The University of South Alabama

Transcription

1 Leadership Profile The University of South Alabama Dean, College of Education This search is being assisted by:

2 Dean, College of Education The University of South Alabama The University of South Alabama in Mobile announces the national search for Dean of the College of Education. A comprehensive, global, and rapidly growing university known for excellence in a broad range of disciplines, the University of South Alabama ( is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Research University/High institution. USA is experiencing record enrollment of 16,000-plus in keeping with its strategic objective to reach 20,000 within 10 years while simultaneously strengthening the university s high academic standards. Graduate student enrollment for the Fall of 2014 was up 16 percent year over year. The annual budget is $634 million. USA is a vital partner in the booming economy of the Gulf Coast. In addition to its role as a magnet for industrial recruitment, the university has educated a third of the area s physicians and more than 85 percent of public school teachers as well as professionals in business, engineering, arts and sciences. Steeped in 300 years of history, Mobile is a leading Southeastern cultural center with a quality of life that is envied worldwide ( The College of Education The successful candidate in this search will lead the fourth largest college on the USA campus ( Total enrollment in the college is upwards of 1,700 with 1,281 undergraduates and 445 graduate students. Whether pursuing undergraduate, masters or doctoral degrees, students benefit from caring and knowledgeable faculty, rich research resources, technologically advanced facilities, high quality clinical placements, international academic exchanges, and an ever-changing environment on the cutting edge of educational innovations.

3 This work is done in a dynamic environment of collaboration as faculty and students work sideby-side with educational partners in classrooms, laboratories, schools, community and government agencies, health, fitness, recreational and sports facilities, and local businesses. The college is able to promote the creation and dissemination of knowledge while also serving constituents through professional development programs and community outreach that assists regional educational agencies in meeting their professional obligations. The College of Education, which has an annual budget exceeding $14 million, is organized into three departments: 1. Health, Physical Education and Leisure Studies, which offers the B.S. and M.Ed. degrees leading to certification in Physical Education and Health Education as well as the M.S. in Physical Education with emphases in Exercise Science and Health Education; and the B.S. degree in Leisure Studies with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation, and Sport and Recreation Management. 2. Leadership and Teacher Education, which offers the B.S. leading to Alabama Class B Certification in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Secondary Education and Special Education; the M.E. degree leading to Alabama Class A certification in Educational Leadership, Elementary and Early Childhood Education, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Reading Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education; the Instructional Specialist degree leading to Alabama Class AA certification in Educational Leadership, Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Reading Education, Secondary Education, Teacher Leader and Special Education. 3. Professional Studies, which offers the M.E. degree in Educational Media, and in Counselor Education in an educational setting leading to certification in School Counseling, and the M.S. degree in Counselor Education with emphases in Community Counseling as well as the M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Instructional Design and Development. The college is also the home of the South Alabama Research and Inservice Center, which provides professional development for 8,000 K-12 educators in nine school districts. Indicative of the college s agile response to the demand for educational programs that serve 21 st century professional needs are three new doctoral programs:

4 The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, which was instituted in May 2014, is designed to train the emerging generation of senior educational leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to connect research, theory, and practice in leading high performing learning organizations to manage resources strategically, engage in evidence-based decision-making, promote continuous improvement, and encourage innovation. Coursework is delivered using face-to-face, on-line, and blended formats by highly qualified professors who bring a theory-to- practice focus to the curriculum. The Ph.D. in Instructional Design combines principles from psychology, business, systems theory, education, communication, and other fields to address organizational performance problems. Instructional designers work with experts to create training and other products that help people and organizations be successful. At USA, the Instructional Design program draws talented students from around the world who work with world-class faculty in a challenging academic and scholarly environment. The Combined Clinical & Counseling Psychology (CCP) Doctoral Program is an innovative doctoral psychology program that offers training in the areas of Clinical and Counseling Psychology leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The CCP program is jointly administered by the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the Department of Professional Studies in the College of Education. The CCP Program adopts a Scientist-Practitioner model of training which emphasizes the need for students to be both clinical researchers as well as clinical practitioners. The College of Education has a broad base of valuable assets including: Proven record of success in annual faculty grant productivity ($5 million+) is among the best per capita at USA; The college and all of its programs are fully accredited; Excellent working relationships exist locally and statewide with K-12 education systems, the State Department of Education, the Mobile Area Education Foundation, and others; There is a diverse array of strong high-demand academic programs, including innovative new degree tracks such as the B.A. in Instructional Design and Human Performance;

5 The college is a frontrunner in supporting the national and local K-12 education reform agenda; A living laboratory approach to P-12 partnerships involves college-based resources such as the Noyce Pathway to Science, the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), and Project CRUISE ( The University of South Alabama USA offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in nearly 100 areas across 10 colleges and schools. In addition to the College of Education, degree programs are offered in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Mitchell College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions, the School of Computing, the School of Continuing Education and Special Programs, and the Harrison School of Pharmacy (with Auburn University). Located just minutes from historic downtown Mobile, the 1200-acre main campus is dotted with new buildings, laboratories and student living/learning facilities that are the envy of the region. A second campus in nearby Baldwin County serves one of the Gulf Coast s fastest growing and most popular places to live and work. The university s annual payroll is approximately $400 million, ranking it among the largest employers in the area. USA is led by President Tony G. Waldrop, who assumed his role in April A veteran academician with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Waldrop is only the third president since the university was founded in 1963 ( In charting the course of his presidency, Dr. Waldrop has identified five core strategies that emphasize student success, research and scholarly activity, enhanced global collaboration, and excellence in health care and community engagement. (See link to Inaugural remarks: The College of Education simultaneously developed a comprehensive strategic objectives plan, which clearly sets forth a set of tandem goals that seamlessly complement USA s overall growth plan. ( )

6 An energetic spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation prevails throughout USA s colleges and schools. The university continues to help drive the region s enviable record of recruiting bluechip business and industry; the latest addition to the global business community is Airbus, which chose the Port City for its only U.S.-based assembly plant to build its A320 family of aircraft. Research activity at USA exceeds $57 million per year, and the university is a major economic driver for the central Gulf Coast, with an annual economic impact exceeding $3 billion. USA and the Health System have internal endowments of more than $140 million, which is augmented by the USA Foundation with current holdings of some $300 million. Through its innovative Team USA initiative that was launched in 2013, USA has adopted a comprehensive, five-year quality enhancement plan that is centered around team-based learning. The goal of Team USA is to improve student learning outcomes in the STEM courses by increasing critical thinking and collaboration that build on the university s academic quality and learning environment. More than 40 Allied Health faculty members have been trained and are enhancing team-based learning in the college using two specially designed classrooms. (See for more information.) Campus life at USA is known for the diverse array of innovative living communities, extracurricular and service-learning opportunities, and a vibrant intercollegiate athletic program. Comprising 15 men s and women s NCAA teams, the USA Jaguars compete in the Sunbelt Conference. Last fall the Jaguar football team earned a bid to the Camellia Bowl, and both Men s Cross Country and the Women s Soccer teams won conference championships. Student-athletes carry grade point averages above the university-wide average. ( ) Mobile and the Central Gulf Coast One of the most historic and culturally rich urban areas on the Southeast coast, Mobile and Baldwin County ( anchor an international corridor of business and industry, and the university fills an integral role in industrial recruitment, job creation and economic development. The city is one of only twelve in the nation designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2014 as a manufacturing community, sharing the list with Portland, Cincinnati and Chicago.

7 Named by Forbes Magazine as one of America s fastest growing metropolitan areas, Mobile is recognized by The Milken Institute among America s Best Performing Cities, and National Geographic Adventure lists it among Best Cities to Live and Play. With an inviting climate and a legendary brand of hospitality, Mobile is home to the original American Mardi Gras celebration that is a highlight of the year-round cultural calendar ( The symphony, orchestra, and opera company are among the South s finest, and the acclaimed Mobile Museum of Art is the largest art museum between New Orleans and Tampa. The impeccably refurbished historic Saenger Theatre downtown presents a year-round line-up of music and entertainment. Mobilians pursue outdoor activities with equal passion. Beautifully maintained parks and golf courses, walking trails, lakes and rivers as well as the pristine Gulf coastline provide the backdrop for sports of every description. Just a short drive away is some of the world s premier sugar-sand beaches, luxury vacation destinations, marine habitats and recreation spots. The Opportunity The successful candidate in this national search will have career-defining opportunities to advance the College of Education. Among the key objectives is to enhance the public profile of the college through an effective and targeted marketing program and public relations campaign, also utilizing social media, to reach selected audiences. Other priorities include: Student Success and Enrollment Growth Continue to increase enrollment in keeping with USA s strategic objectives, strengthen opportunities for community engagement, and grow the academic reputation of the college. Create new student-focused strategies to increase lower-division retention by improving advisement, mentoring, and service-learning opportunities. Expand efforts to recruit and retain academically well-prepared students from minority and other under-represented groups. Build on the growing base of Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs to become branded as a national leader in doctoral programs. Give graduates the optimum tools to be career-ready through early advising, real-world classroom experiences, and strong mentoring.

8 Faculty Support and Enrichment Engage department chairs, program coordinators, and faculty in developing strategies to improve graduate enrollment, create financial and other incentives for in-service teachers to enroll in graduate programs, and secure increased public/private funding for graduate assistantships and other financial aid avenues. Be a trusted and persuasive advocate for faculty, review and strengthen tenure and promotion standards, and promote, monitor and reward faculty engagement in student recruitment initiatives. Expand faculty and student involvement with international collaborators, increase faculty and student exchange, study abroad programs, and opportunities for international fellowships. Build on the existing foundation of research and grant activity in the college and address needs for additional laboratory space and equipment to meet current demand as well as future growth. Programmatic Innovation Develop after hours, weekend, on-line, off-campus, and hybrid programs and expand the use of technology to meet the needs of working K-12 teachers and administrators. Develop new programs in emerging fields such as global education, human relations training, instructional technology, and others, and further promote/rebrand existing non-teacher certification programs such as exercise science and sport management. Enhance the college s already strong position as a leader in STEM education. Attributes of Excellence The Search Advisory Committee seeks candidates with the energy and vision to take the College of Education to the next level of national stature. In addition to a terminal degree and prior administrative experience, the individual should be an outstanding leader and a research-savvy scholar with a data-driven approach to decisionmaking and a clear understanding of the workforce needs of the P-20 education continuum. Other desired attributes include: Engaging people skills with a talent for inclusive communication and energetic involvement in all dimensions of the academic community; Experience in building successful internal partnerships within an academic unit as well as strong external links throughout the education community and beyond;

9 Commitment to supporting faculty in their pursuit of scholarship and research as well as classroom teaching; Transparent and inclusive management style with a proven commitment to shared governance; Demonstrated commitment to diversity and an in-depth global perspective; Enthusiasm for and a record of success in fundraising; Ability to work intra-professionally within departments and across other academic disciplines; Proven commitment to diversity as evidenced by a successful record of recruiting, promoting, retaining, and mentoring faculty of color and successfully recruiting, retaining, and mentoring students of color; Reputation for being engaged, involved, and active in the greater community as well as in a fast-paced academic setting; Personal understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing P-20 educators today and a client-focused approach to working with school systems and with local, state, and Federal agencies; Proven commitment to non-certification programs and an entrepreneurial approach to designing new programs that meet emerging demands (such as Therapeutic Recreation, Sport and Recreation Management, Health, Exercise Science, Early Childhood Studies, Mental Health Counseling). Search Timeline For best consideration, applications and nominations should be received on or before April 3, Initial interviews will be set in mid-april. The Search Committee will continue to accept confidential applications and nominations until the position is filled. Please include a letter describing relevant experiences and interest in the position; curriculum vitae; and the names of five references with titles, addresses, telephone numbers, and addresses. Individuals who wish to nominate a candidate should submit a letter of nomination, including the name, position, address, telephone number, and address of the nominee. Applications and nominations should be electronically submitted via MS Word or pdf to USAEducation@academic-search.com.

10 The search is assisted by John B. Hicks, Senior Consultant Academic Search, Inc. ~ The University of South Alabama does not discriminate in its student and employment practices in violation of any applicable laws. The University of South Alabama is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled. For more than three decades, Academic Search has offered executive search services exclusively to institutions of higher education. Academic Search was founded on the principle of strengthening higher education leadership through professional search services. We are the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), Academic Search provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development, and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. For more information, visit