Dean, College of Natural and Health Sciences
About The Position
The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of Virginia State University's College of Natural and Health Sciences. The role provides executive leadership for the College’s instructional, operational, strategic, external engagement, and facilities-related functions. The Dean advances the College’s mission, academic quality, and student success; strengthens faculty excellence; oversees financial, administrative, facilities, laboratory, and classroom operations; and advances fundraising and external partnerships in alignment with institutional priorities. The Dean ensures that academic programs, research, facilities, laboratories, classrooms, and instructional support services are structured, maintained, and resourced to promote continuous improvement, safety, growth, and student achievement. The role leads across STEM education, nursing, psychology, health sciences, laboratory operations, and research, and is the senior accountable leader for applicable nursing, psychology, allied health, laboratory, safety, and research accreditation and regulatory requirements.
Requirements
- Demonstrated senior-level academic and administrative leadership experience within a college, school, or comparable academic enterprise.
- Demonstrated experience contributing to strategic planning that aligns unit or institutional priorities with established goals and objectives.
- Demonstrated experience supporting faculty development and leading faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention.
- Demonstrated experience directing college- or unit-level fiscal and administrative operations, including budget planning, resource allocation, and stewardship of funds.
- Demonstrated experience managing human, financial, physical, facilities, laboratory, and instructional resources in support of institutional sustainability.
- Working knowledge of internal controls, administrative processes, compliance practices, and facilities oversight.
- Demonstrated experience leading curriculum planning, academic assessment, continuous improvement, and academic program development.
- Demonstrated experience implementing academic policies and supporting institutional procedures and accountability measures.
- Demonstrated experience advancing fundraising, donor engagement, and external partnerships in collaboration with institutional advancement.
- Demonstrated experience supporting programmatic accreditation, licensure, regulatory compliance, and relevant facilities or laboratory standards.
- Must hold a terminal degree in a discipline appropriate to the College.
- Must hold the academic rank of Professor and have achieved tenure, or be eligible for appointment at the rank of Professor with tenure, consistent with University requirements.
- Faculty must be appropriately credentialed to teach assigned undergraduate and graduate courses in accordance with VSU Faculty Credentialing Policy #2301.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for undergraduate and graduate academic programs.
- Advance student success priorities, including retention, degree completion, licensure readiness, and academic progression.
- Promote academic excellence, innovation, and high-impact educational practices.
- Lead faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention.
- Oversee instructional planning, workload management, and course coverage.
- Strengthen faculty engagement in curriculum improvement, assessment, research, and academic governance.
- Lead efforts to sustain and advance relevant accreditation, licensure, and regulatory standards.
- Use assessment, program review, laboratory oversight, and outcomes data to guide continuous improvement.
- Serve as the senior academic authority for accreditation reporting, monitoring, and ongoing compliance.
- Direct College fiscal and facilities operations, including budget planning, resource allocation, fund stewardship, and space utilization.
- Manage human, financial, physical, laboratory, classroom, and instructional resources.
- Oversee maintenance, safety, and compliance of laboratories, classrooms, and specialized instructional spaces in coordination with University offices.
- Lead fundraising initiatives in collaboration with University Advancement.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with alumni, donors, corporations, agencies, and community partners.
- Advance partnerships supporting experiential learning, workforce development, research, clinical practice, and philanthropy.
- Collaborate with Academic Affairs leadership and University partners to advance institutional goals.
- Represent the College in University-level leadership discussions and strategic initiatives.
- Align College initiatives with the University mission, priorities, and external expectations.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
