsored research, grow externally funded initiatives, and strengthen core operations.
Develop systems for performance accountability and data-informed decision-making.
Demonstrated ability to leverage data-informed decision-making to improve programs, student outcomes, fiscal responsibility, and institutional reputation.
Secure and steward external funding through grants, corporate partnerships, and philanthropy.
Advance alumni engagement to strengthen the School’s visibility and financial sustainability.
Provide strategic leadership for the School’s research and innovation portfolio, supporting empirical and applied research that addresses challenges across Arkansas.
Champion applied and interdisciplinary research aligned with industry and societal needs.
Expand research productivity, secure competitive federal and state grants, and grow industry-sponsored research partnerships.
Encourage entrepreneurial thinking among faculty and students, positioning the School as a driver of innovation.
Promote opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student research and applied projects that engage regional and national businesses, industries, and organizations.
Build strategic partnerships to strengthen UAPB’s role in economic development and business innovation.
Cultivate strong relationships with businesses, industries, community partners, and public agencies to promote workforce development and public engagement.
Partner with University Advancement and alumni networks to pursue fundraising, endowments, and sponsored program opportunities in support of the School’s mission.
Elevate the School of Arts and Sciences visibility across Arkansas, nationally, and globally through strategic communication, media engagement, professional association participation, and public testimony.
Approach external relationships as a custodian of opportunity, advocating for transformative partnerships that turn concepts into practice and ideas into measurable impact.
Represent the School in international, national, regional, and state forums to articulate its value, communicate impact, and expand its influence as a leader in higher education.